User Review /
FAQ: CH Client, CH Server
ATC Add-on Software
for FS
What is CH Client?
CH Client is a freeware program written by Claude
Hanssens that lets someone flying in FS receive air
traffic control (ATC) from another person who is running
a separate program called CH Server.
How does that
happen?
Very simply, it happens the same way that FS Multiplayer
does - one or more users running FS and CH Client,
connect to a host player running CH Server, by entering
in the host's IP address. All players are directly
connected over the Internet, and no outside servers are
involved. Communication is almost always via voice over
IP software such as Roger Wilco or BattleComm, although
typing is supported.
Don't you also have
to be running FS Multiplayer?
No. In fact, the person acting as ATC does not even have
to have FS installed. This means that the players cannot
see each other's planes. If that doesn't sound like much
fun, consider a session taking place in bad weather. Just
as in real-life flying, the players wouldn't be able to
see each other anyway, because they'd probably be in
cloud until just before landing. If the visibility was
really bad, you likely wouldn't see another aircraft at
all until you were safely at the gate.
But can I use FS
Multiplayer with CH Client?
Yes. The person running CH Server and providing the ATC
can host the Multiplayer session, or someone else can
host it. This will let the players (and ATC) see the
aircraft. In that case, you would want to make sure that
everybody has FS Multiplayer running, or else you would
see some planes, but not others.
I don't know how to
fly FS on instruments. Should I bother using CH Client?
No reason why not, especially if FS Multiplayer will be
running. In real life, many airports have a mix of IFR
and VFR aircraft movements every day of the week. Maybe
you don't see too many VFR's at O'Hare or Atlanta, but
you sure can at lots of other airports that have
scheduled flights. More
below...
Can you describe a
typical CH Client / Server session?
From the pilot's perspective, it's pretty simple. Let's
say you are flying your favorite plane in FS. You decide
that you want to try out some ILS approaches, but without
the benefit of air traffic control, you find it hard to
get your plane into the proper position to intercept the
localizer and glideslope.
You decide to head over to TradeIP.com and see if anyone
has a CH Server session going. You fire up your Web
browser, check in, and copy down the IP address of a
likely-looking session at Chicago, which specifies Roger
Wilco voice communication. Since you would rather not
start on the ground, you put your plane in the air about
30 miles from the O'Hare VOR, at 8,000 feet and 220 knots.
This will give the controller time and distance to vector
you into position for an instrument approach on whatever
runway will be in use. You point your plane at the VOR
and put it on pause.
First, you load Roger Wilco and connect to the IP address.
Next, you load CH Client, which opens up a small
interface on the desktop. There are only three things to
do once CH Client is open:
CH Client loaded. |
- Type in your
aircraft's registration - N123FS for our dialogue
example
- Click to connect
CH Client with FS
- Click to open a
small window, where you paste in the IP address
you had copied into the clipboard. To finish,
click "Connect to Server."
CH Client reports the
connection is made - that's it, that's all... You return
to FS and unpause your aircraft. Time to check in:
"Chicago Center, Cessna N123FS, 8,000 feet."
"N123FS, squawk 4316."
"Squawking 4316, N123FS."
"N123FS, identified, Runway 27R, descend to 5,000
feet, turn left heading 100 degrees."
"Left 100 degrees and down to 5,000, N123FS."
This is great, you think to yourself as you turn to your
new heading and start your descent. You are now under ATC
control and getting vectors to the ILS instead of having
to figure out how to get there on your own. This is the
way it's supposed to be...
So far so good, now
what does it look like on the ATC side?
To start, the person running CH Server loads a new radar
screen, which is initially blank. A pull-down list is
used to select an airport, navaid or fix, which loads
into the center of the screen. All other airports,
navaids and fixes within a 100 NM range (the default)
will also be shown. When ready, the person running CH
Server connects to the Internet and clicks on the main
menu to either start a session, or connect to an existing
CH Server session (to work approach, departure etc). In
that case they would see the same radar screen as the
session host.
As each aircraft connects to the CH Server session, it is
represented by a data block displaying the aircraft's
squawk code, speed, altitude, heading and registration.
The aircraft is symbolized by a small arrow. The
controller can issue commands to the aircraft and watch
as the displayed information changes. A nice touch is the
ability to right-click and drag with the mouse to show
distances and headings.
CH Server screen. Chicago O'Hare Airport is in
the middle. This screen shot has been cropped
from its original size. |
Where are the fixes
in the above screen shot, and where does the data come
from?
The data comes from a Microsoft Access database file
based on ICAO data, that comes with the CH Server program.
The airway intersections and approach fixes have been
suppressed in the above screen shot because there are so
many of them, and many of them are out of date. That
doesn't bother me, because I find that having fixes
displayed clutters up the screen too much. Also, if the
pilot doesn't have the proper IFR low or hi chart, he /
she won't know what you're talking about when you clear
them direct DRUNK or wherever...
So the controller
can customize the screen then. What about the data?
Yes, both the data and screen display can be customized.
