How to use Assistance Services Auto Mode

[ChuckOman]

Umberto - Could you give us a few words on how the new "Assistance Services Auto Mode" is supposed to work ?
So new there is nothing in the November manual about it.
Should services start as soon as you arrive at a gate and attach a jetway ?
I tried enabling Auto Mode in Settings, but nothing seems to start automatically.
I still seem to have to use the individual deboarding, catering, refueling, etc. commands, at least with FSL A32x.  

[Artox67]

Same here. I've to start all services manually.

[kennymac825]

Same with PMDG craft any airport

[sw34669]

help text from options menu

If checked, GSX Assistanec Services does automatic operator selection,
jetways auto-dock and automatic Catering and refueling when boarding or deboarding is requested
as first service at gate

hth

[sw34669]

great new feature , can I suggest a small fine tuning

having automatic set and doing a turn-around during de-boarding, fuel and nuts/drinks get called but if this was the final stop of the night a second menu item to de-board only would be great. That would save having to check and uncheck the auto option

many thanks

[rdlepage]

Same problem here. No services are automatic when the option is set. Also the manual pax number prompt doesn't appear when you have the option set, you get estimated pax whatever option use choose.
Seems a few bugs with this update and no response from the developer on these issues. Is he on holiday maybe?. Needs sorting ASAP.

[Timothy Metzinger]

It's the weekend, and I can see where it's a catch-22.   We'd love an update for the weekend since we have free time to fly.   But we hate an update on the Friday because that means we discover bugs all weekend and either the developer doesn't get the weekend off (sucks) or we get no support (sucks).

Personally, I'd vote for no releases unless folks are working for the next couple of days.  I'd rather have things stable than new.

[virtuali]

Apart from the already discussed issue of the Estimate passenger number which is always ignored, which is in fact a bug that we'll fix soon, it seems you were expecting something different from Auto Mode.

Auto mode doesn't call the whole of GSX for you, because you might have reason for not wanting to *start* GSX automatically.

Instead, if the Auto Mode is enabled, it will be triggered by either BOARDING or DEBOARDING. Calling another service will revert to the old manual mode, and this is exactly how it's supposed to work so, if you want to have more control in one session, you can do that, without having to constantly changing the option.

And, even on Auto mode, it will still your responsibility to start Deboarding.

If you start with Boarding, Auto mode will call baggage loaders, then Refueling and Catering. You will have to call for Departure.

If you do Deboarding, Auto mode will call baggage loaders, then Refueling and Catering. You will have to call for Boarding (which will proceed in Auto mode as above), then you'll have to manually call Departure.

[Artox67]

Well Umberto,

I've tested this morning the autopilot again. Something in the order will be wrong !

-Parked at a gate
-start GSX and use the boarding option
-All GSX vehicles pop up and the jetway docks to the airplane
-GSX menu shows -boarding pax now -catering requested -refueling requested
-GSX starts boarding of pilot and crew and pax straight away even the cargo/baggage loading starts
-cargo is finish and the loader depart from the plane (pax still boarding)
-Catering and refueling are arriving at the same time (pax boarding is finished in the meantime)

The "autopilot" should work the following way.

-parking at the gate
-start GSX and use option for boarding
-jetway docks to the airplane
-boarding pilots and crew
-catering and refueling starts
-if catering finish baggage loading starts
-if refueling finish pax boarding starts

Just my 50 Cent :-D

[virtuali]

I've tested this morning the autopilot again. Something in the order will be wrong !

Nothing is wrong and, according to your report, GSX is working as designed.

The reason why some vehicles wait to depart, is to be reasonably sure they won't clash with other vehicles, usually the cargo/baggage loaders and, since baggage loading is faster than refueling, the refueling truck waits for the loaders to go away, rather than the opposite, which would result having to wait for the usually longer refueling.

The main point of the Auto mode was to be able to board passengers and do catering/refueling at the same time AND not having to use the menu too much.

In your case, boarding passengers ended up before refueling, but that's not certain, because it depends on the passenger number, the passenger density, the number of bus, if there's a jetway, how the scenery is made, how the vehicle paths are made (if they are), how close the vehicle parking spots are to your location so, depending on all these conditions, passengers might finish deboarding before or after catering/refueling, but both services *are* running in parallel.

[Artox67]

I've tested this morning the autopilot again. Something in the order will be wrong !

