Frequently Asked Questions
1 System Features
1.1 Does London Control
use voice recognition?
1.2 How are clearances and instructions input
into the system?
1.3 Does the system simulate radio messages
between air and ground?
1.4 Can I print paper flight strips from London
Control?
1.5 Does London Control allow me to co-ordinate
traffic with other sectors and units?
1.6 How does London Control enable one person to
carry out both the planning and tactical controller roles at the
same time?
1.7 Does London Control interface to flight simulator
software?
2 Help and Documentation
2.1 Does London Control
have help that I can access when the program is running?
2.2 I don't seem able to open the help files
from inside the program.
2.3 I don't seem to be able to open any of the
help documents from outside the program.
2.4 When I try to open the User Guide or Sector
Information Manual, Adobe 5 Reader complains that it cannot open
them.
2.5 Can I print the London Control documents?
3 Installation and Running
3.1 The system seems to run very slowly, what can
I do to improve performance?
3.2 When I change the sound volume for the radio
using the Radio Control Menu, it doesn't seem to make any difference.
3.3 When London Control starts-up, the introductory
animation doesn't play.
3.4 Is London Control available for download from
the website?
4 Adaptation Data
4.1 What airspace does London Control cover?
4.2 Can London Control be adapted to cover other
countries' airspace and their ATC centres?
4.3 What does an update contain?
4.4 What is the difference between an update
and an upgrade?
4.5 Why do I have to subscribe to get updates
to the data?
4.6 When I install an update, must I have installed
previous updates?
1 System Features
1.1 Does London Control use voice recognition?
The main London Control package does include voice recognition
and allows clearances and instructions to be passed to aircraft
by voice commands. Go to the voice recognition
page for more information.
1.2 How are clearances and
instructions input into the system?
The system uses on-screen pop-up menus for input of instructions
and clearances to aircraft. It uses exactly the kind of HMI techniques
that will come into operation in real ATC systems in the not-too-distant
future. (Currently there are very few truly electronic ATC systems.
Most still use paper strips, and even those without strips still
make very little use of electronic support.) The advanced tools
rely on the input of clearances so that the system knows what the
aircraft have been instructed to do. Real controllers will be operating
in exactly this manner before too long, when they get the kind of
advanced tools that London Control already includes.
1.3 Does the system simulate
radio messages between air and ground?
London Control simulates highly realistic R/T sound in response
to input instructions, as well as other messages from aircraft.
1.4 Can I print paper flight
strips from London Control?
London Control includes the ability to print paper flight strips.
1.5 Does London Control allow
me to co-ordinate traffic with other sectors and units?
Yes, the system includes a very sophisticated co-ordination
function. Each flight must be co-ordinated into and out of the sector
being controlled. Many of these co-ordinations are automatic, as
'standing agreements' are used to reduce the workload of controllers.
1.6 How does London Control
enable one person to carry out both the planning and tactical controller
roles at the same time?
Although the system is highly realistic in the way that it
supports the different controller roles, some simplifications have
been included so that one person can do the entire job of controlling
one sector. The advanced tools help with this considerably. It is
also possible to set the system into a mode where coordination is
no longer required, so the planning task is reduced almost to nothing.
1.7 Does London Control interface
to flight simulator software?
No, London Control does not interface to any flight simulators.
It is designed as a stand-alone simulation of air traffic control.
2 Help and
Documentation
2.1 Does London Control have help that I can access when
the program is running?
Context sensitive help is available through menu options or
the <F1> and <F2> keyboard keys.
2. 2 I don't seem able to
open the help files from inside the program.
Run-time help uses the HTML Help program that is a standard feature
of Windows 98, 2000 and XP. However, it is possible that it has
not been installed, or the installation is no longer functioning.
If necessary, the HTMLHelp program can be downloaded from the Microsoft
website at: http://msdn.microsoft.com/library/default.asp?url=/library/en-us/htmlhelp/html/hwMicrosoftHTMLHelpDownloads.asp
2.3 I don't seem to be able
to open any of the help documents from outside the program.
The help documents (User Guide, Sector Information Manual and
Maps) are PDF files and require Adobe Reader to open them. Adobe
reader can be obtained from the Adobe website. (Adobe Reader was
formerly called Acrobat Reader)
2.4 When I try to open the
User Guide or Sector Information Manual, Adobe Reader complains
that it cannot open them.
The documents have been produced for Adobe Reader version 6.0
or later. Although some earlier versions can open them, they may
not appear correctly. It is best to use the latest version of Adobe
Reader. (Use the button on the left of this page.)
2.5 Can I print the London
Control documents?
Yes, provided they are for your own use. Bear in mind that
the documents are large (the Sector Information Manual is over 300
pages). It may be best to only print those sections that you will
need to refer to frequently (for example, the sections of the SIM
relating to the sectors you are currently training on).
3 Installation and Running
3.1 The system seems to run very slowly,
what can I do to improve performance?
There are a number of options that can be set-up in the User
Preferences to reduce the processing requirement of the system.
These include: switching off MTCA and STCA, setting the Scan Segments
to a low number (one, if necessary), switching off vector lines
and halos, and not using radio communication. Also, do not have
other large applications running at the same time as London Control.
3.2 When I change the sound
volume for the radio using the Radio Control Menu, it doesn't seem
to make any difference.
The Radio Control Menu allows the volume of the radio sound
to be adjusted. However, each computer tends to have a number of
different sound controls in its mixer that can override the volume
control. Experiment with your computers volume controls to achieve
a satisfactory setting.
3.3 When London Control starts-up,
the introductory animation doesn't play.
Check that the animation hasn't been switched off in the Log-On
Window. Also, the animation file (Intro.avi) may have been removed
to save disk space. Finally, your system may be missing a standard
video codec. These can be installed from your Windows installation,
or downloaded from the Internet.
3.4 Is London Control available
for download from the website?
London Control is not available for download at the moment.
All deliveries are made on CD-ROM by mail.
4 Adaptation Data
4.1 What airspace does London Control
cover?
London Control simulates the London Flight Information Region,
which covers the airspace over England and Wales. It only includes
data for this area. It simulates the sectors of London Area Control,
London Terminal Control, both based at Swanwick, and the Manchester
Area Control Centre.
4.2 Can London Control be
adapted to cover other countries' airspace and their ATC centres?
Yes, the system has been designed so that it can use data for
other countries and ATC centres. Enthusiasts in other countries
are able to develop data files for their local areas. We will provide
assistance to any individuals or groups who would like to do this,
such as documentation for the adaptation data files, and access
to utilities to check that they will work. We have produced data
for the Scottish FIR ourselves, and this can be downloaded from
here.
4.3 What does an update contain?
An update provides a new set of data files for the London FIR
(we call this LCData). These new data files will bring London Control
up-to-date with any changes to the airspace and ATC procedures.
If you subscribe to updates you will also receive with them any
updated versions of the program files for version 1 of the system.
4.4 What is the difference
between an update and an upgrade?
An update just updates the data files (LCData), and provides
updates to the version 1 program. An upgrade is a new version of
the complete system (eg version 2). Subscribing to updates will
not entitle you to free upgrades. However, any future upgrades will
be available to existing purchasers at a reduced "upgrade"
price.
4.5 Why do I have to subscribe
to get updates to the data?
The production and maintenance of the data files (LCData) is
a significant undertaking, almost as costly and time-consuming as
the writing of the software. Unfortunately, we must pass this cost
on by charging for each update.
4.6 When I install an update,
must I have installed previous updates?
No. Each update contains the full set of data required to update
the originally delivered system. In this way, it is possible to
purchase just the occasional update package to keep fully up-to-date.
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