moving stairs

[Matze2]

Hi Umberto,
I´m a long time GSX/GSX2 user, but this is my first topic....
My question: I start my flight on a outside parkingposition (no jetways). How do I move the stairs to aircraftdoors, except using the "request boarding function"?
In GSX the stairs starts moving i.e right after calling for catering. In GSX2 they doesn´t.
On a terminal position with jetways I can click on "operate jetways" before I start any other service.
Is there a chance to get a clickspot for "move stairs to aircraft"?

Thanks and greetings from germany
Matthias

[virtuali]

I start my flight on a outside parkingposition (no jetways). How do I move the stairs to aircraftdoors, except using the "request boarding function"?

With the "operate jetways", you call just the jetway without doing anything else. However, you still must be inside a parking. That's how GSX always worked: no service works outside of a parking.

In GSX the stairs starts moving i.e right after calling for catering. In GSX2 they doesn´t.

They work exactly the same, since there's no such thing as "GSX" or "GSX Level 2", as far catering or any order of operation works regardless if you bought the Level 2 expansion or not. The only different with having the Level 2 expansion enabled, is that you'll have visible passengers and new jetways replaced everywhere. Other than that, it's just GSX.

Maybe you want to say "with older GSX version ?". That's like a change added to allow a better working of the simultaneous servicing which is now possible, but that's an update to the base GSX core code, it has nothing to do with the eventual usage of the Level 2 expansion.

On a terminal position with jetways I can click on "operate jetways" before I start any other service. Is there a chance to get a clickspot for "move stairs to aircraft"?

There's no way to separate call stairs, since they move automatically when they are needed. What would be the reason for wanting to do an additional manual step ?

[Matze2]

With the "operate jetways", you call just the jetway without doing anything else. However, you still must be inside a parking. That's how GSX always worked: no service works outside of a parking.

My mistake. In germany a stand at the apron is called "outside parkingposition". That means, there are stairs needed.

They work exactly the same, since there's no such thing as "GSX" or "GSX Level 2", as far catering or any order of operation works regardless if you bought the Level 2 expansion or not. The only different with having the Level 2 expansion enabled, is that you'll have visible passengers and new jetways replaced everywhere. Other than that, it's just GSX.

Every time I start the services by clicking on "request catering". Then I have to choose the operator and after that the stairs were docked to the aircraft.
And that it is, what no more happen after installing GSX Level2: I follow the same flow, but the stairs are only moved when boarding is requested, not before.

a change added to allow a better working of the simultaneous servicing which is now possible

Maybe that´s the reason... I will try out the new "auto mode" next time and see how this works

thanks Matthias

[TorbenJA]

There's no way to separate call stairs, since they move automatically when they are needed. What would be the reason for wanting to do an additional manual step ?

I think the option could be nice to have, depending on the future bording cycle. If you in the next version of gsx can call for boarding the crew separately, which then makes the stairs move to the plane, then all is good. But if not, I would like to have the option to call for the stairs, so that I can enter the plane and start my preflight prep and at some point THEN call for boarding (and I then would have to close my eyes so I don't see my selft boarding - time travel, GSX style  ). Other persons also use the stairs even before the crew, such as maintanence, cleaners etc. So somehow the need is there in the flow. Afterall, IRL the stairs are parked at the plane long time before boarding.

regards - and thank you for an amazing product

Torben

[Wolf0]

I second this request.
I know it goes against the "policy" that gsx should be self-sufficient and require small inputs from the user, but calling the stairs as a first step in the preparation of the aircraft makes sense. Otherwise it's just weird to call for refuel/catering without stairs attached (I know they move in after we call catering).

[Koen]

With the latest fslabs update for v4. The plane is empty and you can ask for a deboard which is really quick and this will attach any jetways or stairs for you.

[TorbenJA]

No really a solution to add yet another piece of software to do a job, which could easily be done by gsx.

However, yet another posibility exists - to have the stairs automatically placed at the doors, when loading gsx. 

Torben

[virtuali]

I know it goes against the "policy" that gsx should be self-sufficient and require small inputs from the user, but calling the stairs as a first step in the preparation of the aircraft makes sense. Otherwise it's just weird to call for refuel/catering without stairs attached (I know they move in after we call catering

The policy is more like "GSX should not do anything automatically", in order to be less intrusive as possible when used with other software. For example, latest PMDG airplanes have their own service vehicles so, right now, you can choose which one to use, which would be difficult if GSX instead automatically did things on its own automatically.

