External MCDU developments

[Jeroen Hoppenbrouwers]

Any sim builders who have wishes for the external MCDU? Not necessarily for the upcoming PSX variant (as PSX itself can be reduced to just a MCDU quite easily), but in general for PS1 and any other application?

I ask because it gets likely that it will be used on airborne planes, as popup on an electronic flight bag, to operate all kinds of equipment in the belly of the aircraft. I am currently adding some features to allow for this popup (typically over Jeppesen charting software).

http://www.hoppie.nl/mcdu/



Jeroen

[Phil Bunch]

Remarkable!

Will it run on an iPhone or iPod Touch?    That way, one can sit in the back seats of a 747 or whatever and control the flight!

In all seriousness, some years ago I was flying PS1 on my laptop during a real 747 flight, with the cockpit controls and displays active in a normal fashion.  The stewardess saw the display and me actively working with it, decided that I had secretly taken control of the airliner and told me in a very authoritative voice that she knew I was controlling the airliner and that she was going to inform the Captain.  I literally couldn't think of anything to say and she rapidly walked off towards the flight deck.  A minute or two later, she came back with a visibly red-faced expression on her face and wouldn't even look at me.  I think we can imagine what the Captain might have said to her.  

At least they didn't arrest me and send me to Gitmo or some dark prison!

[Hardy Heinlin]

Phil, could it be that this stewardess was just kidding you? :-)

(Honest question, I've no idea.)

[Shiv Mathur]

If I had read this in any other forum, I would have thought, "C'mon, pull the other one !".

[Phil Bunch]

Phil, could it be that this stewardess was just kidding you? :-)

(Honest question, I've no idea.)

All I have to judge this is a few clues and some body language.  She was an older lady, probably mid-50s and didn't seem like someone who would joke around much.   It was very convincing to me that she was quite upset and angry at what she believed I was doing (flying an airliner).  She didn't hesitate as she marched off towards the cockpit and didn't act at all as if she were teasing, walking at a rapid pace directly to to the cockpit.  After talking on the intercom/phone for a minute or so, she came away from the discussion red-faced and angry, and wouldn't even look at me.  I was afraid to ask about my status and tried to look invisible for the rest of the flight.

Needless to say, I was worried that I would be reported to the authorities and have to spend the rest of my day or week or month being interrogated or something, having to somehow prove that I wasn't able to control an airliner remotely.

It *seemed* as if she quickly received an explicit reply from the flight deck and that it hadn''t been an enjoyable, supportive interaction.

I will always wonder if I've over-interpreted the interaction and I only have my best guess interpretation of things like body language to go by, along with what seemed like a very serious assertion that I was a danger to the flight.  I guess it is not impossible that she faked the interaction with me as an attempt to be humorous.  

My girlfriend was with me at the time and she thought I was in trouble, too, and reminded me that she had warned me not to mess with PS1 during flights.  I had to acknowledge that they must maintain a zero-tolerance attitude towards terrorism, etc.  I just couldn't connect working with PS1 and any credible danger to the flight.

Hmmm...now I wish I had asked her how the conversation with the Captain went and if I was imagining the whole scene.

[Hardy Heinlin]

In particular the elderly, experienced flight attendants sometimes have a very specific, dominant humor :-)

I see your point.

But, what I don't understand either: Why did the Captain not come out and check your "tool"? Had he seen your "tool" already before and knew it was harmless?


Cheers,

|-|ardy

[Michel Vandaele]

I think this is a good exemple how paraniod people can come in relation to suspected terrorism.
We see it everywhere.  Strictly forbidden access to the cockpit, airport security over reacting...,  around airport perimeter roads regarding spotters etc etc.

Here the terrorists certainly has won.

B. Rgds
Michel

[cavaricooper]

Jeroen-

I recently got an iPad and am excited at the possibility of displaying an MCDU on it while flying (both in PS1 and FS).  What are your thoughts about the possibilities........??

C

[Shiv Mathur]

Here the terrorists certainly has won.

Michel, I wonder if this oft quoted line is quite reasonable.

As an (admittedly childish) example, the fact that police cars carry
breathalysers doesn't mean that 'the drunk drivers have won'.

In this particular incident, I would think that most airline crew who have
even rudimentary common sense and general knowledge would not have
reacted thus.  I think it is more of a reflection on the stewardess than of
terrorism in general.

