source: doc/manual/en/index.html@ 747:cfe026efed69

cef
Last change on this file since 747:cfe026efed69 was 730:9057b28f0c84, checked in by István Váradi <ivaradi@…>, 9 years ago

Updated the manual
File size: 50.3 KB
Line 
1<html>
2<head>
3 <title>MAVA Logger X User's Manual</title>
4 <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />
5</head>
6<body>
7 <div align="center"><h1>MAVA Logger X User's Manual</h1></div>
8
9 <h2><a name="overview">Overview</a></h2>
10
11 <p>
12 MAVA Logger X is an application that monitors the execution of a
13 Malév Virtual flight, and collects data that can be sent to
14 the <a href="http://virtualairlines.hu">MAVA website</a> for further
15 evaluation. This manual describes how to use this program. To be
16 able to use all features of the program, you need to have a working
17 Internet connection, even if you don't fly on-line on VATSIM or
18 IVAO. However, it is possible to perform a flight completely offline
19 as well.
20 </p>
21
22 <p><a name="flightRating"/>
23 While monitoring your flight, the program continuously checks if your
24 airplane's configuration is always within the parameters prescribed
25 by the airline's operating procedures. For example, you have to turn
26 on or off the various lights of your aircraft according to rules,
27 you cannot exceed certain weight or speed limits, and so on. Any
28 deviation from the expected parameters, also known as a fault, can
29 result in points subtracted from the initial 100 points (or
30 percentage). The result is your <i>flight rating</i>. Some
31 deviations are so serious, that they are deemed <i>NO GO</i> faults
32 and result in the rejection of your flight.
33 </p>
34
35 <p>
36 Besides the faults the program also monitors many other parameters,
37 which are recorded in a textual <a href="#logTab"><i>log</i></a>.
38 This log is sent as a part of your PIREP
39 (<b>PI</b>lot's <b>REP</b>ort), and will be analyzed, and possibly
40 commented on by more experienced pilots of Malév Virtual. This way
41 you can perfect the way you execute your flights.
42 </p>
43
44 <p><a name="flightStages"/>
45 The application breaks up your flight into
46 several <i>stage</i>s. The advancement from one stage to another is
47 detected automatically. These stages and the conditions under which
48 they are entered are as follows:
49 <ol>
50 <li><b>boarding</b>: This is the initial stage when you start the
51 flight.</li>
52 <li><b>push-back and taxi</b>: If you release the parking brakes
53 or your ground speed becomes 5 knots or greater during the
54 boarding stage, your flight enters this stage.</li>
55 <li><b>takeoff</b>: If your ground speed exceeds 50 knots
56 during taxi or after a rejected takeoff (RTO), and then you lift-off in at
57 most 60 second, your flight enters the takeoff stage. The takeoff
58 configuration, however is saved at the time of exceeding 50 knots GS, but
59 will be checked and logged when leaving the ground. If you do not lift-off
60 within 60 seconds of exceeding 50 knots GS, a speed fault will be
61 logged. The same occurs, if your GS decreases to or below 50 knots after
62 having exceeded it earllier. If, however, you check the
63 <i>Rejected takeoff</i> checkbox on the
64 <a href="#takeOffPage"><i>Takeoff</i></a> page, the fault will
65 disappear and your flight will enter the <b>RTO</b> (rejected takeoff)
66 stage.</li>
67 <li><b>climb</b>: When you retract the gears or you reach 3000
68 feet altitude AGL with a positive climb rate after takeoff.</li>
69 <li><b>cruise</b>: When the aircraft's altitude is within 2000
70 feet of the cruise altitude and you are climbing either after takeoff or an
71 aborted approach or landing.</li>
72 <li><b>descent</b>: If the altitude decreases to more than 2000
73 feet below the cruise altitude during cruise.</li>
74 <li><b>landing</b>: If the gears are lowered and the altitude is
75 less than 2000 feet AGL during descent or go-around. Also when you start
76 to descend during a climb and the previous conditions also hold.</li>
77 <li><b>go-around</b>: If you retract the gears during landing.</li>
78 <li><b>taxi after landing</b>: When the aircraft is on the
79 ground and its ground speed is below 25 knots after landing.</li>
80 <li><b>end</b>: If the N<sub>1</sub> of the turbines becomes
81 less than 0.5, or the RPM of the piston engines becomes 0 during
82 the parking brakes are set. This is the final stage.</li>
83 </ol>
84
85 <p>
86 To enhance the simulation, the program can play various
87 <a href="#prefsSounds">sound</a> files
88 during the various stages of your flight, such as the announcements
89 made by the flight attendants. These files are supplied with the
90 application, and they can be played automatically, or when you press
91 a certain hotkey in the flight simulator. You can also organize
92 pre-recorded sound files
93 into <a href="#checklistEditor">checklists</a> for the each aircraft
94 type, and these files can also be played back one-by-one when you
95 repeatedly press a key combination in the simulator. See
96 <a href="#prefsSounds">below</a> for more information on this.
97 </p>
98
99 <p><a name="onlineACARSSystem"/>
100 Malév Virtual have implemented an <i>Online ACARS System</i>, which
101 displays the status of the flights in progress. The data appears on
102 the front page of the <a href="http://virtualairlines.hu">MAVA
103 website</a> and also on a
104 <a href="http://virtualairlines.hu/acars2/show.html">map</a>. This map is
105 also <a href="#acarsTab">displayed</a> by the program.
106 </p>
107
108 <p><a name="onlineGateSystem"/>
109 Malév Virtual have also implemented an <i>Online Gate System</i>
110 which maintains a database of the aircraft in the airline's fleet
111 and their location. An aircraft may be parked at the Budapest
112 Ferihegy Airport, in which case the number of the gate or stand it
113 is located at is recorded in the database. If so, this number is
114 <a href="#connectPage">displayed</a> to you when starting your
115 flight from Ferihegy, and you are recommended to place your aircraft
116 at the indicated gate or stand in the simulator. If your flight
117 begins at Ferihegy and the aircraft is away (usually due to someone
118 else's flight), you can <a href="#gateSelectionPage">select</a>
119 from which gate or stand you start your flight. The database of the
120 Online Gate System can also be <a href="#gatesTab">displayed</a>
121 by using the application.
