The Microsoft Flight Simulator is a very complex and sophisticated Flight simulation game. It is an amateur flight simulation game developed by Asobo Studio. It helps pilots and trainees to test their skills using it. Players get to fly the aircraft of their choice over areas of their liking. The game is so complex and looks so real that people do not consider it a game but a proper simulator. The flight simulator has every control and function a real aircraft would have. The aim is to provide the players with a close-to-reality experience. The simulator is a big help for those who want to practice flying an aircraft without putting themselves or anyone else in danger.
The game features high-quality graphics; they seem almost real with the right amount and angle of shadows and light. While playing the game, you will realize how much effort and thought has been put into creating it. The game has many features, and there are many difficult tasks in the game; one of them is talking to the Air Traffic Control (ATC).
So, today, we’re going to tell you how you can connect with ATC and how to efficiently talk with them.
What is ATC?
Air Traffic Control is the operator that helps various aircraft to land on the runways without crashing into other aircraft, hence the name air traffic controller. There is always a high chance of collision on runways, so ATC keeps track of aircraft movements to set potential landing and takeoff timings. Nowadays, aircraft can only take off when they get confirmation from the ATC. ATC is the reason that there has been a major drop in airline accidents.
Now, in Microsoft Flight Simulator, ATC does the same. To get a clearer idea of the airfield and the true experience of flying a plane, the player will need to connect to ATC.
Now, let us tell you how to connect to ATC in the Microsoft flight simulator.
How to connect to ATC for Microsoft Flight Simulator?
To start, you need to be familiar with the language and the system of the simulator; only then can a player properly communicate with ATC. Then to connect to the ATC, you have to tune in to the correct frequency, that of the ATC. If you are on your desktop, then press C to open the menu. From here, you can adjust the frequency and set it to connect to the ATC. You can also turn the autotune feature on and off from here.
Here are some key bindings to help you set your radio frequency manually,
- SHIFT, CTRL, PG DOWN – Decrease NAV1 Frequency
- SHIFT, CTRL, PGUP – Increase NAV1 Frequency
- SCROLL LOCK – ATC Menu
- SHIFT, CTRL, N – NAV1 Swap
- N – NAV Radio
- X – Frequency Swap
- C – Com Radio
- SHIFT, CTRL, Z – ADF
Now that you’ve set the frequency, we will tell you how to communicate with ATC.
To maintain contact with ATC, the player will need to respond to the commands and questions of ATC. There is a menu for this, and the player can move it around the screen and resize it to prevent it from obstructing your view. When you are connected to the ATC, the message “Choose a Message to Transmit.” will show in the menu.
How to talk to ATC in Microsoft Flight Simulator?
To talk to the ATC, players will need to make a request; if the controllers give a response and acknowledge, then the players can make further contact with the ATC.
Talking to the ATC in Microsoft Flight Simulator is just like the way pilots and the control tower communicate in real life. Players will make a request; the controller will give an appropriate response or instruction, which is followed with an acknowledgement by the player. So, if you want to communicate with ATC, you can use the following keys,
- Use the scroll lock key to open the ATC menu.
- Press the numbers keys that correspond to different messages to talk to ATC.
- Players are only able to use the 1-9 numeric keys on the top of their keyboards.
In all, Microsoft Flight Simulator is a fun game, and players can learn a lot about flying and planes from it. So, if you have already played it, do let us know how you find it in the comments section below. And if you have difficulty in solving any other mission, do let us know we’ll guide you on how to do it more efficiently!