1 Comment

1. 

   Ron Kolesar on June 29, 2019 at 7:55 PM

   For my fellow FS pilots.
   If anyone can get the following letter to the people behind the beta testing
   team for fs 2020 I’d deeply appreciate it.The e-mail that I received to
   write to in my confirmation letter bounces back in my face.
   That address is as follows:
   noreply@microsoftstudios.com
   I’m not on face book that often because it is tricky for we who access our
   pc through a screen reader.
   So, I can be reached at:
   kolesar16417@roadrunner.com
   Here’s the following letter that I’m attempting to get to Microsoft.
   This is why I joined this list.
   Subject.
   Comments from a Blind and or Visually impaired Pilot AKA BVI Pilot.
   Now, here’s the letter
   Hello from Ron Kolesar who can’t wait for the new up coming version of
   FS.
   am blind and here’s how I’m able to use FSX, soon to be from what I’ve been
   hearing, now simply as FS.
   First of all, here’s how a blind person can interact with one’s PC.
   We use a program called a screen reader.
   The screen reader that the majority of us use, at least here in the United
   States, is JAWS for windows.
   It reads everything that is on the screen to us as we type, or when we want
   o read our mail, surf on the internet and so on.
   For further info about JAWS, it’s web address is at:
   http://www.freedomscientific.com
   You can down load a 40 minute demo of JAWS 2019 which is the current version
   of JAWS.
   I would highly recommend that you set a timer for around 30 minutes.
   That way you have enough time to save the work you’re stress testing JAWS
   with and reboot your pc for another 40 minute demo.
   Also, if you’d like?
   Freedom Scientific’s toll free phone number here in the states is at:
   800-444-4443.
   Now for Screen Reader number two.
   There’s a free program called NVDA, Which stands for Non-Visual Desktop
   Access.
   It is completely free, but I don’t like it.
   But if you’d like to give it a test drive?
   The address is at:
   http://www.nvaccess.org
   Then last but not least that comes free with Windows ten, is narrator.
   One important nice thing about JAWS starting for 2019, is that with one
   license, you can have three computers using that same copy of jaws.
   Now the original fs had great voice announcement/instructional messages
   output via our sound card and headset speakers.
   But there was quite a number of areas that wasn’t accurate nor were blind
   friendly.
   Before I get into that, please since hand to eye coordination won’t work for
   us since our eyes don’t work, please think of adding hand to ear
   coordination since we have to see and think through our ears.
   Let’s start with our AI co-pilot/AI First officer program.
   Yes because we have to see with our ears since our eyes don’t work, we do
   have to rely on our AI co-pilot/AI first officer for mainly taxiing and
   other areas the sighted take for granted since they can receive their
   important conformational feedback via their vision, we have to receive our
   important conformational feedback via our ears since our eyes don’t work.
   also, if you were to add hand to ear coordination we wouldn’t have to depend
   on our AI co-pilot/AI first officer as much since we would have audio cues
   and audio messages coming from the local ATC to keep us on the straight and
   narrow.
   For a few examples of what I’m talking about:
   If the engine sounds are coming out of both speakers and in front of you as
   well, or just through both of your headset’s speakers at the same time, then
   you’re going straight and you’re on the center line for take off.
   If you start to hear it only in one speaker, you can tap and or hold down
   the correct arrow key to lightly turn your yoke in the opposite direction to
   get you back on course.
   Also, before we get off of the ground, will we we have a flight school and
   flying lessons and have to prove ourselves by soloing?
   Also, for flight school and after we receive our first solo flight and start
   to build our career, Would you add not having the AI Co-Pilot do everything
   for us, but to prompt us.
   For example:
   The co pilot would help us with the checklists especially for the correct
   take off flaps.
   For example, The co-pilot/first officer would tell us what we should have
   our flaps set at and either via keyboard keys and or via voice we could set
   the flaps ourselves.
   Also, especially while ascending and descending for that smooth landing, our
   co-pilot/first officer would say speed at 200 not’s and we would slow down
   via our throttle and or the down arrow keys or if we needed to speed up, we
   could use the up arrow keys and or simply pull back on the yoke as well.
   But I do like having the AI Co-Pilot/AI First Officer controlling the speed
   though.
   That way you don’t over shoot your assigned level cruising alt.
