What to do with SIM ACARS

[Michael Blakely]

SIM ACARS Beta testing has been disappointing. We have come to realize that SIM ACARS reports everything based on computer time, not simulator time. This is coded in the client, and we have no access to the client source code, so we can't change it.

This means any SIM ACARS FREP will need to be edited by the pilot to correct the departure and arrival times from computer time to sim time. This can be done on our Edit FREP page.

I'm putting out this poll to see if there are pilots that still see value in the tool, even if they need to correct the departure and arrival times after submission. Regardless of the outcome, I will continue to look for another ACARS client for AAVirtual.

Currently, only 3 pilots are regularly using SIM ACARS.

[Theodore Martin]

SIM ACARS was a nice application that, as I mistakenly thought, provided the advantage of working with Microsoft Flight Simulator and FSACARS did not. However I've been corrected that FSACARS now supports Microsoft Flight Simulator so SIM ACARS only advantage is the additional data it collects, which is nice but not key. If there are no other advantages to SIM ACARS I will vote to move on to another app while we continue to utilize FSACARS.

I don't know if it is something that has changed in my configuration but FSACARS now starts with a 2017 date instead of being just one day off. I didn't previously have this problem.

[Michael Blakely]

I have updated the SIM ACARS interface so it no longer converts the reported pushback and shutdown times to UTC based on the location of the departure and arrival airports.
I did this because SIM ACARS only reports time based on the real time clock in your computer. This way at least the flight duration is correct, but the pushback and shutdown times still need to be edited for every FREP.

[Michael Blakely]

Cooper,

We don't recommend SIM ACARS for new users because the client uses real word time and AAVirtual uses simulator time.

We recommend you use FSACARS. Instructions are in this post: viewtopic.php?f=32&t=15538