Developer FS2Crew has updated its Ultimate Ground Crew X application to version 1.7, which adds a range of improvements and new features to the utility. The new update is fairly significant and to the point where FS2Crew re-write “major sections of the code” in order to address concerns and comments about the product.
Some of the bigger changes with version 1.7 are the inclusion of new voice commands for engine startup during pushback, the ability to add a push-to-talk key assignment when using voice control, along with support for parallel lanes pushback at complex airports. Furthermore, the PMDG 737 NGXu is now supported, new callouts have been added and voices have been re-recorded.
To also make things easier, FS2Crew has recorded several training videos to help users best understand the product. The training ranges from learning about engine start-up to Tow-To-Parking. You can find all nine videos over on their official YouTube channel.
Many of the improvements made have been spoken about in our review for the product which we published last year.
To install the new version, which is mandatory for all users, you must first uninstall version 1.3. Full instructions can be found on the Avsim forums.
Finally, FS2Crew is offering 50% off Ultimate Ground Crew X for the next month in celebration of the release of version 1.7.
V1.7 Change Log
Date: 14 March 2020
- Edit computer generated and existing custom pushback routes.
- Assign English names to computer generated and custom pushback routes.
- Top-down view (map view) of custom locations in the simulation.
- Preview computer generated or custom pushback routes directly in the simulation.
- Push-To-Talk key assignment for communications with ground crew when using Voice Control.
- Bypass removal animations on 3rd party aircraft now occur exactly when the ramp agent’s animation ends.
- Tug now stops pushback exactly at the pushback route’s last waypoint location.
- Support for parallel lanes pushback at complex airports.
- New option to display only pushback route names in the menus rather than entire phrase. For example, “We are ready for pushback and engine start, tail southwest” can now be shown simply as “Tail southwest”.
- Modify existing pushback route nodes locations by just performing a simple drag-n-drop.
- Speech recognition engine can recognize custom pushback route names using voice commands.
- New voice commands for engine startup during pushback.
- Support for the PMDG B737 NGXu.
- Added a minimize button to the airport chart viewer’s window.
- Ability to modify aircraft’s final nose heading with the mouse wheel on the airport map window.
- External cameras attached to the ground crew (Prepar3D only).
- Calibrate the bypass pin’s agent location per aircraft’s profile.
- Create and edit custom pushback routes directly in the simulation.
- Fixed overshooting during pushback with large aircraft such as the Boeing 747, 777, etc.
- Custom key assignments to decouple glider and carrier simulation operations from UGCX events.
- New available voice callouts during pushback: “ARE WE CLEAR TO START ENGINE (1 / 2 / 3/ 4)”.
- New Aircraft Profile option to suppress Hard/Soft Mute alert in Green Bar.