   Also, if the Co-pilot/first officer is controlling the speed, they could
   assist us with taking off and a smooth landing as well.
   Then after we’ve made a few flights, we would still like some
   assistance/prompting while landing, for that smooth touchdown.
   If at all possible?
   Let’s also have random airport sounds as well.
   Also force feedback that would not only bring the sim to life for us but for
   the sighted as well, we could fly via keyboard shortcut keystrokes and or
   USB plug and play external Flight yokes, twistable throttles and rudder
   petals, like our sighted counterparts already can take advantage of, since
   they can see their monitors and receive their conformational feedback via
   their vision.
   I think the force feedback suggestion also could bring the sim to life as
   well, but where to find the USB equipment that would support the force
   feedback and also support the world of win ten and the faster current 64 bit
   processor world at a reasonable price?
   Especially for we BVI Pilots, for landing, we could feel our main gear touch
   down and then of course our nose wheel, but also taking off, we can feel
   when our nose wheel lifts off of the ground and hopefully our main gear and
   the rest of the aircraft we’re flying also will leave the ground safely as
   well. SMILES.
   Also, while we’re talking about force feedback, we also could use the force
   feedback with practice to tell if we’re landing to hard and if we bounce.
   With a little practice with the force feedback feature, we could learn how
   to have a smooth landing and a smooth takeoff as well.
   We could use that recommendation/suggestion in our flying lessons in the
   flight school requirement.
   Also for Military missions, if we had force feedback, we can get the crap
   scared out of us when we attempt to take off and land on a aircraft carrier.
   Let’s take a moment since I’m talking about military missions.
   We have a hand to ear Military flight simulator called Three-D Velocity.
   It you go to the following address that works on any browser except IE11.
   That address is as follows:
   http://www.github.com
   set up a free account and do a search for Three-D Velocity or Munawar who
   was the designer of the flight simulator.
   Stress testing Three-D Velocity might give the Microsoft team who’s building
   the new FS 2020 ideas on how to make fs 2020 even more blind friendly.
   Every book that I’ve read with our original seven Astronauts, they’ve all
   stated that the toughest assignment they all had was taking off and more
   importantly landing on a aircraft carrier.
   So, if we had force feedback written into the FS program and the right USB
   external equipment, we too could get the crap scared out of us when that
   arresting wire catches our tail hook when we land on a aircraft carrier as
   well. SMILES.
   While we’re talking about the Astronauts, let’s not forget the sadly retired
   STS program, better known as the Space Shuttle program.
   I would love to eat my words.
   Because I don’t see a way a BVI Pilot could launch the proud bird, but we
   should be able to fly, dock with say the Space Telescope and or with the ISS
   as well, then we also should be able to go through the reentry and land the
   proud old bird.
   Also, let’s not forget the new up coming Space X Dragon spacecraft or the
   new NASA MPCV vehicle better known as the Orion project, or the Apollo
   missions, The Sky lab missions, and let’s also not forget Chuck Yager’s
   famous flight on October 14th, 1947, when he went mock one to break the
   sound barrier.
   So, please when you’re designing the new FS program, you might want to think
   a minute and ask yourself, how do I get the same information that I just saw
   on my monitor to some one who can’t see via their eyes?
   Simple, add a little extra detailed narration from the co-pilot/first
   officer, and of from when we receive our clearance instructions, our taxiing
   instructions and so on.
   Another item that the original FS program didn’t have.
   It would be nice to hear out of our headset speaker from the ground, when
   they give us our taxiing instructions to let us know if we need a push back
   or not, how far back to push off from and in which direction to turn the
   tail towards.
   That way, when our AI co-pilot/AI first officer asks us if we need a
   pushback or not, we can have that information in our heads already for the
   AI co-pilot or AI first officer, and when we’re asked, we simply could tell
   the co-pilot/first officer what we heard through our sound card and headset
   speakers and with audio navigation clues, after a little bit of practice, we
   could do the instructions ourselves, and or also have the co-pilot/first
   officer assist us with this procedure as well..
   Because the following never was blind friendly.
   Here’s where the co-pilot/first officer could help us out once again, or
   with some practice, say have a plug in that would allow us access to the say
   notepad program to be able to write read back instructions down and then we
   could still have the co-pilot/first officer read them back to the clearance,
   and or ground and so on, or with some practice, we could write them down in
   notepad and read them back ourselves.
