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This is your chance to try your skills at one of the most difficult and stressful jobs in the world - Air Traffic Controller. Don't call it a game - this is a fully realistic simulator.
ATCsimulatorŽ2 is the premier Air Traffic Control simulation on the market for the PC. ATCsimulatorŽ has been at the forefront of ATC simulation since Feb/2001, and is still going strong. ATCsimulatorŽ2 allows you to immerse yourself in the mysterious world of air traffic control. This is as close to the REAL THING! as you can get. Don't be fooled by cheap imitations or cheesy mockups! This is a SERIOUS SIMULATION, but, it can also be FUN!
ATCsimulatorŽ2 provides you with the most comprehensive set of programs to help boost your air traffic career, or satisfy your thirst for experiencing the REAL THING! ATCsimulatorŽ2 has it all!
This is the Standard Edition. We also have the Professional Edition which contains the Sector Development Kit.
Game Objective
ATCsimulatorŽ2 allows you to take on the role as Approach or Departure controller at your choice of over 120 Terminal Radar Approach Control facilities of the United States National Airspace System (NAS), or TRACONs as they are more commonly called. Your goal is to allow for the "safe and expeditious" flow of air traffic. It is your job to assist the pilots arriving at airports inside your airspace boundaries by lining them up for an approach (preparing for a landing). It is also your job to assist pilots departing your airspace by handing them over to the Air Route Traffic Control Center (ARTCC) controller at the appropriate time or fix location.
Equipment
ATCsimulatorŽ2 was modeled after the ARTS-IIIa radar equipment used at the Mike Monroney Aeronautical Center(MMAC) in Oklahoma City, Radar Training Facility. All of the dials and switches are simulated with photorealistic quality, and perform all of the functions of their real-life counterpart. Whenever possible, the keyboard functions of the ARTS-IIIa terminal are accessed in the same manner as in real life.
There are no fancy shortcuts or Windows GUI interfaces (that do not exist on real ARTS-IIIa equipment) as is found on other so-called simulations...you use the keyboard using the same keystrokes as Real controllers. And by the way, legacy radarscopes are round, not square. Other game simulations available for the PC present their software using the entire screen, instead of simulating the actual look and feel of the real equipment. We strive to keep the simulation as true-to-life as possible, allowing for you to experience what real controllers "experience" on a daily basis. So don't be fooled by cheap inaccurate imitations.
Controlling Traffic
ATCsimulatorŽ2 provides many methods to allow the "safe and expeditious" flow of air traffic. There are rules governing separation laterally and vertically. You can issue climb and descents, turns, speed changes, holding instructions, visual and instrument approach clearances. You have every command you need to accomplish your task, but HOW you use those commands is entirely up to you. It's not what you know, it's how well you USE what you know.
Control Live Traffic
One of the most unique features with ATCsimulatorŽ2 is the ability to control LIVE TRAFFIC!! That's right, using Flight ExplorerŽ in conjunction with ATCsimulatorŽ2, you will truly experience what its like to work at some of the busiest approach control facilities in the world. This feature alone sets ATCsimulatorŽ2 apart from any other air traffic simulation. By running Flight ExplorerŽ in the background, and then starting ATCsimulatorŽ2, you can choose to have the LIVE TRAFFIC!! fed straight to the simulator, providing you with the most realistic, heart-pounding experience!
Multiplayer with Microsoft Flight Simulator (FS98 through FS2004)
One of the most popular and successful software titles in the world is Microsoft Flight Simulator. Second only to flight simulation, is air traffic control. With ATCsimulatorŽ2, you can host a session and invite your Flight Simulator pilot friends to join you. You control the action!, you control the fun!. No waiting in line to be the "active" controller, nor is there any battery of "tests" you have to complete before you can enjoy controlling traffic. It's true realtime air traffic control on your own terms! Our freeware utility FS2ATCS can be distributed to any Flight Simulator pilot interested in a truly engaging session with a REAL controller. FS2ATCS is compatible with Flight Simulator; FS98 through FS2004. Support for FSX will be coming in the future.