Cheers,
Shiv

[Jeroen Hoppenbrouwers]

I've been looking at a distribution of Tcl/TK for the iPad, but could not find one yet. If this becomes available, there's a 99% chance that the thing would run out of the box. Likely also on the iPhone as well.

[edit] It seems I cannot peek at the App Store if I don't own Apple gear. There is a possibility that Tcl/TK is just available as an App. Anybody who wants to (window-)shop around for me?

[OKD]

Shiv...

I quite agree with you in your reasoning.  However, I'd like to go slightly further into that.

My wife was a former flight stewardess, and as I understood during their training and exams for safety etc...these stewardess / stewards were only "programmed" to perform and reduce to minimum casualties should events turned ungly inflight.  They have NONE or whatsoever technical knowledge about avionics in regards to its "primary" functions, except if shown to them a sample, they would only recgonised that this "piece of object" comes from the flightdeck!!

Therefore, the said flight stewardess's reaction to our friends were
very normal, as probably living in that part of the world is so paranoid.....hence the captain's reaction in reply to her concern was clearly a classic example the difference between "tech crew" and "cabin crew".

Just imagine if I were to hold a "radio scanner" at the perimeter fence of KJFK or KLAX.....what would happen to me....haha... :mrgreen:

Here the terrorists certainly has won.

Michel, I wonder if this oft quoted line is quite reasonable.

As an (admittedly childish) example, the fact that police cars carry
breathalysers doesn't mean that 'the drunk drivers have won'.

In this particular incident, I would think that most airline crew who have
even rudimentary common sense and general knowledge would not have
reacted thus.  I think it is more of a reflection on the stewardess than of
terrorism in general.

Cheers,
Shiv

[Jeroen Hoppenbrouwers]

Hm yes radio scanners. Here in the Netherlands, everybody including the government knows that what is broadcast on an open, unencrypted radio can by definition be received and listened to by everybody. So using scanning radios, which by definition are meant to listen to so many channels that they must not all be intended for you, is legal and normal.

Across the border 5km South, scanning radios are prohibited for the same reason, excluding that if you don't want to be listened into, you should not broadcast unencrypted.

I routinely carry my scanner around near airfields, but I don't dare to take it abroad.


Jeroen

[OKD]

Jeroen....

But one place for sure, YSSY you may...I still remember that after the 9/11....at the international departure hall...this young teenage enthusiast was listening to all channels openly without one "paranoid soul" within 20 metres of him....

Perhaps the CCTV at the international terminal were so advance that they could even hear what he was listening to...!!....Nah...!! :lol:

[John Golin]

At the observation mound near the tower at YSSY people always have scanners with them...

Where the green arrow is

[Jeroen Hoppenbrouwers]

Some countries do get it.

[Phil Bunch]

I've been looking at a distribution of Tcl/TK for the iPad, but could not find one yet. If this becomes available, there's a 99% chance that the thing would run out of the box. Likely also on the iPhone as well.

[edit] It seems I cannot peek at the App Store if I don't own Apple gear. There is a possibility that Tcl/TK is just available as an App. Anybody who wants to (window-)shop around for me?

I think all you have to install is the (free) iTunes package, which is Apple's proprietary interface with their App Store and 100 zillion music, video, and application downloads.  No requirement to specifically own Apple hardware that I know of.

In any event, I have an iPod Touch, which is essentially an iPhone without the phone, and which has wi-fi connectability.  I also have iTunes on my Windows PC.  Thus, if there is anything I can look around for on your behalf as (I think) a non-windows, non-iTunes person, just provide some specifics of what I should search for at the Apple App Store.  It may be entangled with their SDK...   So far, it seems that most iPad stuff works on the iPod Touch, but many developers are making two versions to specifically accommodate the difference in the pixels between the iPad adn the iPod touch and iPhone.

(I'm getting tired of making the initial "i" lowercase and the 2nd letter uppercase!  But it looks funny to avoid doing that...sighs and grins...)

[Jamie]

I've been looking at a distribution of Tcl/TK for the iPad, but could not find one yet. If this becomes available, there's a 99% chance that the thing would run out of the box. Likely also on the iPhone as well.

Apple doesnt allow other languages/SDKs then their own Xcode/c. I became an official dev, but (as former C#) find it pretty hard to even make a simple app for the iThings.

[Zinger]

moved

[Jeroen Hoppenbrouwers]

Please move this to the Pit. Thx.