Flight Time Idea

Wolfar100 · Post by **Wolfar100** » Sun Jan 21, 2007 6:17 pm

This idea was proposed by someone else but I expanded on it a bit. It was buried in anouther thread so it really did not get looked at. So here it is for better or worse, some will like it and expand on this others do not like restrictions. Everyone though is VERY welcome to comment.

Idea about a drop-down flight time menu? After or before fueling your aircraft you are presented with a drop-down menu in hours and minutes. You choose how long you expect for your flight to take, say 2hrs and 35min. If my flight takes shorter than that time by say 15 minutes then I get a penalty of say .1% per minute to my company reputation and my pilot reputation. This would mean that the percentages would have to be in the 00.1% instead of the 00% range. Or you could even go 00.01% per minute late or early over or under the 15 minute window. This would be excellent because right now there are no constraints for flight time. I can do anything that I want concerning the flight times. If I want to take off at 2300 hours local who cares that my schedule says 0930? At least it would put a time constraint on the flight and add a new sense of realism to FlyNET.

HS1 · Post by **HS1** » Sun Jan 21, 2007 8:52 pm

To my mind, the restriction should be that the departure time stated in the schedule should match the departure time in Flight Simulator (with a 30 minute tolerance). I think imposing real-time restrictions would simply cause airlines to schedule all their flights in the evening (when most people are home), possibly leading to a situation where their schedules become unrealistic.

On the other hand, I don't see the implementation of this as being an immediate priority, as its the kind of restriction that doesn't affect anyone except the light conditions of the individual pilot's flight.

Wolfar100 · Post by **Wolfar100** » Sun Jan 21, 2007 9:08 pm

HS1 wrote:To my mind, the restriction should be that the departure time stated in the schedule should match the departure time in Flight Simulator (with a 30 minute tolerance). I think imposing real-time restrictions would simply cause airlines to schedule all their flights in the evening (when most people are home), possibly leading to a situation where their schedules become unrealistic.

On the other hand, I don't see the implementation of this as being an immediate priority, as its the kind of restriction that doesn't affect anyone except the light conditions of the individual pilot's flight.

No I am affraid I was not clear. The dropdown menu does not list times such as 0630 or 1430 etc. What it lists is just what you think the flight time DURATION is going to be. It could care less what time you fly at just the OVERALL flight time spent. Say you put in that it is going to take you 1 hour and 45 minutes to make it from Phoenix Az to San Fransisco California as booked.

Hope that cleared it up.

vaccaro · Post by **vaccaro** » Sun Jan 21, 2007 10:24 pm

Nice idea but I have some concerns about it.
This will only penalize if you land late because if you are early (like I do if I am earl in fspax) you can still do a few holdings to match the landing time.

Post by **joefremont** » Sun Jan 21, 2007 10:54 pm

I would think the time should be based on the times based on the original flight times in the database, and should only apply if the flight is late, most passangers will be happy if they are early.

Wolfar100 · Post by **Wolfar100** » Sun Jan 21, 2007 11:11 pm

joefremont wrote:I would think the time should be based on the times based on the original flight times in the database, and should only apply if the flight is late, most passangers will be happy if they are early.

Then the other shoe falls. So I book a flight that takes 2 hours and I book it for 4 hours. Using this method I can never be wrong.

IslandBum · Post by **IslandBum** » Mon Jan 22, 2007 2:05 am

A couple of quick thoughts

The confusion over time I understand - Hell I just run my computer on FS time and let my flights run where they will

I might suggest a small sequitur to scheduling that someone (I can do it - I have access to Wold Wide AIPs) supply curfew
information - and then if one tried to apply a schedule to say San Diego between 2300 and 0600Pacific time the client would
just deny it - and if you departed for say San Diego with an ETA of 2230 and arrived 40 minutes late you would be penalized
for breaking curfew (personally a much more realistic fine that the 250 rule)

As far as a penalty of being early - Man -- you have to come work in the real world - its what we pray for - pax love it
crew love it cause theyre getting paid guarntee so its money for nothing - the only people who get PO'd are the ops people
because it gives them gate headaches - but what the hell theyre just Ops people and no one listens anyway

Mahalo

Leif

CAPFlyer · Post by **CAPFlyer** » Mon Jan 22, 2007 3:21 am

Hell, the only time the ops guys at DEN complained was when the plane showed up early and the crew or dispatch didn't call to let them know. As long as they knew ahead of time, they loved it too because it gave them more time to turn the plane, even if they did have to put the early bird on a different gate or parking spot.

