u/DGReddAuthor

Are either of these suitable for GA? I like to fly with IFR and sometimes VFR.

I've tried BATC but it has way too many annoying bugs. I don't really care about voice recognition or the quality of the voices. What I want is something that doesn't forget me, works for small airports with no towers. Something which doesn't try to get me to land ILS in C152 lol.

At the moment I'm leaning toward FSHud because it injects traffic and controls it, so I can hear everything. But... It looks like it's focused on airliners?

I am staying under 1500 calories a day to get down to 59.9kg.

I do no exercise.

Cheat day is tomorrow. I was told I can cheat one day a week.

I have big plans for tomorrow. I'm going to eat a lot.

Is it possible to overdo it to the point the rest of the week is a bust?

I'm wondering how you all handle the amount of data and information you need to have a successful simulator flight. I'm struggling. Maybe it's a learning curve, probably my setup, or maybe I'm missing a simple trick somewhere?

My setup:

1. MSFS2020
2. Playing on a laptop in bed with a controller (important for maximum comfort)
3. BeyondATC
4. Neofly
5. LittleNavMap

My process:

1. Get a job from Neofly (double-checking the airport exists in SimBrief, not all do)
2. Create a Flight Plan in SimBrief
   • Often the published arrival procedures don't exist as STARs in SimBrief (thanks Australian Air Services) so I have to manually add the arrival procedures way points
3. Load the Flight Plan from SimBrief into LittleNavMap
   • This is because I fly things like a Cessna 152 and need to navigate using VOR/DME
   • I mark a bunch of radials on the map to help the different stages of my Flight Plan
4. I write all the navigation stuff down in a text editor; e.g. fly on this radial for 6 mins, left heading 120 for 10 minutes etc
5. Load the Flight Plan into BeyondATC
6. Setup the plane's weight etc and start in a parking spot

There's a lot to do there, but it's manageable. Here's when I struggle:

1. Alt-tabbing into the start-up procedures for the plane to remember and checkoff everything
2. While juggling communications with ATC
3. While alt-tabbing into LittleNavMap or my notes to set nav frequencies
4. Alt-tabbing while flying to check my notes and/or aircraft procedures
5. Alt-tabbing while flying to check departure and arrival procedures

There has to be a better way? How do real pilots handle all this? I don't have the luxury of multiple screens, but maybe I need to have some things handy on my phone?

I'm totally overwhelmed.

I have tried MSFS2020 and found the ATC to be a bit useless. I read the same about 2024 as well.

I've tried X-Plane 12, and read that the ATC isn't spectacular.

But then the ATC products I see don't really fill my needs.

Pilot2ATC doesn't support A.i. traffic, so that breaks immersion.

BeyondATC doesn't really support VFR, but I like flying VFR.

Career mode in MSFS24 apparently is buggy and junk. So I think I need Air Hauler 2.

I just want to spend some money and fly. I don't want to pay subscriptions, I don't mind if voices are a bit robotic. What do I buy?

I've been at this place for 10+ years. I work very little.

But every now and then there's a project or work and people pester me. I'm trying to find ways to avoid even these ad-hoc requests and avoid getting pulled into a project. Or, at least, ensuring I have nothing to do on the projects, but still seem important.

How do you all avoid work while also avoid being let go? I have the benefit of so much tenure some newer people aren't exactly sure what I do. To be honest, I haven't put in a solid work day in so long, I'm not sure what I do exactly.

What I have done:

1. Aligned myself with several managers who don't like each other.

2. I always speak up a meetings and raise issues in front of clients. Issues that I could have raised at the start before the client was involved. It makes clients trust me and specifically request me.

3. I talk over Project Managers to ensure I can get the work parceled out to more junior people (my time is more valuable and I'm busy on other projects, but I'll review)

4. I WFH 100% so no one sees me doing nothing. My calendar is full of meetings that don't exist, or blocked out "focus" areas.

Would love more ideas.