The display can be adjusted to show all or none of the
airports, navaids and fixes, in various colors. The range
rings (dashed circles) can be turned on or off and set to
different widths (ten-mile rings shown), and the entire
scope can be zoomed in or out to very close, or so far
out that the screen becomes unreadable due to text
merging. It is also possible to click and drag to move
the entire screen around (the range circles stay put).
As well, the approach lines for the runways (dashed lines)
can be drawn directly on the screen by shift - right-clicking
and drawing with the mouse. Obviously, you would want to
have approach plates, IFR charts and any other
information available right in front of you to change any
of the data, just as you would to provide effective air
traffic control for any given sector or airport. If you
don't have any charts or maps, you can still draw
accurate runway approach lines by connecting CH Server to
the Internet, loading FS and CH Client, and connecting CH
Client to your own IP. Then you can see your plane on
radar, and by slewing the plane back 5 or 10 miles from
the runway, you can get a perfect reference for drawing
an approach line.
CH Server screen. Drawing a temporary line on the
screen showing heading and distance by right-clicking
with the mouse. |
Depending on where you are, there are going to be
airports, navaids, etc. displayed on the CH Server screen
that are not in FS, and some airports that are in FS that
aren't part of the CH Server data file. In CH Server,
adding, deleting, or changing the idents or location of
airports, navaids and fixes is easy. The data files are
MS Access 7.0 files, so if you don't have this database
program, you must download the CH Data Manager, which
will let you do the above. The exact lat / long
coordinates of the navaids and airports can be found on
the plates and charts themselves, as well as on the
Internet. To use the Data Manager, you select an airport
or navaid from a pull-down menu and fill in a form to
modify the data. Entering new airports or navaids is just
as easy. CH Server also lets you add geographical
features, roads, water etc to the display, but that is
getting into a more complicated area.
In the end, how
well does it all come together for both the CH Server /
ATC user and the CH Client user / pilot?
Surprisingly well. If the data supplied by the CH Server
database didn't correspond with the airport and navaid
locations in FS, it wouldn't work at all, but it does -
remember, this software was intended for use with FS.
Using CH Server, a good controller can vector any
competent FS pilot right onto the localizer from anywhere
on the scope. From the pilot's side, it's just a matter
of sitting there and waiting for the needle to start to
move, then flying the approach to touchdown. It's when
the clouds are low, the winds gusty, and the pilots many,
that it becomes a real challenge for everyone to pull it
all together.
CH Server screen. Aircraft on the O'Hare Runway 9R
ILS is over the marker inbound, on glideslope. |
.
As mentioned, CH Client / Server can also be used in a
VFR environment, with the players connected via FS
Multiplayer. This would allow for a training scenario,
where newer or less-experienced pilots could fly the
pattern under Tower control. Since it is possible for one
CH Server to connect to another to enable multiple
controllers, you could have VFR aircraft in the pattern,
under control of Tower, mixed with arriving and departing
IFR's, under radar control. It would require some
coordination, but wouldn't be hard to set up. Mixing VFR
students with IFR's will help keep the controllers on
their toes...
How do I know that
CH Server will have the airport or sector I want to work
ATC for?
If an airport has a published instrument approach, it's
probably there - the ICAO data file is over 4 megs in
size, and has entries for airports all over the world. I
did find a small satellite airport in my local center
that wasn't there, but it was no problem adding it. Some
of the fixes were outdated, and an NDB that had been
decommissioned a few years ago was still there, but I've
already made those changes.
CH Client and CH
Server are freeware. How hard is it to install? What
about support?
Although the available documentation seems quite
extensive (I haven't read all of it), there is no support
available for this software as far as I know. As for
installation, I had no problems, and it hasn't crashed on
my system, which is a standard Pentium 233 with 8 meg
video card. There are a number of instances (about a
dozen that I have heard of) where people get error
messages and have been unable to run CH Client. These
error messages are related to a failed ActiveX component,
and to CH Client being unable to create an ActiveX Object.
A couple of fixes that are known to have worked, and that
can be implemented before installing (or re-installing)
CH Client, are outlined in the CH Client Instructions
and Help File.
What about system
requirements and system resources?
CH Client and Server both run fine on my P-233 MMX with
64 megs RAM and an 8 meg 3D video card, and DirectX 6.1.
By comparison, I have always found that FS Multiplayer
runs fairly slowly at times with more than about four
players, or if I try to use dynamic scenery, or if I am
running dense add-on scenery. CH Server don't seem to use
all that much in the way of system resources, so I would
say speculate that it would run OK on any Pentium. I have
noticed on occasion a strange problem where my desktop
icons disappear when using CH Server, but everything was
fine after I rebooted.
On the CH Client side, I would say that you probably
won't even notice it is running when flying around in FS
- I don't notice it myself.
I do find that in CH Server, when making any change to
the radar screen (zooming, changing range, suppressing
fixes, etc), the screen is slow to redraw (5-10 seconds).
I don't know if that is more a function of the way the
program is written, or whether a Pentium III will make
much difference.
Where can I find
these programs?
TradeIP has made this software available for download.
Remember, it is freeware, and TradeIP cannot provide
support for it, or for any other downloads. To download
CH Client, go to the CH Client Help File page.
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