122 </p>
123
124 <p>
125 These online systems can only be used when flying online.
126 </p>
127
128 <p>
129 The program can automatically update itself. When it starts up, it
130 checks if there is a newer version available. If so, it downloads
131 its files and replaces the program's current files with the new
132 ones. Then the program is restarted so that you can use the new
133 version. Besides acquiring bug fixes, updating is also important,
134 because the program can be extended with new checks or more refined
135 checks, and if you are using too old a version, the PIREP reviewers
136 may refuse your flight.
137 </p>
138
139 <p>
140 The program also includes a built-in <a href="#bugReportWindow">bug
141 reporting</a> facility, which can be used to report any trouble
142 encountered while using it.
143 </p>
144
145 <h3><a name="gui">Graphical User Interface</a></h3>
146
147 <p>
148 The GUI of the application is made up of traditional building blocks
149 (buttons, checkboxes, lists, text entry boxes, etc.) found in other
150 applications as well. Many such controls have informative tooltips
151 that supplement the contents of this User's Guide in helping you
152 using the application. Many controls are also accessible by pressing
153 the <b>Alt</b> plus the underlined letter in the control's label.
154 </p>
155
156 <p>
157 The most often used part of the program is the main window, to be
158 described in detail below. When you minimize or close the window, it
159 disappears by default, but the program continues to run. You can
160 redisplay the window by clicking on the tray icon of the program,
161 which looks like the one on the picture below.
162 </p>
163
164 <div align="center">
165 <table>
166 <tr>
167 <td>
168 <img src="statusIcon1.png" alt="The status icon" hspace="20"/>
169 </td>
170 <td>
171 <img src="statusIcon2.png" alt="The status icon menu" hspace="20"/>
172 </td>
173 </table>
174 </div>
175
176 <p>
177 If you click on the tray icon when the program's window is hidden,
178 the window will be displayed. If you hover the mouse pointer over
179 the icon, the flight stage and the current rating will be
180 displayed. The tray icon has a right-button menu as well with the
181 following items:
182 <ul>
183 <li><b>Show main window</b>: displays or hides the main window.</li>
184 <li><b>Show monitor window</b>: displays or hides the
185 <a href="#monitorWindow">monitor window</a>.</li>
186 <li><b>Quit</b>: quit the application. A confirmation window will
187 be displayed.</li>
188 </ul>
189 </p>
190
191 <p>
192 You can also quit the application by selecting the <b>File/Quit</b>
193 menu item, or by pressing <b>Ctrl+Q</b>.
194 </p>
195
196 <p>
197 If you start the application, when it is already running, the main
198 window of the already running instance will be displayed instead of
199 starting a new instance of the program.
200 </p>
201
202 <h2><a name="mainWindow">The Main Window</a></h2>
203
204 <p>
205 The figure below depicts the main window of the application. The top
206 of it contains the usual menu bar, which will be described in more
207 detail later. The content area consists of several tabs the use of
208 which is described below.
209 </p>
210
211 <a name="mainWindowShot"/>
212 <div align="center"><img src="mainWindow.png" alt="The main window"/></div>
213
214 <p>
215 The bottom of the window is a status bar. Its left side contains the
216 icon indicating the status of the connection to the simulator. Since
217 the application continuously monitors the parameters of your
218 aircraft, it needs to communicate with the simulator. The icon's
219 colour indicates the health of this communication channel.
220 </p>
221
222 <p>
223 If it is grey, the program is not connected. This is normal before
224 and after the flight. If it is green, the connection is alive and
225 working properly. If it is red, the connection is broken. In this
226 case a dialog window is displayed. The most likely cause for such a
227 disruption is the crash of the simulator. If this is the case,
228 restart the simulator and try to restore the flight to a state as
229 close to the one before the crash as possible. Then click
230 the <b>Reconnect</b> button, and the program will try to
231 re-establish the connection to the simulator. It preserves all data
232 of your flight, so you can continue where you left off easily.
233 </p>
234
235 <p>
236 If the reason for the failure of the connection is something else,
237 do whatever is needed to be done to restore it. Of course, it is
238 possible that the logger application itself fails, in which case
239 you, unfortunately, have to restart the flight. Do not forget to
240 notify the author if this happens. In this case, try to copy and
241 save the <a href="#debugLog">debug log</a> and send it with your bug
242 report. You can use the <a href="#bugReportWindow">bug
243 reporting</a> facility as well for this purpose.
244 </p>
245
246 <p>
247 If you click the <b>Cancel</b> button in the reconnection dialog,
248 the logger will be reset as if it were stopped and restarted.
249 </p>
250
251 <p>
252 To the right of the connection status icon, you can see the current
253 <a href="#flightStages">stage</a> of the flight, if the monitoring
254 has begun. Otherwise it is a single dash. It is followed by the
255 simulator time, if the program is already connected to the
256 simulator. Then comes the current <a href="#flightRating">flight rating</a>.
257 </p>
258
259 <p>
260 The right of the status bar is normally empty, but if there is some
261 potentially long operation going on (typically communicating with
262 the MAVA servers), information about the operation is displayed
263 here. This is accompanied by the cursor becoming that of signaling
264 a busy state and most parts of the main window becoming
265 unresponsive.
266 </p>
267
268 <h3><a name="tabFlight">The Flight Tab</a></h3>
269
270 <p>
271 The flight tab is the most important tab. It consists of a sequence of
272 pages similar to wizards found in many programs. The first several of
273 these pages guide you through the various steps of the preparations
274 for your flight, while the last pages allow you to enter some
275 information about your flight necessary for its evaluation and to
276 send the PIREP (Pilot's Report) assembled by the program to the MAVA
277 server.
278 </p>
279
280 <p>
281 Each page has a title at the top indicating the purpose of the
282 page. There is a short text below this, which describes what the
283 page contains and/or what is expected from you to do with the page.
284 Below the text you can find the main information and possibly data
285 entry areas for the page. Finally, you can find the button row at
286 the bottom.
287 </p>
288
289 <p>
290 Most of the pages contain two buttons: <b>Next</b> and
291 <b>Previous</b>. These help in navigating between the pages. In most
292 cases you can go back to previously visited pages by using
293 the <b>Previous</b> button, although you cannot edit the contents of
294 some of the pages once finalized by moving to the next page using
295 the <b>Next</b> button. There are a few exceptions though, as
296 detailed below.
