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Frequently asked questions

General questions

What does Early Access mean?

Early Access is way for you to purchase and use the program before it is complete. This approach enables users to participate in the final development stages by providing feedback, reporting bugs, and suggesting improvements. In return, users get a chance to explore new features ahead of the final release.

This means if you purchase BeyondATC, you are getting a program still under development. This program will include bugs and strange behavior. Please make sure you understand this before making your purchase decision.

How much does BeyondATC cost?

The basic pack is priced at $29.99. This pack includes all core features, with no additional purchases required unless you choose to buy Premium Characters for enhanced voice options. Additionally, a Supporter Pack is available for $59.99, granting access to the experimental branch where new features are introduced first for testing.

For detailed information on pricing and available options, please visit our pricing page.

Is BeyondATC a one-time purchase?

Yes! BeyondATC comes with a large amount of Premium Characters included in the base purchase (about an hour of speaking time), and that is yours to use from the moment you purchase the product. However, you are not required to use this voice model at all. The product works entirely from start to finish with the Basic Voice Model, and requires no additional purchases of any kind. Additionally, it will include all future updates and upcoming features!

Does BeyondATC require an active internet connection?

Yes, our voices use cloud-based technology and require an active connection to work.

Which simulators is BeyondATC be available for?

BeyondATC is currently designed for Microsoft Flight Simulator 2020 and is also planned to support the upcoming 2024 edition.

We have not planned to support any other simulator.

Is there a trial period?

We do not offer a trial period at this stage. You can search for BeyondATC videos and review to make your decision.

Is BeyondATC powered by AI?

We use the latest in AI technologies to process your voice, decide what the ATC should do, and generate highly realistic responses with AI voices. However, to keep the program affordable we do not use a LLM (Large Language Model) such as Gemini or ChatGPT.

Do I need a Navigraph subscription to use BeyondATC?

You don’t need a Navigraph subscription to use BeyondATC. The software pulls information directly from your simulator, including airport data, approaches, waypoints, and more, using the scenery and AIRAC cycle already available in your sim. However, if you generate a flight plan in Simbrief using a different AIRAC cycle than what’s in your simulator, you may encounter specific discrepancies.

If desired, you can opt for a one-month Navigraph subscription to update both your simulator and Simbrief with the latest AIRAC cycle, ensuring everything is synchronized to the same source.

ATC questions

Why am I regularly getting Squawk 1000?

Squawk 1000 is used between a few countries in Europe as part of a modernized air traffic management system. This code is specifically tied to the use of Mode S transponders, which provide detailed aircraft information, such as position and unique identifier, directly to air traffic controllers. Unlike traditional squawk codes, which require different codes for different flights, squawk 1000 simplifies the process by standardizing the code for all aircraft equipped with Mode S.

Countries Using Squawk 1000

  • Austria
  • Belgium
  • Croatia
  • Czech Republic
  • France
  • Germany
  • Hungary
  • Italy
  • Luxembourg
  • Netherlands
  • Poland
  • Romania
  • Slovakia
  • Switzerland (LSZR,LSZB,LSZG,LSGC,LSZH,LSGG)

This behavior is modeled in BeyondATC. Therefore, you will be assigned squawk 1000 if you are flying between these countries.

For more info:

Why BeyondATC makes me use a runway that is not active in real life?

BeyondATC generates ATIS reports independently, relying on weather data (METAR) from aviationweather.gov (+ VATSIM as a second source) and available airport operations provided by the community. This system mimics how real-world controllers make decisions but does not aim to replicate real-time ATIS. This can lead to differences between the ATIS you receive from BATC and the active runways information provided by real-world sources or flight planning tools like Simbrief or Navigraph.

These differences will be minimized in the future thanks to more complex airports operations. Currently, BATC's airports SOPs are basic. They include:

  • Preferential low wind runways used for departures and arrivals (based on a low-wind threshold)
  • Defined runways for departures and/or arrivals

Advanced features such as curfews, time-based runway changes, or direction-specific runway assignments are not yet implemented.

Should ATC instruct me when I have to descend?

As the pilot in command, it is your responsibility to request descent when needed. While ATC typically prompts you to descend, there may be times when they don't, or when their instruction comes later than you require. This can happen for several reasons, one being that ATC does not have precise knowledge of your TOD. The TOD is specific to your aircraft's performance and the descent planning you've calculated, which ATC cannot determine. Therefore, it’s essential to monitor your descent profile and, when necessary, report that you are ready for descent so ATC can issue the appropriate clearance.

You can read our Beginner Guide about descent planning if you need help.

Why isn't BeyondATC using the runway specified in my flight plan?

In real-world aviation, runways are not pre-assigned in flight plans. Instead, they are determined by Air Traffic Control (ATC) based on current conditions like wind direction, runway availability, and traffic volume.

SimBrief provides a suggested runway based on standard conditions at the time of planning, but the actual runway assignment can change when you’re closer to your departure or arrival. BeyondATC simulates this real-world ATC behavior by assigning runways dynamically, just as in actual flight operations.

