NextATC Unicom

NextATC guideNextATC Help & FAQ

Random Flights & Snapshots

Generate routes, save states, resume later

Two helpers make repeated flights easier: random flight generation and Flight Snapshots. They are optional. The normal ATC flow works the same when you do not use them.

Random Flight Plan vs Generate Random Flight#

There are two random-flight tools:

  • Generate Random Flight Plan in the flight plan dialog keeps the departure and arrival airports you entered, then builds a route between them.
  • Generate random flight in the plugin menu can choose a destination for you, using the region filters in Options.

Both tools still create a normal flight plan. Review the fields before requesting clearance, especially cruise level, departure airport and arrival airport.

Region filters#

Open Plugins -> NextATC -> Options and use the region checkboxes under Random flight on start:

  • Europe
  • North America
  • South America
  • Africa
  • Asia
  • Oceania

The random picker uses the union of the selected regions. If every region is off, random selection has no useful airport pool.

Random flight on start#

Random flight on start asks the plugin to prepare a random flight when X-Plane and the plugin start. This is useful when you often want to begin from a fresh, generated route without filling the flight-plan dialog by hand.

If you prefer to review every field before filing, leave this option off and use Generate Random Flight Plan or Generate random flight manually.

Flight Snapshots#

Open:

Plugins -> NextATC -> Flight Snapshots

The window lets you save the current flight state into numbered slots, restore a saved slot, or clear a slot. A custom name is optional; if you leave it blank, the plugin creates a summary from the flight.

Snapshots are useful before:

  • a long taxi at a complex airport,
  • descent and approach testing,
  • trying a different SID, STAR, or arrival runway,
  • taking a break before continuing the same flow.

What a snapshot restores#

A snapshot restores the practical flight context: aircraft position, flight-plan progress, ATC phase, selected runways/procedures, radio-log history, clearance state, and related plugin state.

After loading a snapshot, let the simulator settle for a moment before pressing another ATC action. If the aircraft was restored at an airport, the plugin may need a few seconds for X-Plane scenery and airport data to finish loading.

Files#

Snapshots are stored inside the plugin folder:

X-Plane/Resources/plugins/NextATC/flightstate.dat

Treat that file as plugin data. Do not edit it while X-Plane is running.

Common problems#

Generate random flight gives no useful result:

  • At least one region is enabled in Options.
  • The current airport and selected regions contain suitable airports.
  • Departure and arrival are not the same airport unless you intentionally want a local flight.

Load does nothing:

  • The slot must contain a saved state.
  • Wait until X-Plane finishes loading scenery after the restore.
  • If a restored procedure no longer exists in your current navdata, choose a new runway/SID/STAR and continue.

See also#