297 </p>
298
299 <p>
300 Many of the pages also contain a <b>Cancel flight</b>
301 button. Clicking this button will allow you to cancel the flight and
302 go back to the <a href="#flightSelectionPage">flight selection</a>
303 if you have logged in to the MAVA server, or to the login page, after
304 a confirmation of your intent.
305 </p>
306
307 <h4><a name="loginPage">The <i>Login</i> Page</a></h4>
308
309 <p>
310 The program starts with the Login page (see the
311 <a href="#mainWindowShot">picture</a> above) where you can enter the
312 your pilot's ID and password for the MAVA website. Both data are
313 given to you when joining Malév Virtual. The pilot's ID usually
314 starts with the letter <q>P</q> followed by three digits.
315 </p>
316
317 <p>
318 If you check <b>Remember password</b>, the password will be saved by
319 the program, so you don't have to enter it all the time. Note,
320 however, that the password is saved in a readable form into a
321 configuration file, so use this possibility only if your home
322 directory can be accessed only by people you trust. The pilot's ID
323 is saved anyway.
324 </p>
325
326 <p>
327 If you are about to perform the entrance flight, check
328 <b>Entrance exam</b>. In this case you don't have to (and cannot)
329 enter the password, as that is not needed for the entrance exam.
330 </p>
331
332 <p>
333 The login to the MAVA server, and proceed to the next page, press
334 the <b>Login</b> button.
335 </p>
336
337 <p>
338 If you would like to fly without an Internet connection, use
339 the <b>Fly offline</b> button. This immediately takes you to the
340 next page, without trying to log in to the MAVA server.
341 </p>
342
343 <h4><a name="flightSelectionPage">The <i>Flight selection</i> Page</a></h4>
344
345 <img src="flightSelection.png" alt="The Flight selection page"/>
346
347 <p>
348 This page displays the list of the flight you have booked previously
349 on the MAVA website, if you have <a href="#loginPage">logged in</a>
350 properly. If you chose to fly offline, the list is empty.
351 </p>
352
353 <p>
354 If you have selected a flight, you can also save it by using
355 the <b>Save flight</b> button. This is useful when planning to fly
356 offline at some later time. When preparing for that flight, you can
357 properly log in to the MAVA server, and acquire the list of your
358 booked flights. Then you can save the flight you wish to perform
359 later offline, on which occasion, you can load the saved flight.
360 </p>
361
362 <p>
363 You may need to refresh the list of flights. For example, you notice
364 that you have forgotten to book the flight you want to perform. Then
365 you can book the flight on the MAVA website, and press
366 the <b>Refresh flights</b> button to update the list.
367 </p>
368
369 <p>
370 You can also load a flight from a file by pressing the <b>Load
371 flight from file</b> button. This displays a file selection dialog
372 where you select the flight file (usually with a suffix
373 of <code>.vaflight</code>). This is mostly useful when flying
374 offline, or during the entrance exam.
375 </p>
376
377 <p>
378 Select a flight from the list, and press the <b>Next</b> button to
379 proceed with that flight.
380 </p>
381
382 <h4><a name="gateSelectionPage">The <i>LHBP gate selection</i> Page</a></h4>
383
384 <img src="gateSelection.png" alt="The LHBP gate selection page"/>
385
386 <p>
387 This page is displayed after the flight selection page only if your
388 flight starts at the Budapest Ferihegy Airport and the number of the
389 gate or stand at which your aircraft is located cannot be
390 determined.
391 </p>
392
393 <p>
394 Select a number from the list presented, and press <b>Next</b>.
395 </p>
396
397 <h4><a name="connectPage">The <i>Connect to the simulator</i> Page</a></h4>
398
399 <img src="connect.png" alt="The Connect to the simulator page"/>
400
401 <p>
402 This page displays some important information about your flight,
403 such as the type and tail number of the aircraft to use, the
404 departure airport and possibly the gate. You can also select whether you
405 would like to connect to a variant of Microsoft Flight Simulator or
406 X-Plane. The choice is remembered by the program and the selected one will be
407 the default next time. (<i>Support for X-Plane is currently experimental. The
408 logger is used by the author on Linux with good results. Volunteers are
409 wanted to test X-Plane support on Windows.</i>)
410 </p>
411
412 <p>
413 Select the aircraft indicated and park it at the departure airport
414 in the simulator,
415 then press <b>Connect</b> to establish the connection with the
416 simulator. If the connection cannot be established, a dialog will be
417 displayed about it, and you can <b>Try again</b> the connection
418 or <b>Cancel</b> to go back to the flight selection or to the login page.
419 </p>
420
421 <p>
422 Note, that after a successful connection, the monitoring of your
423 flight does not begin immediately, but some data can be queried by
424 the logger at this stage.
425 </p>
426
427 <h4><a name="payloadPage">The <i>Payload</i> Page</a></h4>
428
429 <img src="payload.png" alt="The Payload page"/>
430
431 <p>
432 This page displays the components of the flight's payload and the
433 calculated Zero-Fuel Weight (ZFW). You can modify all input data,
434 but generally it is needed to enter the cargo weight you determined
435 for the flight, if it is different from 0. You can also press the <b>ZFW
436 from FS</b> button, which queries the ZFW from the simulator and
437 displays the retrieved value. If the ZFW calculated from the payload
438 data differs too much from the queried one, the calculated value is
439 displayed in red. This the right time to set up the payload in the
440 simulator. If you forget about it, it will be a NO GO fault.
441 </p>
442
443 <p>
444 If you have finished with this page, press the <b>Next</b>
445 button. At this point, the <a href="#helpTab"><i>Help</i> tab</a>
446 becomes available, which you can use if you have failed to set up
447 the correct payload in the simulator. See a more detailed
448 description of it <a href="#helpTab">below</a>.
449 </p>
450
451 <h4><a name="timePage">The <i>Time</i> Page</a></h4>
452
453 <img src="time.png" alt="The Time page"/>
454
455 <p>
456 This page displays the departure and arrival times of your
457 flight in UTC. Press the <b>Time from FS</b> button to query the
458 current UTC time of the simulator. To be able to simulate the real
459 lighting circumstances of the flight, the simulator's time should match
460 the time of the flight according to the schedule. Therefore you are
461 expected to set the simulator's time properly. It is recommended to
462 set it to about 15 minutes before the departure at this stage so
463 that you have enough time to set up your flight.
464 </p>
465
466 <p>
467 When you have set the time of the simulator properly, press
468 the <b>Next</b> button.