AI Traffic

What should I expect from AI Traffic?

Traffic is currently available in alpha, this means its a really early version of the traffic product. We believe it will give you plenty of enjoyment in its current state but there will be issues, there may be crashes of BATC and features may be missing. If you find traffic in its current state does not enhance your experience, you can disable it from within the options menu or alternatively if you find the build unstable, switch back the core EA version from your accounts page.

We would greatly appreciate if you could send your reports, including log files and any other relevant information asked in the thread, in ⁠traffic-alpha-feedback. Your patience and understanding are invaluable as the dev team work on improving this feature.

How can I get AI Traffic with BeyondATC?

AI traffic is available for supporters only. To access this feature, you need to upgrade from the basic pack to the supporter pack for $29.99. Supporters can activate the experimental branch in the account section in BeyondATC.

Traffic will be available to everyone (basic pack) later at no extra cost.

What is the traffic source?

BeyondATC uses data from FlightRadar24, using a historic week of data. This includes all IFR flights, GA included.

Why are you not using live traffic? Are you planning to add it later?

Various factors were evaluated such as costs, contracts, user feedback, system architecture, and development timeline. Based on these criteria, the choice was made not to use live traffic data.

Tests showed minimal differences that most users won't notice. This setup offers a seamless experience without the complexities and costs of live traffic, allowing users to choose their flight times and experience busy airports.

Currently, there are no plans to implement live traffic or support any other injectors.

Which models will BeyondATC use for AI Traffic?

BeyondATC will use whatever models you have installed in your simulator, including any combination of AIG, FSLTL, and FS Traffic.

Can AI traffic use ground services?

Currently, AI traffic cannot use ground services or jetways due to how BeyondATC injects its traffic. Implementing this would require BeyondATC to inject its own pushback tug into the simulator, which might be considered later as an update. Keep in mind that the dev team will focus on core features before considering cosmetic enhancements.

What features are available with AI Traffic?
  • Traffic data for the globe based on live traffic from an historic week of data, limited to any aircraft flying IFR with an active transponder
  • Ground, departure, arrival traffic to and from the airports you have planned in Simbrief for your flight
  • Traffic fully managed by Beyond ATC including parking, runway and procedure assignments
  • Parking spots represent the actual parking spot of the aircraft in real life, irrespective of the parking assignments in the airport scenery
  • Support for FSLTL, AIG and FS Traffic models - at least one of which must be installed
  • Initial separation handling of aircraft at injection
  • Ability to use premium, basic or turn off voices entirely for traffic, separately from the voice setting being used for your the player.
  • Traffic managed by ATC out to 200nm from the player even without those aircraft having to be present in the simulator, saving valuable sim resources.
  • A slider that limits traffic based on a time range from our data set - the higher the slider, the further out the time range.
What features will come in future builds for AI Traffic?
  • Enroute traffic not flying to or from either of the airports you have planned.
  • Any ground services, in particular a tug for pushback
  • Full separation handling through the entire traffic aircraft flight
  • Continued improvements to handling procedures
What features are available with AI Traffic?
  • Aircraft might float while on the ground at certain airports or with certain models
  • Aircraft may follow strange flight plans
  • Aircraft may enter the runway at the wrong point
  • Aircraft may turn off abruptly or too fast from the runway on landing
  • Aircraft may taxi through other parked aircraft at ramps that allow taxi through
  • Aircraft may land too close together
  • Aircraft may get stuck handing over to ground from tower on landing
  • BATC may crash with fatal errors
How do I set up everything to use traffic with BeyondATC?

Please follow our setup guide here

How does the slider work?

The slider controls the time range for aircraft parked at the gates. A setting of 1 represents a short time range, while 10 represents a longer one. The higher the slider value, the more aircraft will be parked at the gates. This is because planes will remain at the gates longer before their scheduled departure or after their arrival, based on real-world data.

Troubleshooting issues

Why can't I type anything in the Simbrief ID field?

Make sure you are typing your Pilot ID and not your username. It should be numbers only.

I can't reset my password. It says that it's unable to generate a password reset link.

Please send a email to support@beyondatc.net with your username and a copy of your receipt to request a manual reset.

I can't log into my account

Make sure you are using the correct username. Usernames are case sensitive.

You can reset your password with the "forgot my password" button in BeyondATC. If this doesn't work or you created an account without an email please email support@beyondatc.net with a copy of your receipt.

Why are my frequencies switching back to something else?

You need to disable ATC assistance options in MSFS settings. Please have a look at our guide to set everything up correctly.

Simbrief cannot be reached. What can I do?

Make sure you have filed a flight plan in Simbrief and Detailed Navlog is checked.

BeyondATC freezes when I press my PTT button.

This happens when BeyondATC can't access your microphone. If you have that issue:

  • Check that your microphone is connected and working
  • Go to Settings > Privacy and security > Microphone and check that apps are allowed to use the microphone (at the bottom of the section)
  • Open BATC, disconnect and reconnect your microphone