Wolfar100 · Post by **Wolfar100** » Mon Jan 22, 2007 4:09 am

The only thing that I have input on is keep it realistic. If I arrive 1 hour early then there is something wrong. I do not know how to implement the checks and balances here.

Post by **joefremont** » Mon Jan 22, 2007 6:31 am

Maybe we could do something with competition, flights that have a shorter flight time could get a competitive advantage over flights that have longer times, but if your late your reputation gets a hit.

Wolfar100 · Post by **Wolfar100** » Mon Jan 22, 2007 12:47 pm

joefremont wrote:Maybe we could do something with competition, flights that have a shorter flight time could get a competitive advantage over flights that have longer times, but if your late your reputation gets a hit.

Not a bad idea. Perhaps this then just to keep it somewhat real. If your more late than 15 minutes you get a ding, if your more than an hour early then you also get a ding for being unrealistic.

CAPFlyer · Post by **CAPFlyer** » Mon Jan 22, 2007 7:27 pm

I don't think there's a need for a ding if you're early. By making the passenger loads at least partially dependent on flight time (the one with the shortest gets the most) you remove any incentive to have an unrealistically long flight time. As well, there should be a "standard" time that is calculated by the FlyNET system using the same mileage calculation that is generated by the database to get your ticket price and the stated cruise speed of the airplane selected to fly the flight.

Wolfar100 · Post by **Wolfar100** » Mon Jan 22, 2007 8:13 pm

CAPFlyer wrote:I don't think there's a need for a ding if you're early. By making the passenger loads at least partially dependent on flight time (the one with the shortest gets the most) you remove any incentive to have an unrealistically long flight time. As well, there should be a "standard" time that is calculated by the FlyNET system using the same mileage calculation that is generated by the database to get your ticket price and the stated cruise speed of the airplane selected to fly the flight.

Hmmm Not bad, I am just trying to think of ways so no one books a 5 hour flight that only takes 3!

UKD192 · Post by **UKD192** » Mon Jan 22, 2007 9:22 pm

="Wolfar100
Hmmm Not bad, I am just trying to think of ways so no one books a 5 hour flight that only takes 3!

Why not ? Thats what we do on some flights. Accros the Pacific, winds are sometimes very variable, on one day I've got 115kt head winds - right on the nose, at other times (going in the same direction !) I've got tail winds of 55kts. thats a difference in speed over the ground of 165Kts! If you arrive early and your schedules are correct, and you are playing fair

, then you cannot depart till your alloted next departure time.
To use your example above - you book a flight for 5 hours, you complete it in 3, then you hang around for 2 hours or more until your next scheduled departure time. I think thats the way it works IRL , Leif ?

Cheers now
Rob

IslandBum · Post by **IslandBum** » Mon Jan 22, 2007 9:39 pm

To use your example above - you book a flight for 5 hours, you complete it in 3, then you hang around for 2 hours or more until your next scheduled departure time. I think thats the way it works IRL , Leif ?

Rob thats it in a nutshell - In the airline I work for 90% of what we fly are round robins - ie LAS-DLH-LAS, SFB-TOL-SFB, PIE-TYS-PIE so its usually a merrygoaround and swings thing - the 55 knots headwind on the first leg is a 55 knot tailwind on
the second - so it pretty much evens out - HOWEVER for the other folks contributing NO scheduled carrier would leave 2 hours
prior to STD .

So heres a synpopsis for everyone thats scratching their heads and other parts

WHY would anyone depart at any time other that the "published scheduled departure"?? When Im flying I set the time I "appear" in the sim to about 15 minutes prior to departure to allow for checklists, taxiing out etc - Ill fly the profile that I get from FSBuild/ASv6 any delays come on the
latter part of the flight - usually because ATC will vector you all over hell for traffic at busy airports

So Im sorry Im a bit confused by all this fuss why penalties?? If your scheduled departure time
is 1400 and you enter the sim at 1315 with the intention of getting there early you have achieved
nothing - Its NOT realistic so why have penalties ?? the only person your cheating is yourself.
However maybe an additional function could be added to the client along with fuel figures and that
would be an ETE based on winds etc - If you manage to beat the ETE by say 15 minutes WITHOUT going over burn the bonus could be scaled up slightly for good flight economics

THAT would be more realistic

Leif