469 </p>
470
471 <h4><a name="routePage">The <i>Route</i> Page</a></h4>
472
473 <img src="route.png" alt="The Route page"/>
474
475 <p>
476 This page displays the flight plan route taken from the booked flight. This
477 can be edited if necessary (e.g. when you will enter some airspace that will
478 require you to change the flight level during flight.) You should also
479 specify the cruise level and the ICAO code of the alternate airport.
480 </p>
481
482 <p>
483 When satisfied with the information on the page, press
484 the <b>Next</b> button to advance. Note, that these data can be
485 edited later as well if you come back to this page.
486 </p>
487
488 <h4><a name="simbriefSetupPage">The <i>SimBrief setup</i> page</a></h4>
489
490 <img src="simbriefSetup.png" alt="The SimBrief setup page"/>
491
492 <p>
493 If using the <a href="http://simbrief.com">SimBrief</a> flight planning
494 service has been enabled in the <a href="#prefsGeneral">Preferences</a>
495 window, this page is displayed following the
496 <a href="#routePage"><i>Route</i></a> page.
497 </p>
498
499 <p>
500 Enter your SimBrief user name and password. The former one is always saved
501 and offered as the default entry, but the latter one only when the checkbox
502 below is checked. Some further data should also be entered.
503 </p>
504
505 <p>
506 Press the <b>Next</b> button to start generating the flight plan. The program
507 then contacts the SimBrief website, sends the data and downloads the
508 result. This can take a relatively long time, during which the lower right
509 corner of the Logger window displays some progress information. If there is
510 some error, a popup window is displayed. If the login attempt is
511 unsuccessful, the user name and/or the password can be entered again, but you
512 can decide to abort using SimBrief.
513 </p>
514
515 <p>
516 If the result is successfully produced, it can be studied on page
517 <a href="#simbriefResultPage"><i>SimBrief flight plan</i></a>. In case of a
518 failure, the flight setup continues with
519 the <a href="#fuelPage"><i>Fuel</i></a> page.
520 </p>
521
522 <h4><a name="simbriefResultPage">The <i>SimBrief flight plan</i> page</a></h4>
523
524 <img src="simbriefResult.png" alt="The SimBrief flight plan page"/>
525
526 <p>
527 This page displays the SimBrief flight plan created. When carefully read and
528 understood, press the button at the bottom to the right to continue. Of
529 course, you can come back to this page later.
530 </p>
531
532 <h4><a name="fuelPage">The <i>Fuel</i> Page</a></h4>
533
534 <img src="fuel.png" alt="The Fuel page"/>
535
536 <p>
537 This page contains a graphical representation of the fuel tanks of
538 your aircraft. The yellowish colour represents the current level of
539 the fuel in the tank, and turquoise slider is the expected level,
540 which is also displayed numerically (in kilograms) below each graph.
541 </p>
542
543 <p>
544 You can enter the requested amount of fuel numerically, or you can
545 set it by the turquoise sliders, though this method is less accurate. The
546 lever can be moved by clicking withinin the fuel tank's representation,
547 and you can drag it if you keep the button pressed. If your mouse
548 has a wheel, that can also be used to modify the expected level. To
549 use the wheel, keep the mouse pointer within the fuel tank's
550 graphic. Each click of the wheel increment or decrements the amount
551 by 10 kilograms. If you hold down the <b>Shift</b> key, the
552 increment will be 100, if you hold down the <b>Ctrl</b> key, the
553 increment will be 1.
554 </p>
555
556 <p>
557 When all tanks have the correct amount of fuel set, press
558 the <b>Next</b> button. This causes the pumping of the fuel to
559 start. The progress is represented by the yellowish fuel bars
560 growing or shrinking (fuel may be pumped out of a tank as
561 well). This is a relatively quick process and should finish within a
562 few seconds.
563 </p>
564
565 <p>
566 When fuel pumping has completed, and the SimBrief service is used, and the
567 generation of the flight plan has been successful, the program jumps to the
568 <a href="#takeoffPage"><i>Takeoff</i></a> page. Otherwise the
569 <a href="#briefingPage"><i>Briefing</i></a> pages come next.
570
571 <h4><a name="briefingPage">The <i>Briefing</i> Pages</a></h4>
572
573 <img src="briefing.png" alt="The Briefing page"/>
574
575 <p>
576 These pages display the NOTAMs and the METAR for the departure and
577 the arrival airports unless we have used SimBrief for flight planning.
578 You can edit the METAR if your network
579 provides a different weather, or you do not fly with real
580 weather. The METAR of the arrival airport will be updated when
581 entering the landing stage, unless you have edited it before. The
582 METARs can be edited during the whole duration of the flight. If you
583 do so, please, comment on it in the <i>Comments</i> section of
584 the <a href="#flightInfoTab"><i>Flight info</i> tab</a>.
585 </p>
586
587 <p>
588 On the second briefing page (that of the arrival airport), confirm
589 that you have read the briefing and are ready to start the flight by
590 clicking the button. This begins the monitoring of your flight with
591 the boarding stage.
592 </p>
593
594 <h4><a name="takeoffPage">The <i>Takeoff</i> Page</a></h4>
595
596 <img src="takeoff.png" alt="The Takeoff page"/>
597
598 <p>
599 This page displays the current METAR of the departure airport. It can be
600 modified if necessary, e.g. when the weather in the simulator is different
601 from it. Below you have to enter the name of the departure runway, the
602 name of the Standard Instrument Departure procedure you follow after
603 takeoff and the takeoff V-speeds. In case of the SID you can select
604 the <i>VECTORS</i> "procedure" if, for some reason, no SID is flown.
605 While you can edit these data anytime, it is recommended to do so before
606 takeoff.
607 <p>
608
609 <p>
610 Note that if you are flying one of the Tupolev or Yak aircraft, the
611 page will look different, as speeds will have to be entered in
612 kilometres per hour.
613 </p>
614
615 <p>
616 For most aircraft in the fleet you should also enter the takeoff
617 derate setting. Its exact format and value depends on the type.
618 </p>
619
620 <p>
621 You can also select here whether you have turned on any anti-ice
622 systems (apart from the pitot heat). However, for most aircraft, the
623 logger can detect the setting, and if anti-icing is turned on, the
624 check box will be checked automatically. If you have checked it
625 yourself, it will not be unchecked by the program (unless it gains
626 self-awareness sometime in the future).