   Of course for copying down the read back instructions, we’ll need a way to
   adjust the speed so that it’s at a speed that we can copy at.
   We never could program the FMC or probably now known as the FC nor could we
   access the kneeboard to be able to write down notes and or be able to read
   back instructions correctly.
   Programming the FC would be of some help as well or have keyboard and or
   buttons assigned on our flight yoke for programming the FC, or have our
   co-pilot/first officer assists us and or program it for us.
   They could ask us if we would like some help or would we like them to
   program the info after we give them the departure airport four letter ICAO
   I.D. code, with our ATIS instructions and the destination airport’s ICAO
   I.D. Code.
   We have to use keyboard commands and or voice commands like clearance copy
   and so on.
   But maybe if we could have it so it would allow us to have say notepad open
   while clearance, or the ground or what have you is giving us instructions
   and we have to read the instructions back, to either:
   1. Have a keyboard command to acknowledge the read back and have a
   synthesized voice read back the instructions back to the clearance and or to
   the ground, and or have short command like acknowledge or what have you.
   2. Have it so we can adjust the speed so that we could use notepad and write
   down the Clearance instructions and or what have you to read them back like
   a sighted person would do in the real world.
   If you subscribe to the following mailing list:
   Blind & Visually impaired Pilots Mailing List
   To subscribe, send a letter with the word subscribe in the subject field, to
   the following address:
   bvipilots+subscribe@groups.io
   Then you’ll receive a confirmation letter that you have to reply to and
   you’re all set.
   Once you receive your welcome aboard letter with the rules and what not,
   here’s the address to throw your pitch on how we can make FS as close to the
   real world of flying as possible, but also have it enjoyable not only for
   the sighted pilot want to be, but for the Blind and or Visually Impaired
   Pilots or BVI Pilots as well.
   That address is at:
   bvipilots@groups.io
   One important item that our co-pilot/first officer can help us out with is
   to let us know when we’ve turned to the new assigned compass heading that
   the local ATC will give to us.
   They could say we’re now at say a heading of 270 degrees, and or we could
   learn how fast to tap and to hold down our arrow keys and or how hard and or
   light to make a beautiful bank and we could hear our turn as we’re making it
   like from 180, 185, 190, 200, 205 and so on until we reach the new assigned
   of 270, or have it read it out to us in ten miles each and so on, but also
   have the co-pilot let us know when we’ve reached the new assigned headings.
   They also could help us to let us know if our turn is way to steep and or
   way to shallow or just right to stay up in the air.
   Here’s another lesson for the flight school/flying lessons recommendation,
   we could learn to bank safely and efficiently like our sighted counterparts
   can do since they have their important conformational feedback via their
   vision as well.
   Our AI co-pilot program that is left to us, which I don’t like is called
   Multi Crew Experience or MCE for short.
   Their address is at:
   http://www.multicrewxp.com
   The one program that was cool that we all enjoyed was a program from British
   Columbia Canada called Its Your Plane.
   But the designer/owner took the web page down and the program with the web
   page.
   But if you go out to you tube and do a search for its your plane, you’ll
   find all kinds of you tube videos to help you come up with ideas on how to
   make the new fs project blind friendly as well.
   Now That’s the first officer/co-pilot program.
   Also, one nice thing with the its your plane or IYP program was that once
   you reached a flu of 200 FT, your first officer/co-pilot turned into a tour
   guide.
   About every ten to fifteen minutes throughout the flight it would tell both
   you as the pilot, and your passengers what your about to fly over both on
   your left or port and right or starboard side of the aircraft that you’re
   flying over in real time.
   We have a member on the BVI Pilots mailing list attempting to design a
   flight following program.
   If you subscribe to the BVI Pilots list, you will have access to the
   archives as well.
   So you can do a search or ask to get in touch with the person designing the
   flight following plug in program.
   We also had a virtual career and all of we BVI Pilots were flying for the
   IYP virtual airlines.
   One important item.
   For private G A flights, I love the Dassault Falcon 7X by Dassault, AKA the
   DF7X for short.
   They now have a branch of the Dassault company in Little Rock Arkansas as
   well.
   At this time I’d like to have access to the successor to the DF7X which is
   the DF8X.
   But it looks like so far, the only sim that has the DF8X is the X-Plane
   program and it isn’t blind friendly.
