Please, trust me, I'm having a blast with your FSFlyingSchool.  Nothing make my night better when I get the best of ol' Mr. Smith.  I'm sure others maybe have asked, so I thought I'd ask a few things that maybe can be considered for next release of your software:

1.  Granted, I know this software is designed to make you a better pilot, and all so especially the landing.  However, can you consider the following:  Somehow, your program knows how to get all the hooks from the flight.  Is it possible to not take off so much for using the A/P on long flights?  Here's where I"m going with it.  Yes I'm trying to get the most points each time, but I have a heck of a time keeping a plane trimmed at 35000 feet, that I find myself battling the ATC..."you are 300 above/below your assigned altitude..." that it really drives me crazy.    So here's what I'm wondering. 

 Somehow figure out that if you are on a flight above 20FL, for a period of longer than 2 hours (ex.) that you can use A/P and not get points taken away.  And then when you start your descent down, you have a certain amount of time to turn off A/P and bring it in manually?  I'll have that plane all trimmed out finally, upper jetstream winds with blow me around, then I spend all my time porposing up and down, messing with speed....it just drives me nuts.  I almost hate taking long flights to avoid not using A/P in quest of points.  I know you can get good scores even though you have A/P engaged...unfortunately I don't have that feeling or score yet

Summing up...somehow give credit for long flights, flight time, and using A/P without getting beat up?  Maybe somehow if a flight is sustained at 10000 feet for "x" number of hours, so partial credit?

Joe Mini

President/CEO/Chief Pilot for Joe Mini World Wide Tours, LLC. 
"If we get you to your destination in one piece, it's a miracle"  

This is an excellent idea - it means that the pilot still has to hand fly the tricky stuff, but does not force pilots to hand fly the dull stuff.

I can certainly see that this could be something to pop into the next version!

First class award for coming up with something which is simple and yet powerful - that's exactly the sort of thing we like to see coming from the forum.

Squadron Leader
FSFlyingSchool - Fly like the Pros with Flight Simulator

I was trying to type what you said in about 1 sentence.  There isn't a whole lot of communcations from Mr. Smith and Co. when we are up at FLxxx, unless of course you are "combat" flying.  I'm not sure what that flight level is, because that would depend on the aircraft you are flying....(ie  Cessna above 5000' or a heavy above 15,000').  Not sure what that "flight" level would be or length, I just know those long hauls are killers...."

Thanks for listening, and I'll hang up and listen....

Joe Mini

President/CEO/Chief Pilot for Joe Mini World Wide Tours, LLC. 
"If we get you to your destination in one piece, it's a miracle"  

We've added this to the list and I'll keep you posted.

Squadron Leader
FSFlyingSchool - Fly like the Pros with Flight Simulator

We're certainly looking at helping out the poor pilot on those long cruises - little or no penalty for AP during those legs of the trip - coming soon.

It seems to me, unless I am missing something, that unless the weather is "clear" with no wind or pressure changes or gusting or turbulence etc then it should be necessary for the pilot to trim the aircraft, if not constantly then at least 'often', as just about any external force can potentially knock it out of trim and cause the altitude to vary...

I have no idea what the setting you mention does - sounds interesting...

Hopefully the enhancement to the AP penalty logic will offer an attractive alternative to all FSFS simmers.

Squadron Leader
FSFlyingSchool - Fly like the Pros with Flight Simulator

Biggles: I don´t know about the autotrim thing either. Wouldn´t it be considered cheating SL?

What I have found is that paying great attention to the small details helps my flying a lot.  I have experienced the same as you Biggles, that when going form one view to another, the trimdetails seems to get lost just a little, and you have to juuuuust finetune again. I think it´s because I cannot see the instruments from outside view, and so lose the feeling a little, but what do I know?

And SL: I have to tell you that the focusing on the centerline really really helped me. I just did a 111 point landing in the Learjet on leg 9, and even though there is still long way up to Joe, he flies a different aircraft capable of doing higher scores. I jumped 3 feet up in the air, when getting the 111. Jumped for joy I did

Boy I love FSFS. Enhances your flying a zilion times.

Regards

Ole Andreasen, Denmark: A user and huge fan of this, the best addon for your favorite flight simulator!