627 </p>
628
629 <p>
630 You can proceed to the next page after takeoff, and if all data has
631 been entered, by pressing the <b>Next</b> button.
632 </p>
633
634 <h4><a name="cruisePage">The <i>Cruise</i> Page</a></h4>
635
636 <img src="cruise.png" alt="The Cruise page"/>
637
638 <p>
639 This page displays your cruise altitude as set in the
640 <a href="#routePage"><i>Route</i> page</a>. If you need to modify your
641 cruise level due to airspace requirements, step climb or any other
642 justified reason, you can set the new level here and then press
643 the <b>Update</b> button.
644 </p>
645
646 <p>
647 If you are preparing for landing, you can press the <b>Next</b>
648 button to go to the next page.
649 </p>
650
651 <h4><a name="landingPage">The <i>Landing</i> Page</a></h4>
652
653 <img src="landing.png" alt="The Landing page"/>
654
655 <p>
656 The upper part of this page displays the METAR of the landing airport, which
657 can be edited, if necessary. Below you have to enter the name of the STAR
658 and/or transition you planned to follow or have followed,
659 the approach type (e.g. <q>ILS</q>, <q>VOR</q>, <q>VISUAL</q>,
660 etc.), the name of the landing runway, and the landing reference speed,
661 V<sub>ref</sub>. In case of the procedures you can select <i>VECTORS</i>
662 from the drop-down list if you have received vectors from ATC.
663 You can enter this data during the flight, or after
664 you have landed, at your discretion. Note, that if you fly one of
665 the Tupolev or Yak aircraft, the speed will have to be entered in km/h.
666 </p>
667
668 <p>
669 This page also contains a checkbox for the anti-ice system, which is
670 handled the same way as the one on
671 the <a href="#takeoffPage">Takeoff page</a>.
672
673 <p>
674 When you have entered all data, press the <b>Next</b> button. It is
675 active only, if the flight has ended.
676 </p>
677
678 <h4><a name="finishPage">The <i>Finish</i> Page</a></h4>
679
680 <img src="finish.png" alt="The Finish page"/>
681
682 <p>
683 This is the final page of the flight wizard. It contains a summary
684 of your flight: the rating, the deptarture, arrival, flight and block times,
685 the distance flown and the amount of fuel burnt. If the departure or the
686 arrival time is too off of the schedule, they are displayed in orange or red
687 depending on the difference. In case of a red colour, comment on the
688 difference in the <a href="#flightInfoTab"><i>Flight info</i> tab</a>.
689 </p>
690
691 <p>
692 You also have to provide a few pieces of information. You have to
693 select the type of the flight from the list provided (scheduled,
694 old-timer, VIP, charter) and whether it was an online flight or
695 not. If you arrive at the Budapest Ferihegy Airport, and are using
696 the Online Gate System, you also need to specify the number of the
697 gate or stand you have parked you aircraft at.
698 </p>
699
700 <p>
701 If all necessary data has been entered, and the program is so
702 <a href="#prefsGeneral">configured<a>, it will automatically save
703 the PIREP.
704 </p>
705
706 <p>
707 With all data entered, you may want it review your flight (i.e. the
708 earlier pages or some of the other tabs), then save or send the
709 PIREP created from it. These can be accomplished by pressing one of
710 the buttons at the bottom. A saved PIREP can be loaded later and
711 sent, if the sending fails for some reason. When a PIREP is sent, it
712 becomes available for review by the designated PIREP reviewers of
713 Malév Virtual.
714 </p>
715
716 <p>
717 You can also start a new flight using the <b>New flight</b>
718 button. If you have not saved or sent the PIREP yet, you will be asked
719 to confirm your intention. When starting a new flight you are taken
720 to the <a href="#flightSelectionPage">flight selection page</a>, if
721 you have logged in to the MAVA server, or to
722 the <a href="#loginPage">login page</a>, if your flight has been an
723 offline flight.
724 </p>
725
726 <h3><a name="flightInfoTab">The Flight info Tab</a></h3>
727
728 <img src="flightInfoTab.png" alt="The Flight info tab"/>
729
730 <p>
731 This tab allows one to enter some additional information about the
732 flight, if necessary.
733 </p>
734
735 <p>
736 The <i>Comments</i> text area should contain any general information
737 that you would like the PIREP reviewer to know about. For example,
738 why you changed the METAR, why you lowered the gears accidentally
739 (i.e. pressed the wrong key on the keyboard), etc.
740 </p>
741
742 <p>
743 The <i>Faults, observations</i> area contains the faults logged with a small
744 field below each of them. The PIREP cannot be sent until an explanation has
745 been provided in these fields for each fault. The thick frame around the area
746 appears as long as there is at least one unexplained fault. A warning is also
747 presented in the upper part of the <a href="#finishPage"<i>Finish</i></a>
748 page, if something is missing from here.
749 </p>
750
751 <p>
752 In the <i>Delay codes</i> table you can mark one or more reasons why
753 the flight was delayed, if it was. This table is available only if you
754 have already selected the flight, since its contents depend on the
755 type of the aircraft being flown.
756 </p>
757
758 <h3><a name="helpTab">The Help Tab</a></h3>
759
760 <img src="helpTab.png" alt="The Help tab"/>
761
762 <p>
763 This tab provides some help for calculating and setting the payload
764 weight of the aircraft. It can be used once the
765 <a href="#payloadPage"><i>Payload</i></a>
766 (i.e. the cargo weight) is finalized. To use this tab, check
767 the <b>Using help</b> checkbox. It causes the page to become
768 sensitive and filled with data. Note, that the fact of using the
769 help is <a href="#logTab">logged</a>, so the PIREP reviewers will
770 know about it.
771 </p>
772
773 <p>
774 The most important information is after the <i>Payload:</i> label,
775 which is the payload weight of the aircraft. This value should be
776 set in the simulator as the airplane's payload weight. By pressing
777 the <b>Simulator data</b> button, the data coming from the simulator
778 can be queried and displayed. If the data is out of the tolerances,
779 it is displayed in red, otherwise in green.
780 </p>
781
782 <p>
783 The gross weight is also displayed with some maximum weights of the
784 aircraft, so it can be checked or estimated if you will remain within
785 those maximums during the flight.
786 </p>
787
788 <h3><a name="logTab">The Log Tab</a></h3>
789
790 <img src="logTab.png" alt="The Log tab"/>
791
792 <p>
793 This is the main log of your flight that will be analyzed by the
794 PIREP reviewers. Its contents is generated automatically by the
795 program, and most lines are prefixed by the simulator times the
796 information in the given line belongs to.