And, it was originally made this way because, when GSX initially came out, it was a newcomer over an established product which was AES at the time, and that one DID started its services automatically when you parked the plane so, in order to let users more freedom of choice, we decided to NOT doing anything unless you call GSX explicitly, for example because you might have bought AES credits for an airport, and didn't want the two products doing the same thing, automatically. We were more or less promised that AES would be updated to stop doing things automatically as well with some configuration setting, but this never came.

Of course, flash forward 7 years, the situation is a bit different, and GSX is the clear market leader, considering AES basically died from the lack of updates to support the latest sims so, in theory, we might doing more assumptions about possible conflict with other similar software, and doing more stuff automatically, but I think in the long run it's always best trying to play nice with other products, and helping airplane developers interface with us in the proper way instead.

[Wolf0]

Hello Umberto.
I did use AES and appreciate all the effort that you've put in gsx throughout the years. It's by far superior and more flexible.
In this subject I (and I think the OP) was suggesting a simple line to be added to the main gsx menu stating something like:
1 - Move passenger stairs/bridge
2 - Request reboarding
3 - Request refuel
4 - etc

This option to manually move the stairs have nothing to do with any automatic interaction with any plane (fslabs or pmdg).
It's just a matter of OCD. Some users like me would appreciate the possibility to order the ground crew to move the stairs back and forth. Regardless of the sequence of events on the turnaround flow.
This would be cool to simulate the stairs moving to the aircraft on the first flight of the day in order for the engineers and technical crew to start preparing the aircraft before the pilots arrive. This would also allow the simulation of the last flight of the day when the stairs retract to isolate the aircraft for the overnight idle time (an old request of mine).
This possibility is not supposed to integrate the autopilot mode of gsx. On the contrary: it gives the users who want to manually control all the process more options to better simulate the flow of the equipment.
Please consider it..!

[virtuali]

In this subject I (and I think the OP) was suggesting a simple line to be added to the main gsx menu stating something like:

There are several 3rd party addons interface with GSX by sending keys to the menus out there, and there are home cockpit builders with very complex setup who use Linda to do the same, so any change to the ordering of the menus would break all of them at the same time so no, it's not so "simple" and what looks simple, sometimes is not, without taking into account all the possible side effects.

[TorbenJA]

There are several 3rd party addons interface with GSX by sending keys to the menus out there, and there are home cockpit builders with very complex setup who use Linda to do the same, so any change to the ordering of the menus would break all of them at the same time so no, it's not so "simple" and what looks simple, sometimes is not, without taking into account all the possible side effects.

I think this is a rather strange arguement to use. 3rd party addons is not the responcibility of FSDT and while it may be taken into account by FSDT the development of GSX should (and I'm sure -is) the focus of FSDT. If other companies want to make their software compatible with GSX, it must be their job to do an update. Often reprogramming is an option for homebuilders like me. Wolf0's suggestion of using the same menu line to move either the stair or the jetway sounds resonable, but may have som underlining problems I don't know about. But in real life you use either stairs or jetways - at least for the main entrance - not both.

regards
Torben

[virtuali]

I think this is a rather strange arguement to use. 3rd party addons is not the responcibility of FSDT and while it may be taken into account by FSDT the development of GSX should (and I'm sure -is) the focus of FSDT. If other companies want to make their software compatible with GSX, it must be their job to do an update.

That's a proper argument, and not strange at all. If we want to keep developers to continue supporting GSX, we should be very careful to not introduce changes that might break their software, which sometimes is also commercial one.

In addition to that, there's the issue of the menu cannot have more than 10 entries, which is a limitation of the simulator, because they are tied to the 0-9 keys on the main keyboard to activate.

Yes, of course, we haven't used all of them, we still have 3 spare, but we plan to for additional services that will appear in the future, like water vehicles, fire vehicles, declaring emergencies, etc. so, we don't want to find ourselves trapped in a corner, a waste a menu entry just to add this very minor feature.

[TorbenJA]

Hopening not to beat a dead horse here - wouldn't it be possible to have gsx use the same key stroke for move stairs as jetways? GSX knows wether jetways or stair are to be used for the plane. I do not find it a minor issue - you might as well regard moving or not moving the jetways as minor as well. But if bording of crew can be separated from boarding the passengers/cargo, then the issue is solved.

regards
Torben