Nothing is wrong and, according to your report, GSX is working as designed.

The reason why some vehicles wait to depart, is to be reasonably sure they won't clash with other vehicles, usually the cargo/baggage loaders and, since baggage loading is faster than refueling, the refueling truck waits for the loaders to go away, rather than the opposite, which would result having to wait for the usually longer refueling.

The main point of the Auto mode was to be able to board passengers and do catering/refueling at the same time AND not having to use the menu too much.

In your case, boarding passengers ended up before refueling, but that's not certain, because it depends on the passenger number, the passenger density, the number of bus, if there's a jetway, how the scenery is made, how the vehicle paths are made (if they are), how close the vehicle parking spots are to your location so, depending on all these conditions, passengers might finish deboarding before or after catering/refueling, but both services *are* running in parallel.

I assume we have a little misunderstanding !

I didn't mean that the order is wrong by programming (GSX works as programmed)  but my suggestion would be a little bit more realistic.

[af1121]

I've tested this morning the autopilot again. Something in the order will be wrong !

Nothing is wrong and, according to your report, GSX is working as designed.

The reason why some vehicles wait to depart, is to be reasonably sure they won't clash with other vehicles, usually the cargo/baggage loaders and, since baggage loading is faster than refueling, the refueling truck waits for the loaders to go away, rather than the opposite, which would result having to wait for the usually longer refueling.

The main point of the Auto mode was to be able to board passengers and do catering/refueling at the same time AND not having to use the menu too much.

In your case, boarding passengers ended up before refueling, but that's not certain, because it depends on the passenger number, the passenger density, the number of bus, if there's a jetway, how the scenery is made, how the vehicle paths are made (if they are), how close the vehicle parking spots are to your location so, depending on all these conditions, passengers might finish deboarding before or after catering/refueling, but both services *are* running in parallel.

Hi Umberto,

Just a question... with auto mode can I request refueling then later boarding with catering automatically sent when possible or will I have refueling truck again ?
I understand your choice of the sequence but most of the time you need to have the fuel set (or planned with progressive refueling) before calculating  toper in the Fmc and then you can focus on your flight preparation while passengers are boarding.
And for the future, separated boarding crew/passengers would be appreciated;)

Thanks

[a320wolf]

Hi guys!
Probably it's my fault, but I've never ever seen catering services during boarding phase, in the real world.

In this sense it's better doing all things manually, I suppose.

Regards, Max

[AFS]

Dear Virtuali, that's not how it works.
You may overlook the fact that at some airports, due to the AFCAD, the access roads are very long. But that means that the luggage car in boarding take a long time to pick up the luggage and arrive back at the plane.

In reality - in the simulator - the catering vehicles are also much faster than the tanker.

Maybe you can test the following mode once.

1  park at the gate
2  start the "boarding" in auto mode
3  dock the jetway
4  the catering is requested, at the same time the luggage trolleys start to pick up the luggage (departure from the location to the terminal)
5  the pilot's and crew's boarding begins
6  the tanker is requested, but wait with docking until the catering vehicles are gone.
7  the refueling process is carried out
8  after the departure of the tanker the loading of the baggage starts, at the same time boarding of the passengers starts.
9  after the boarding of the passengers and the completed loading of the baggage the jetway should undock.

Disadvantage: it may take a little longer, but with 30 minutes to the pushback that should be easy - that's also realistic.

Advantage: the vehicles do not hinder each other.

it's just a suggestion.

And one more thing: currently the biggest problem is that the baggage loader and the luggage car criss-cross, even under the plane and through the plane.

This was never the case at GSX originally.
It also seems that these vehicles drive a bit disoriented through the area, while at the other, catering, refueling and pushback work smoothly.

and something else.

when deboarding the call of the tanker and the catering is not necessary.

Docking the jetways, unloading the luggage and deboarding the passengers at the same time, after completing the luggage loading the crew deboarding and then undocking the jetway is enough.

But that's just my view of things.
The important thing is that this current mess ends.

[virtuali]

And one more thing: currently the biggest problem is that the baggage loader and the luggage car criss-cross, even under the plane and through the plane.

Have you customized that position before ? We changed the default starting location to prevent this but, if the position was customized, the default starting position will not be used.

If you are sure you haven't customized it, please report a precise example:

- the airplane used

- the airport used

- the gate used.