797 </p>
798
799 <p>
800 While the log's contents is mainly useful for PIREP reviewers, it
801 can come handy when things start to happen very fast, and you have
802 no time check each fault message passing by (if you have enabled
803 such messages at all). Later, when things calm down, you can check
804 the log to see what happened exactly, so that you know why so many
805 fault points have been awarded. For example, you may even decide to
806 abort the flight, if you think some of the faults are too
807 embarrassing :) For quick identification, the lines containing the
808 fault messages are highlighted.
809 </p>
810
811 <h3><a name="gatesTab">The Gates Tab</a></h3>
812
813 <img src="gatesTab.png" alt="The Gates tab"/>
814
815 <p>
816 This tab displays information retrieved from
817 the MAVA <a href="#onlineGateSystem">Online Gate System</a>.
818 If the program needs to retrieve data, this tab's contents
819 are refreshed automatically, but you can also refresh them manually
820 anytime using the <b>Refresh data</b> button.
821 </p>
822
823 <p>
824 The left side of the tab contains the fleet information. The tail
825 number of each aircraft is listed with the plane's status, as known
826 by the Online Gate System. The two major statuses are <i>LHBP-nn</i>
827 and <i>AWAY</i>. The former indicates that the aircraft is parked at
828 the Budapest Ferihegy Airport at gate or stand <i>nn</i>, while the
829 latter one denotes that the airplane is parked at another
830 airport. Another possible status is <i>PARKED</i>, which means that
831 the airplane is parked somewhere at the Ferihegy Airport, but we
832 (or at least the Gate System) don't know where. It may happen that
833 several aircraft are parked at the same gate or stand at
834 Ferihegy. In this case the tail numbers and the statuses of those
835 airplanes are displayed in red.
836 </p>
837
838 <p>
839 The right side contains the list of the numbers of the gates and
840 parking positions. A number is black if no aircraft is positioned at
841 the corresponding gate or stand, and it is orange, if the location
842 is occupied.
843 </p>
844
845 <h3><a name="acarsTab">The ACARS tab</a></h3>
846
847 <img src="acarsTab.png" alt="The ACARS tab"/>
848
849 <p>
850 This tab displays the MAVA ACARS system, which is a map with aircraft symbols
851 representing the flights in progress with icons denoting the departure and
852 landing airports. Clicking on an airplane displays information on the
853 corresponding flight.
854 </p>
855
856 <p>
857 The map is actually displayed by a web browser integrated into the
858 program. Therefore you can, for example, zoom in or out the map using the
859 mouse wheel and perform other operations known in case of browsers.
860 </p>
861
862 <h3><a name="debugLog">The Debug log</a></h3>
863
864 <img src="debugLogTab.png" alt="The Debug log tab"/>
865
866 <p>
867 This tab is not visible by default, but can be displayed by
868 selecting <b>View/Show debug log</b> or by
869 pressing <b>Ctrl+D</b>. It is another kind of log, which is mainly
870 useful for debugging. If you experience some problem with the
871 program, please, include the contents of this log with your bug
872 report. It can help a lot with finding a solution to the problem.
873 </p>
874
875 <h2><a name="loadingPIREPs">Loading PIREPs</a></h2>
876
877 <p>
878 Saved PIREPs can be loaded and sent by the program. This can
879 become necessary, for example, if you cannot send a PIREP due to
880 some network problem right after your flight, or when you
881 deliberately performed a flight without connecting to the Internet.
882 </p>
883
884 <p>
885 To load a PIREP select the <b>File/Load PIREP...</b> menu option or
886 press the <b>Ctrl+L</b> key. A file selection dialog appears, from
887 which you can select the PIREP to load. If you select a valid PIREP
888 file, it will be loaded and a new window will be displayed with the
889 most important data of your flight. By clicking <b>Send
890 PIREP...</b>, the PIREP will be sent (or at least an attempt will be
891 made at sending it). A dialog window will be displayed about the
892 results of the attempt.
893 </p>
894
895 <div align="center">
896 <img src="pirepLoaded.png" alt="The loaded PIREP window"/>
897 </div>
898
899 <p>
900 You may also want to view a saved PIREP, for example, if it is a
901 PIREP about an entrance exam flight. To do so, click the <b>View
902 PIREP...</b> button. This displays the PIREP viewer window, which
903 groups the data into three tabs. The <i>Data</i> tab contains the
904 itemized data of the flight. The <i>Comments & defects</i> tab
905 displays the comments and or flight defects entered by the
906 user. The <i>Log</i> tab contains the flight log.
907 </p>
908
909 <div align="center">
910 <img src="pirepViewer.png" alt="The PIREP Viewer"/>
911 </div>
912
913 <h2><a name="checklistEditor">Editing checklists</a></h2>
914
915 <img src="checklistEditor.png" alt="The Checklist Editor"/>
916
917 <p>
918 The checklists are lists of audio files. When checklist playback is
919 enabled (see the <a href="#prefsSounds">description</a> of
920 the <i>Preferences</i> window below), and there is a checklist for
921 the type of the aircraft used for the flight, the files constituting
922 the checklist can be played one-by-one by pressing the checklist
923 hotkey repeatedly.
924 </p>
925
926 <p>
927 The checklist editor window allows for editing the checklists. It
928 can be displayed by selecting <b>Tools/Checklist Editor...</b> or
929 pressing <b>Ctrl+C</b>. The top of the window contains an aircraft
930 type selector.
931 </p>
932
933 <p>
934 The files making up the checklist for the currently selected aircraft
935 are displayed on the right. You can move a file up or down by
936 dragging it with the mouse. You can also select one or more files
937 from the list. Then you can remove them with the <b>Remove</b>
938 button, or move them up or down by pressing <b>Move up</b>
939 and <b>Move down</b>.
940 </p>
941
942 <p>
943 To add new files to the checklist, select them in the file selector
944 on the left, and press <b>Add to checklist</b>. The file(s) will be
945 appended to the end of the checklist.
946 </p>
947
948 <p>
949 Note, that any changes you make are effective only if you press
950 the <b>OK</b> button when having finished the modifications. If the
951 flight has already started, no changes made to the corresponding
952 checklist have any effect during the flight (i.e. you will still use
953 the old checklist, or no checklist if there was none).
