Post by mjl1966 on Dec 31, 2013 2:29:36 GMT -5
Currently, cabin service starts well after the designated time set up in administrator (as is noted in FAQ) and either fails to complete or, if it does complete, cycles again too late in the flight to complete a second time.
My suggestion is something like this:
1. Actually start the service at the designated time, using wheels up as a baseline.
1a. Arbitrarily start the service at the 10K MSL line, which is more or less industry standard. Or maybe at FL changeover. This would also ensure service starts at a more appropriate time early in the flight. Several minutes after reaching cruise altitude doesn't seem quite right.
2. Before service starts, compare the time that will be required to serve all pax to the current ETE and determine if service can be completed within 75% (or so) of the ETE. Both of these parameters are known to the program, so the math should be doable.
3. Optionally stop all service after a single run or, if a repeat cycle is to be initiated, check the math again and if the time to complete service in the prior cycle exceeds 75% of the remaining ETE, don't start it.
4. Make the snack cycles shorter. A 737 should be able to have a full cycle of nuts and drinks between Denver and Albuquerque. The current timer seems to require about a 3 hour flight to complete sucessfully. Should be able to do it on a flight that's as short as an hour. (30 minutes cruise time).
Cabin service is something the player gets dinged with but doesn't have any realistic control over except to arbitrarily inhibit altogether. The simulation would be more realistic if the cabin crew managed the service cycle such that the pilot doesn't get dinged because the attendants start a service cycle without any hope of being able to complete it. It's not that important to the pilot experience and is more of an ambience element than an important metric relating to pilot skill. Lights, ice, fuel management and not stressing the pax with G's and bouncy landings all make sense as metrics. Cabin service completion, not so much.
My suggestion is something like this:
1. Actually start the service at the designated time, using wheels up as a baseline.
1a. Arbitrarily start the service at the 10K MSL line, which is more or less industry standard. Or maybe at FL changeover. This would also ensure service starts at a more appropriate time early in the flight. Several minutes after reaching cruise altitude doesn't seem quite right.
2. Before service starts, compare the time that will be required to serve all pax to the current ETE and determine if service can be completed within 75% (or so) of the ETE. Both of these parameters are known to the program, so the math should be doable.
3. Optionally stop all service after a single run or, if a repeat cycle is to be initiated, check the math again and if the time to complete service in the prior cycle exceeds 75% of the remaining ETE, don't start it.
4. Make the snack cycles shorter. A 737 should be able to have a full cycle of nuts and drinks between Denver and Albuquerque. The current timer seems to require about a 3 hour flight to complete sucessfully. Should be able to do it on a flight that's as short as an hour. (30 minutes cruise time).
Cabin service is something the player gets dinged with but doesn't have any realistic control over except to arbitrarily inhibit altogether. The simulation would be more realistic if the cabin crew managed the service cycle such that the pilot doesn't get dinged because the attendants start a service cycle without any hope of being able to complete it. It's not that important to the pilot experience and is more of an ambience element than an important metric relating to pilot skill. Lights, ice, fuel management and not stressing the pax with G's and bouncy landings all make sense as metrics. Cabin service completion, not so much.