Career Advancement
One of your primary goals is to achieve a higher pay based on your job performance. In the real world, controllers are expected to do a good job. Failing to do that can sometimes result in deadly consequences. That's why air traffic control is one of the most stressful occupations in the world, and highly respected. So, the scoring mechanism is such that you begin with 100 points. Your goal is to maintain that and not lose points. Points are deducted from 100% for separation errors, procedural and others. If you can maintain an overall career average of 70% or better, you will attain pay raises. If you fall below that, you will be demoted. A complete report is given at the end of each scenario telling you how well you performed, any mistakes you made, and what reference material to review to help improve your controlling abilities. This material also includes references from the FAA Air Traffic Bible, the 7110.65x.
Traffic Generation
ATCsimulatorŽ2 will now allow you to generate traffic on the fly by letting you set the level of arrivals and/or departures that you wish to challenge yourself. Or, you can still select from over 100,000 stored flights that were captured from real world FAA air traffic computer networks.
Strip Printing
Another feature of ATCsimulatorŽ2 is the ability to print flight strips while running a scenario. Whether it be a randomly generated scenario, or one of the stored scenarios captured from live FAA flight data, strip printing requires a simple checkbox selction. These strips are printed on your Windows compatible printer and print 10 to a page. The strips will only correspond with the active traffic in the scenario.
Airport Filtering
To add variety to the simulator, or to more closely emulate real world facilities, you can filter the airports at your TRACON to your liking. This will allow you to simulate exact controller positions as compared to the real world. Plus, this reduces the traffic load at each TRACON, making for much more manageable levels when going at it alone at Level 5 facilities. In addition to opening and closing airports, you can also open and close runways, and assign them for arrival, departure or both.
Data Sources
The airspace and associated navigational data used in ATCsimulatorŽ was obtained from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Jeppesen and ARINC. Geographic data was derived from the National Imagery and Mapping Agency (NIMA) and the United States Geological Survery. Flight data was captured from the FAA computer network utilizing Flight ExplorerŽ. Only commercial and civilian traffic local to the area will appear at each TRACON. None of the traffic you will see is fabricated...it's REAL. As an extra bonus, we added a few video map displays that are the ACTUAL maps used at various air traffic facilities.
Pilot Voices
The simulator actually talks back to you! During gameplay, you can choose either a synthetic pilot voice, or Real prerecorded concatenated Text-To-Speech voices. Using Microsoft's TTS technology, you can use the voices that come with the program, and you can also add your own voice using the tools of the Speech SDK. There is room for up to 100 voices that can be used with the program. Invite friends and family to join in on the fun and add their voice to the game!
Speech Recognition
To make the simulation even more realistic, you can download a free application along with the Microsoft Speech API runtimes and interact with the simulator using your VOICE! That's right, you can address aircraft by speaking something like "American eight zero one, turn right heading one two zero, descend and maintain eight thousand, reduce speed to two one zero". You can't get any closer to realism than that!
Two Modes of Operation
In addition to the standard ARTS simulation, you can also elect to control traffic using the latest equipment used in air traffic control, STARS mode, which is an acronym for Standard Terminal Automation Replacement System. This system is being used across the country to replace existing ARTS equipment as it fails. It is a computer driven system resembling that of a PC and utilizes the full screen display. ATCsimulatorŽ2 will provide this display system as an alternative to the standard ARTS-IIIa console.
System Requirements
Windows 98/98SE/2000/XP/Vista (certified to work with Vista); DirectX 8.1 or later; 128 megabytes of RAM; CD-ROM or DVD-ROM drive; 200 megabytes of free hard drive space; 16-bit DirectX compatible sound card; Graphics card capable of 800x600 or higher resolution.
The following screen modes are supported: 800x600; 1024x768; 1280x1024. (With other screen resolutions the simulator will only work in STARS mode, not the legacy ARTS-IIIa. If you have a different resolution set, you can temporarily change to one of the supported modes to use the simulator in ARTS-IIIa mode.)
NOTE: We cannot accept returns on this product - Exchanges only for an exact replacement if product is defective.
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