954 </p>
955
956 <h2><a name="calloutsEditor">Editing approach callouts</a></h2>
957
958 <img src="calloutsEditor.png" alt="The Approach callouts Editor"/>
959
960 <p>
961 The approach callouts are audio files specific to aircraft types, that are
962 played back during approach when passing certain altitudes. The
963 approach callouts editor window allows editing the list of these
964 callout files for each aircraft. The window can be displayed by
965 selecting <b>Tools/Approach Callouts Editor...</b> or by pressing
966 <b>Ctrl+E</b>.
967 </p>
968
969 <p>
970 The top part of the window displays the selector of the aircraft
971 type. Below it, you can find two buttons on the left, and the list
972 of the callouts with the altitudes they belong to on the right. The
973 list displays only the filename portion, but the if you hover the
974 cursor above an item, the full path will be displayed. The list is
975 always sorted according to the altitude, but you change the order
976 from descending to ascending.
977 </p>
978
979 <p>
980 The <b>Add new callout</b> button shows a file selection dialog
981 window. After selecting a file, it will be added to a list with some
982 altitude, which can be edited immediately. If the name of the file
983 contains a number that is possible as an altitude, that will be used
984 as the altitude given to the file, otherwise some meaningful default
985 is selected based on the lowest or highest altitude.
986 There can be no two files with the same altitude. If you set an
987 altitude, which is already present in the list, a dialog box will be
988 displayed, and you can choose to replace the old file or to continue
989 editing. To edit an altitude already in the list, select that row,
990 and click on the altitude again.
991 </p>
992
993 <p>
994 If you select one or more items in the list, the <b>Remove</b>
995 button becomes available, and pressing it will remove the selected items.
996 </p>
997
998 <p>
999 Note, that any changes you make are effective only if you press
1000 the <b>OK</b> button when having finished the modifications. If the
1001 flight has already started, no changes made to the corresponding
1002 list of callouts have any effect during the flight.
1003 </p>
1004
1005 <h2><a name="prefs">The Preferences Window</a></h2>
1006
1007 </p>
1008 The Preferences window can be displayed by
1009 selecting <b>Tools/Preferences</b> or by
1010 pressing <b>Ctrl+P</b>. Here you can set options that you usually
1011 don't have to change for every flight. This window consists of
1012 tabs grouping the options logically.
1013 </p>
1014
1015 <h3><a name="prefsGeneral">The <i>General</i> Tab<a></h3>
1016
1017 <img src="prefsGeneral.png" alt="The General Tab of Preferences"/>
1018
1019 <p>
1020 These are some general settings for various parts of the
1021 program. The <i>GUI</i> frame contains options regarding the
1022 behaviour of the graphical user interface. The <i>Language</i> combo
1023 box can be used to select what language the program should
1024 use. Currently English and Hungarian are supported. The value
1025 of <i>system default</i> means that the operating system's default
1026 language is used if it is one of the supported ones or English
1027 otherwise. Note, that the program must be restarted for the change
1028 to take effect if you modify this setting. If the <b>Hide main window
1029 when minimized</b> checkbox is checked, and you minimize the window,
1030 it will actually disappear completely (i.e. not appear among the
1031 other minimized windows). You can make it appear by using the tray
1032 icon. If the <b>Quit when the window close button is clicked</b>
1033 checkbox is checked, the program will quit, after you have confirmed
1034 it. Otherwise it will just disappear, and you can use the tray icon
1035 to display it again.
1036 </p>
1037
1038 <p>
1039 The <i>MAVA Online Systems</i> frame contains settings related to
1040 the online systems of MAVA, the <a href="#onlineGateSystem">gate</a>
1041 and the <a href="#onlineACARSSystem">ACARS</a> systems mentioned
1042 above. It is recommended to enable these for normal operations.
1043 </p>
1044
1045 <p>
1046 The <i>Simulator</i> frame contains settings for how the program
1047 interacts with the simulator. Most options are self-explanatory, but
1048 the ones related to smoothing require some discussion. Flight
1049 Simulator is known to produce wind speed changes that are not
1050 entirely realistic and can result in the simulated aircraft
1051 experiencing some very high indicated airspeeds, which in turn can
1052 also cause the autopilot to suddenly increase the climb rate to
1053 counter the high speeds or other erratic behaviour. Since these
1054 phenomena are difficult to protect oneself against without buying
1055 extra products, like FSUIPC, the logger provides the possibility to
1056 average the IAS and/or the VS over a few seconds so that spikes in
1057 these values are smoothed. The <b>Enable the smoothing of IAS/VS
1058 over N sec.</b> options allow controlling this feature. The number
1059 of seconds may need experimenting with, but note that every change
1060 for which you press the <b>OK</b> button is taken into account
1061 immediately.
1062 </p>
1063
1064 <p>
1065 If the <b>Use SimBrief</b> checkbox is checked, the program will try to
1066 <a href="#simbriefSetupPage">create</a> a flight plan using the SimBrief
1067 service during the flight preparation.
1068 </p>
1069
1070 <p>
1071 If the <b>Save PIREP automatically</b> check box is checked, and you
1072 have finished your flight and entered all required data, the PIREP
1073 will be saved automatically into the directory given above.
1074 </p>
1075
1076 <h3><a name="prefsMessages">The <i>Messages</i> Tab</a></h3>
1077
1078 <img src="prefsMessages.png" alt="The Messages Tab of Preferences"/>
1079
1080 <p>
1081 The program can display messages about certain events in the
1082 simulator and/or it can play a warning sound when those events
1083 occur. The tab allows configuring this.
