VRC's Flight Strip Bay

Will Stewart · « **on:** July 11, 2009, 04:46:42 AM »

As a method of scanning my scope, I have been trying to wean myself off using the flight strip bay in VRC, because I work on a 15.5 inch laptop monitor and I need all the monitor real estate I can get. This question came up in the ZLA forums and some interesting talk came up regarding controller preference. Problem is, scratches/temp alts/F6 are hard as well, as the function keys on my laptop aren't that big either, and right-clicking can be a pain in the tail.

What preferences do you controllers use? Do you use the flight strip bay on a solo monitor, on a second monitor, do you use F6 instead?

Garrett Longtin · « **Reply #1 on:** July 11, 2009, 04:54:33 AM »

im on a 16in laptop and and have two 22in monitors set up via VGA. I have Charts on my laptop, VRC on my left monitor, and SOP's, maps, skype, what ever i need at the time on my right monitor. Gosh, it would be so hard to control with VRC on a 15.5in screen, id go crazy!! if i were u i'd set a VGA cable and a monitor (all of my monitors were just laying around the house from past computers. :-)

Justin A. Martin · « **Reply #2 on:** July 11, 2009, 07:25:19 AM »

Will,

It all depends on what position I am controlling. If I am working CTR, because the aircraft ID number is available, I like to use F8, F5, and Insert keys to edit all that and then type in the aircraft's ID so I never have to click on anyone. When I work TRACON I'm either using STARS or ARTS mode. For TRACON I use flight strips, but I still use the short cut keys (F5, F8, F9, etc etc) except I have to click on the aircraft rather than type in the ID number. I guess the whole editing data-tag thing is something that the CTR guys do where APP guys use flight strips, so it really is a controller preference.

Justin

Garrett Longtin · « **Reply #3 on:** July 11, 2009, 07:38:13 AM »

Here is my setup (Only two monitors are hooked up)
[img]http://i232.photobucket.com/albums/ee227/Garrettml/mysetup-1.jpg\\\" border=\\\"0\\\" class=\\\"linked-image\\\" /]
It does the job for me...

Harold Rutila · « **Reply #4 on:** July 11, 2009, 12:37:37 PM »

Quote from: Garrett Longtin

Here is my setup (Only two monitors are hooked up)
[img]http://i232.photobucket.com/albums/ee227/Garrettml/mysetup-1.jpg\\\" border=\\\"0\\\" class=\\\"linked-image\\\" /]
It does the job for me...

I have a 17 inch on which I do use the flight strip bay in conjunction with my scope and other VRC windows. Personally, I love flight strips. I can mark essentially anything in the scratchpad and sequence aircraft using the flight strip bay. When I'm done with the aircraft (working TRACON or Tower), I can push it to the next controller (unless they request otherwise).

Arthur Heiser · « **Reply #5 on:** July 17, 2009, 06:19:08 PM »

I personally believe flight strips are essential. They are the easiest way to coordinate with neighboring controllers, mostly because, if you are not using TS, Skype, or some other voice tool, typing PM's can be a pain in the butt. Just push the strip to the next controller, and you are done. Simple as that.

Also, I used to use the AutoAdd arrival and departure strips function. There turned out to be a better way to obtain strips. If you are working alone, without any other neighboring controllers, you can just hold ALT and click the aircraft and that aircraft's strip is added to your bay. When working with controllers, you can request that they push strips to you, and your bay is filled that way.

Paul Byrne · « **Reply #6 on:** July 19, 2009, 10:24:58 PM »

Hi Will,

In all my years using VRC, apart from certain events where it was required to use it (CTP etc.), I have never used the strip bay at all and have no plans to use it. Using the arrival and departure list in association with CTRL-Click or F6-Click is all that I need to efficiently control on the network in any position.

If you have a small laptop screen, I would say this might be the way to go although VRC was primarily designed for use with more than 1 monitor. Have you tried ASRC? It is more compatible with single monitor setups.

Cheers!

JOHN MANLEY · « **Reply #7 on:** July 20, 2009, 09:52:44 AM »

Honestly, the thing about flight strips IMHO... yes they are essential, but if you don't need to use them, then don't.

I use STARs because PCT (POTOMAC TRACON) uses ARTS IIIe radar so STARs is the closest to that. Now, if you use ARTS radar mode, then you really don't need flight strips since the information is on the data ttag (secondary radar).

I wish we could get flight strips a little more like real world... for instance, we have a seperate place for the DEP and ARR airports.. as well, if we could get the P time it could help us.. especially with non controlled fields...

[size=]FLIGHT STRIPS = GOOD[/size]

SM

JOHN MANLEY · « **Reply #8 on:** July 20, 2009, 10:03:47 AM »

Also, I'm not sure if this is a good spot to put this but..

Is there ANY CHANCE we could possibly put "Low Altitude Alert" (LA) Into the next version of VRC? It would really help.

Manuel Manigault · « **Reply #9 on:** July 21, 2009, 08:03:59 PM »

I agree with Paul. I have not used flight strips. The arrivals and departures list and selecting the aircraft have been enough for me to date.

Ian Elchitz · « **Reply #10 on:** July 23, 2009, 12:03:32 PM »

(reprinted from another forum)

Not only do I fail to see the value in the strip bay, I also find that they negatively impact my ability to control.

I control with only a single monitor. I've found that the two monitors actually reduces my effectiveness and negatively impacts my scan.

I have the Controller List, the Arrival/Departure list, and the incoming chat log boxes open on the right side of my screen.

I can always see when an aircraft shows up for a departure with a flightplan in my ARR/DEP list and to take a look I will use the code <asel> F6 <asel> for the full flight strip.

At all other times I simply depend on the information listed at the bottom of the Arr/Dep list when someone is selected. This shows me their assigned code, current code, departure, destination, and cruise altitude. If it is a departure coming from tower I can rely on their datatag to tell me where to send them as far as a SID goes.

I suppose that I personally don't see the value in the flight strip bay. I don't rely on strips being passed to me, I rely on pilots calling me or getting a handoff from someone else. As far as priorities go in terms of stacking the strips - my priority is about as static as time itself - as soon as I had them stacked in priority sequency it would have to be completely restacked.