   It was like don’t call us, we’ll call you.
   Why would one want to jump from the DF7X to the DF8X?
   This is a valid question to ask.
   1. the DF8X flies 500 NM further than the DF7X.
   2. The fuel onboard the DF8X is 35 % more efficient on the DF8X over the
   DF7X as well.
   It also would be nice to have force feedback written into the new up coming
   FS program as well.
   I think it would add realism to the flight simulator.
   You could feel when landing when your main gear touches down and when taking
   off when your nose wheel is off of the ground and you’re actually taking
   off.
   The only thing I can think of at the moment that I almost forgot to me
   mention to you is to add some type of passenger mode as well.
   I now will list the add on programs that we have to use to make flying as
   close to the real world as possible, to make accurate date and time and
   weather, and to make the sim blind friendly as well.
   Again,let’s start with the AI Co-pilot/AI first officer assistant program.
   Like I said, we only have access to the Multi Crew program, or MCE for
   short.
   Which I do not like.
   I wished that we still had the Its Your Plane or IYP program for our AI
   Co-pilot/AI First/Officer assistant.
   Now for the weather.
   The FSX weather was never ever accurate.
   So what we were using was From a company called FS Pilot Shop, we were using
   a program called Active Sky for our weather.
   Next we were running a ATC program called PF3ATC Program, from a store
   called On Course Software.
   For AI traffic to fly around us we’re using the following program.
   Traffic Global by a store called Just Flight.
   For the correct date and time, we’re using a small program called either fs
   real time or fsx real-time.
   It would be nice if our AI co-pilot/AI first officer would say something
   like we’re crossing from one time zone to another, say what the time zone
   we’re in and what the correct current time is.
   For runways being up to date and accurate, we’ve been using a program called
   Make Runways It’s a free program that you can grab from the following web
   address:
   http://www.schiratti.com/dowson.html
   Also we’re using a small com bridge of a program called FSUIPC, which was
   designed by Mr. PeterDowson’s.
   It allows, FS to communicate with third party add on programs so that we
   would be able to fly.
   His web address is at:
   http://www.schiratti.com/dowson.html
   You can use the free version for most items. But I would highly recommend to
   purchase a unlock code for it.
   Make sure you get the correct version of FSUIPC for the sim that you’re
   flying in, which in this case would be for FS.
   Will you have a good ground support program?
   It looks like there’s two programs out on the market.
   1. is GSX_fsx.
   2. is called I can’t remember nor can I find the second ground program.
   But it would be nice that the Fuel tanker truck would have a different sound
   for the engine than say for telling the difference between the Fuel Tanker
   Truck and the Luggage Truck and so on with all of the ground support
   facilities.
   That way we could learn the sounds and that way we would know which ground
   service vehicle is coming towards our aircraft.
   Well, that looks like everything I can think of to help you to not only
   design a awesome Flight simulator not only for the sighted but also for we
   BVI Pilots as well.
   Please just remember to think and see with your ears, since that’s how we
   have to live our daily lives since our eyes don’t work.
   I can not wait to become a beta tester!!
   If I can find a valid address to write future letters of recommendations and
   suggestions to, I will be shipping this letter to my two friends so that
   they too may add their two cents on this surprising project as well.
   Again, I deeply Appreciate for you to take the time out to read this letter
   and I also can’t wait to see your comments on my letter and
   recommendations/suggestions on how to improve on your exciting new project.
   Very Thankfully Yours.
   Ron Kolesar Ham Radio Station KR3DOG-PA-WCECTM

   In the good old days of Morse code Shorthand, 73’s AKA Best Regards and or
   Best Whishes,
   From Ron U.S. Ham Radio Station KR3DOG-PA-WCECTM
   Pennsylvania West County Emergency Com-Tree Manager
   In the good old days of Morse code Shorthand, 73’s AKA Best Regards and or
   Best Whishes,
   From Ron U.S. Ham Radio Station KR3DOG-PA-WCECTM
   Pennsylvania West County Emergency Com-Tree Manager
   In the good old days of Morse code Shorthand, 73’s AKA Best Regards and or
   Best Whishes,
   From Ron U.S. Ham Radio Station KR3DOG-PA-WCECTM
   Pennsylvania West County Emergency Com-Tree Manager