1084 <p>
1085
1086 <p>
1087 The categories of the message are listed on the left. These are the
1088 following:
1089 </p>
1090
1091 <ul>
1092 <li><b>Logger Error Messages</b>: error messages about the
1093 internal working of the logger.</li>
1094 <li><b>Information Messages</b>: informational messages about,
1095 e.g., the flight stage, the end of an audio checklist, etc.</li>
1096 <li><b>In-flight Stage Message</b>: messages about the flight stage for those stage when the plane is not on the ground</li>
1097 <li><b>Fault Messages</b>: messages about the non-NO GO faults the program detects.</li>
1098 <li><b>NO GO Fault Messages</b>: messages about the NO GO faults the program detects</li>
1099 <li><b>Gate System Messages</b>: messages related to the
1100 <a href="#onlineGateSystem">Online Gate System</a>. For example,
1101 when you have landed at Ferihegy, it can display the list of the
1102 available gates so that you can choose where to park, if there is
1103 no ATC available.</li>
1104 <li><b>Environment Messages</b>: other messages, e.g. the welcome
1105 message when the flight has ended.</li>
1106 <li><b>Help Messages</b>: help messages, e.g. warning about
1107 entering the V-speeds into the Takeoff page before takeoff.</li>
1108 <li><b>Visibility Messages</b>: messages about the visibility
1109 during descent and landing.</li>
1110 </ul>
1111
1112 <p>
1113 There are two checkboxes associated with each messages category. If the
1114 left one (<i>Displayed in FS</i>) is checked, the messages of the
1115 category will be displayed in the simulator. If the right one
1116 (<i>Sound alert</i>) is checked, and a message of the given category
1117 is about to be displayed, a warning sound will be played. It is
1118 mainly intended to accompany the text messages, but the two options
1119 can be controlled separately, so you can select the sound alert, but
1120 not the displaying of the messages. This may be useful if you don't
1121 want these messages to clutter up the windscreen of your aircraft,
1122 but still get some notification that some problem occurred.
1123 </p>
1124
1125 <h3><a name="prefsSounds">The <i>Sounds</i> Tab</a></h3>
1126
1127 <img src="prefsSounds.png" alt="The Sounds Tab of Preferences"/>
1128
1129 <p>
1130 This tab controls how the sounds are played by the application.
1131 </p>
1132
1133 <p>
1134 The top part is for the background sounds. These are pre-recorded
1135 sound files that are played when certain conditions hold during the
1136 flight. Typical examples are the various announcements the flight
1137 attendants make during the flight. The <b>Enable background
1138 sounds</b> checkbox controls whether such sounds are enabled at
1139 all. If the <b>Pilot controls sounds</b> checkbox is enabled, the
1140 pilot should start the playback of these sound files by pressing a
1141 hotkey in the simulator. Note, that you should still be in the right
1142 flight stage (and sometimes fulfill other conditions) to be able to
1143 play the sound files. Also, one file can be played only once. If you
1144 enable this option, the hotkey to press in the simulator can be
1145 selected below. You can choose one of the alphanumeric keys (0-9,
1146 A-Z) optionally combined with one or both of the <i>Ctrl</i>
1147 and <i>Shift</i> modifiers. If this checkbox is not checked, the
1148 sound files will be played automatically.
1149 </p>
1150
1151 <p>
1152 If the <b>Enable approach callouts</b> checkbox is
1153 checked, and you have also <a href="#calloutsEditor">set up</a>
1154 approach callouts for the aircraft being used, you will hear those
1155 callouts during approach.
1156 </p>
1157
1158 <p>
1159 If the <b>Enable speedbrake sound at touchdown</b> checkbox is
1160 checked, you will hear a distinctive sound when the spoilers deploy
1161 automatically after touchdown.
1162 </p>
1163
1164 <p>
1165 The lower part, named <i>Checklists</i> contains some settings
1166 related to the audio checklists belonging to the aircraft. They are
1167 available only if the <b>Enable aircraft-specific checklist</b>
1168 checkbox is selected. In this case another hotkey should be
1169 specified. If you press this hotkey, the next file from the
1170 checklist will be played.
1171 </p>
1172
1173 <h3><a name="prefsAdvanced">The <i>Advanced</i> Tab</a></h3>
1174
1175 <img src="prefsAdvanced.png" alt="The Advanced Tab of Preferences"/>
1176
1177 <p>
1178 This tab contains some settings that you normally should not
1179 change. Currently, these settings are related to the automatic
1180 update. If the <b>Update the program automatically</b> checkbox is
1181 not checked, the automatic update at program start-up will be
1182 omitted. The <i>Update URL</i> text entry field contains the URL
1183 from which to download the updates. Occasionally the developers of
1184 the application may tell you to change this something else, e.g. to
1185 test some development version. Or it may need to be changed due to
1186 organizational reasons, such as moving to a new server, etc.
1187 </p>
1188
1189 <h2><a name="bugReportWindow">The Bug Report Window</a></h2>
1190
1191 <img src="bugreport.png" alt="The Bug Report Window"/>
1192
1193 <p>
1194 The bug reporting window can be used to report any non-fatal bugs
1195 that occur during using the program. Bugs can be reported to
1196 appropriate topic in the MAVA forum, via e-mail or tickets created
1197 by hand on the project's website. However, utilizing this window not
1198 only creates the ticket, it also includes automatically the texts of
1199 the log and the debug log, making the life of the developers
1200 easier. Of course, it might happen that the program crashes in a way
1201 which makes this window inaccessible or to work incorrectly, in
1202 which case you must resort to the other possibilities.
1203 </p>
1204
1205 <p>
1206 The bug report window can be displayed by selecting <b>Tools/Report
1207 bug</b> or by pressing <b>Ctrl+B</b>. The summary must be entered
1208 and it should be a short, one-sentence description or title of the
1209 problem. The <i>Description</i> part is not mandatory, but if you
1210 can think of any useful additional information, you might give it
1211 here. As the program automatically appends the log and the debug to
1212 the description, you should not copy them here. You can also give
1213 your e-mail address to receive automatic notifications of the status
1214 of your bug report, but consider that your e-mail address will then
1215 appear on the project's website in the bug report.
1216 </p>
1217
1218 <p>
1219 By pressing <i>Send...</i>, you can create the bug report. If it is
1220 successful, you will receive a message telling so and including the
1221 ticket's ID that you may refer to later.
1222 </p>
1223
1224 <h2><a name="monitorWindow">The Monitor Window</a></h2>
1225
1226 <img src="monitorWindow.png" alt="The Monitor Window"/>
1227
1228 <p>
1229 The monitor window can be used when debugging the program. You can
1230 display it by selecting <b>View/Show monitor window</b> or by
1231 pressing <b>Ctrl+M</b>. It displays the various parameters from the
1232 aircraft as read from the flight simulator. During flight, it is
1233 updated once per second. If something is not detected properly by
1234 the logger, this window can be used to determine if the problem is
1235 in interpreting and translating the data read from the simulator, or
1236 when the translated data is being evaluated by other parts of the
1237 program.
1238 </p>
1239
1240</html>
Note: See TracBrowser for help on using the repository browser.