You're simulator is running, you have FSUIPC installed, you've loaded a Cessna C172 SkyHawk aircraft, and you're sitting at a gate
or in the General Aviation parking area. You have neither created, nor loaded a Flight Plan. This is what you'll hear as a new user
when you first start the It's Your Plane (IYP) programme:
Hi. My name is Michelle. I will be flying along side you today.
Please wait while I connect to the It's Your Plane system for correct aircraft, flight plan,
checklist and weather information. The system has been initialized for a Cessna 172-SP SkyHawk. Extended Help is on.
You can turn off Extended Help at any time by saying, Extended Help off.
Captain, It's Your Plane... we're ready to go!
The Origination and Destination airports have not been defined. If this is an IFR or a VFR flight plan,
then from the simulator's main menu bar, please click on Flights, then Load to select your planned flight.
As you can see and hear, there's a lot of information being passed on to a new user!
During the 15-Day Trial period, Extended Help is AUTOMATICALLY turned on each time you start the IYP programme.
QUESTION:
What’s the difference between running WITH or WITHOUT Extended Help?
ANSWER:
When you are running through the checklists, if you do not respond to a request by Michelle (Mike) within a certain period of time
(typically 10 seconds for most checklist items), then she’ll repeat the question. If you do not respond to the request,
she’ll repeat the question yet again. After the third time, if you're in the Extended Help mode, she’ll immediately offer Help. Alternatively,
if you're running with Extended Help turned off, she’ll ask,
"Captain, can you not hear me? If you need help, just say, Please help me."
Use the phrase, "Extended Help ON", or, "Extended Help OFF" to change modes.
Let's assume that you are under-impressed by the sound quality of Michelle (Microsoft's Default Mary Voice Font on FS9,
or Microsoft's Default Anna Voice Font on FSX) and as a result, you've purchased a set of 3rd-Party Voice Fonts.
For this example, we'll say that you've decided to use the AT&T Mike Voice Font.
Simply minimise your simulator to gain access to the IYP Control Panel (as shown below), and click on the Options Button:
and (as in this example) select the ATT DTNV1.4 Mike16 Voice Font.
While you're at it, you may elect to enter your Captain's Name (I naturally use Robert). Press Finished on the
IYP Control Panel and you'll hear Mike speaking to you.
Let's say that you have selected a Flight Plan from EGHS to EGFF by clicking on Flights>Load
in the simulator's Main Menu bar, and then started the IYP programme.
This is what you'll hear when you launch the IYP application:
Hi. My name is Mike. I will be flying along side you today. Good evening Captain Robert. Please wait while I connect to the
It's Your Plane system for correct aircraft, flight plan, checklist and weather information.
The system has been initialized for a Cessna 172 SkyHawk. If the Departure airport is not EGHS and the Destination airport is not EGFF,
then please load the correct flight.
Captain, It's Your Plane... we're ready to go!
Let's assume that you had chosen the Australian Voice Font ScanSoft Karen_Full_22kHz, then this is what you'll hear when you launch the IYP application:
Hi. My name is Michelle. I will be flying along side you today. Good evening Captain Robert.
Please wait while I connect to the It's Your Plane system for correct aircraft, flight plan, checklist and weather information.
The system has been initialized for a Cessna 172 SkyHawk. If the Departure airport is not EGHS and the Destination airport is not EGFF,
then please load the correct flight. Captain, It's Your Plane... we're ready to go!
You’re getting much more familiar with the IYP application, so you say,
"Activate Quick Start Mode."
This is what you'll hear when you launch the IYP application:
Please wait. The system has been initialized for a Cessna 172 SkyHawk.
Captain, It's Your Plane... we're ready to go!
Okay… now you’ve become an IYP Guru! You pretty much know the IYP application inside-and-out, so you say,
"Activate Advanced Mode."
This is what you'll hear when you launch the IYP application:
Please wait. Captain, It's Your Plane... we're ready to go!
Listen to Mike and me running through the Cessna C172 SkyHawk Pre-Flight checklist in the Normal Mode (Advance Mode Deactivated).
You will note that in the Normal Mode, First Officer Mike echoes all of the checklist items' status. For example,
when Mike asks, "Is the fuel selector set to both?", and the Captain responds with, "Yes it is", Mike then echoes
the status by saying, "The fuel selector set to both."
Now listen to Mike and me running through the same Pre-Flight checklist in the Advanced Mode.
You will note that in this Advanced Mode, First Officer Mike does NOT echo all of the checklist items' status. For example,
when Mike asks, "Is the fuel selector set to both?", and the Captain responds with, "Yes it is", Mike then simply
moves on the the next checklist item.
A recently new user (who for privacy shall remain anonymous) sent in a suggestion as part of
Helen's Questionaire under his "Wish List". I normally try to get to user suggestions in
an orderly fashion... i.e., first come, first served. However, this suggestion was so good, it jumped to the top on the list.
This user wanted to have a facility to SUPPRESS Michelle's confirmation of a performed function. For example,
when you (the Captain) say, "Battery Master Swtich ON", Michelle typically responds with, "Battery Master Swtich on."
If you say,
when you say, "Battery Master Swtich ON", you'll hear NOTHING except perhaps a click!
When you say, "Turn right heading 270", you see the BUG change, but hear NOTHING from Michelle!
So, you can use, "Command Confirmations OFF", and "Command Confirmations ON", to change the mode.
Listen to Mike and me executing the Pre-Flight checklist with both Advanced Mode Activated and Command Confirmations OFF.
This was a great user suggestion! It makes running down the checklists a breeze! Please keep the ideas and suggestions coming.
So, there you have it... the various ways to run the IYP apllication.
I hope you found this Newsletter helpful.
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