using only Deicing Facilities

[grzegorz]

Hi all and sorry for my english

I would like to ask about the possibility of using only Deicing Facilities.
Usually, I do not have much time to do flights - I use the "Jump to" function offered by QW787, which allows me to shorten the flight time to a minimum, mainly to the top of descend point.
Previously, I used FsCaptain fully, but currently I can not use all of its functionality - that's why I have not used the program for some time and unfortunately I have not followed the changes.
I have now entered the forum and saw that the program offers deiceing operations and not at the gate, such as GSX, but in a separate position - that's something I was waiting for!
However, I would like to be able to use only Deicing Facilities, which brings a lot of realism especially in the approaching winter weather.
Is there a possibility and if so how should I use only this option?
Thank you in advance for your answer

Best regards
Grzegorz

[Travis]

Hi Grzegorz,

Your English is perfectly understandable - no apologies would be needed!

Our Designated Deicing Facilities are intended to be used in a full FSCaptain "flight" because we want to offer the possible penalty of freezing one or more flight controls if a Captain takes off with no Holdover Time.

However if you don't care about the FSCaptain score at all, then I would suggest that you start an FSCaptain flight (with as much detail as you would like to offer) and when you reach the point where you want to use the QW "Jump To" function, you can simply close the FCDU and ignore it for the remainder of the flight!

You can even mute our FO and FA if you like, and not be bothered by anything other than a call for ground deicing!

Let me know if this is interesting for you, and we would be happy to give you other bits of advice when you need it.

One of our Alpha Testers even has a method to allow for GSX deicing at Designated Deicing Facilities. (However you cannot compel GSX to give you deicing trucks if they don't want to, and if they do you would have to wait for their trucks to arrive, since they spawn where GSX wants them to).

I've tried it, and apart from those small problems, his scheme does work!

Please let us know if you would like details on how to accomplish that.

I will be unavailable tomorrow and Thursday - travel and returning home for a holiday - but available after that.

Best regards,

[grzegorz]

Thank You very much! Yes, i would like details wit GSX it's very interesting!

[Travis]

Hi Grzegorz,

Here's what has been tested. Remember, there's no guarantee that GSX will ever allow ground deicing, so this really relies upon GSX being very cooperative.

Questions are always welcome!!!

What we want to do is to be able to spawn at an appropriate parking spot, then perform all boarding / loading processes there, and then prepare for departure in both FSCaptain and GSX. You would then depart for your DDF and "park" once you get there.  (Set parking brakes, and lower your flaps.) 

At that time you would reset Couatl and once GSX is back up and running you would then request another departure from the DDF from GSX. If GSX asks for "deicing treatment" then you can acknowledge and wait for its deicers to do their things.

---

You will first need to pre-define everything in a BGL, and then to modify those parameters in the GSX Airport Editor!   Details on how to do this will come later....

Please note that if you request GSX Pushback at your initial parking spot, and you do not have GSX ask for its "deicing treatment", you may not be offered its "deicing treatment" at a DDF. In FSCaptain, you may consider asking for ACME Deicing on stand while GSX is waiting for your pushback command.  If you want to deice at your DDF, then select that

If you make it to the DDF and GSX does not ask if you want its "deicing treatment" then you can only use ACME deicing there - static trucks with spraying.

---

To make this work, you will need a custom BGL for your airport that contains DDF definitions. We can use the KROA_ADEX_ACME.BGL file in our "DDF Default Airports" folder as an example. You can simply copy it into your AddonScenery\Scenery folder. If you prefer, you may create a new "DDF Test" folder to contain this file and activate that folder at a high priority in your Scenery file.

The rules for making such a BGL file containing "GSX Friendly DDFs" follow:

• When creating your DDF file, first follow the normal DDF rules - use a type of"DOCK_GA", "NONE" as a name, and assign the Airline Codes as per the "Building DDF" document.
• You need to define your parking spots at 1/100th the normal radius so the normal ATC/AI controller will not spawn an aircraft in your DDF(s), nor will landing AI be parked there!
  
• You need to have your parking spots connected to the airport taxipath network.
  

In our provided BGL for KROA, you can see "CARGO EAST" is defined for 0.27 meters of wingspan, and is part of the airport's taxipath network. This will allow all aircraft with an FSCaptain wingspan of 27 meters or less to use this as a DDF....

---

Once you've added and activated your DDF scenery in your GSX-equipped simulator, launch your simulator and spawn at your DDF. Then launch your GSX Airport Editor. Change the radius in GSX to one that's appropriate to your aircraft... 27 meters for our KROA example.

At this point, GSX should spawn all of its Ground Service vehicles at this parking spot.

You would want to edit your GSX ("DDF") Parking Spot to remove as many items as possible. We don't want buses or stairs hanging around.

Likewise, we would want any normal Ground Service vehicles kept as far away as possible, so move them all away! We don't want baggage carts, loaders, and pushback trucks around if we don't need them.

---

So with a finely drawn BGL, and with GSX Airport edits made, you should be able to LOAD, go OUT, taxi to your DDF, Deice, go OFF, and then if you have remaining Holdover Time, you would be safe from any "FCDU Flight Control Freezing."

---

With luck, we'd like to have you make more complete FSCaptain flights!  I'm not one for 4+ hour flights myself, so I introduced "I'll Be Back" last year which allows me to have my trusty FSCaptain FO to monitor and manage things while I'm cruising at 4X speed on autopilot.

Regards,

[grzegorz]

Thank you very much for the advice.
As soon as I find time, I will try it all!

Thank you again

Regards