A new beta run for X-Plane 12 has been announced via an update statement. The run for version 12.1.3 starts out with “Beta 1” and is now available via the beta channels. The update has a variety of different goals but is dubbed the “ATC Update” due to the default ATC system getting an overhaul. The release notes however, show a number of changes affecting a wide range of aspects in the sim such as weather tweaks, X-Plane Identity and a custom airport on top of various bug fixes.
ATC System
X-Plane features a built-in ATC system which, according to the statement, received a rather extensive rework. The goal is to make the ATC a more realistic function and support a larger number of different scenarios. For example you can now report a transponder failure, causing ATC to ask for position reports. Other improvements for ATC include better support for VFR flying such as controller handovers and the ability to request flight following. For IFR flights the ATC system should now be able to support departures via SIDs and arrivals via STARS. It should also be possible to paste your routes from Navigraph, Simbrief or other sources directly into the sim, allowing you to load the routing directly into the FMS. To further enhance your interaction with ATC it is now possible to bind a joystick or keyboard button to start your transmissions. Laminar has created a new manual that helps you get underway with the new ATC system which you can find here.
Weather
Originally the improvements to the weather system were targeted for Q1 2025, however some of the changes have already been added to this beta. More changes are expected to be added in a dedicated weather release. For this beta we should see improvements in METAR and wind data interpretation. Additionally, one of the current issues with the weather system was sudden altitude jumps, causing your airplane in cruise to have to correct its altitude. Laminar addressed the feedback and this issue should now be fixed. Cloud visualization was also addressed, with more to come in a future weather update.
Airports and Airplanes
Following the trend of adding custom airports with updates, this update contains the Downtown Manhattan Heliport (KJRB) in New York. A heliport that allows quick helicopter access into or out of the financial district of Manhattan.
The default aircraft in the sim also had some tweaks. The Airbus A330-300 autopilot should do better in overshooting turns and calculating the descent gradient. The Cirrus SR22 has a fixed fuel tank capacity and G1000 display. The Cessna Citation X received a bug fix for reverse thrust and improved FMS performance calculations.
General tweaks and fixes
In co-operation with Navigraph, the default navigation data has been updated to AIRAC 2306. The brightness of certain types of lights on aircraft should be improved in daytime, making them more visible. Another tweak, useful with ATC, is the ability to select different output devices for sounds from the radio via the sounds settings page. This means you can have sound from your aircraft and environment on the speakers while putting the radio on your headset. Also when you start your flight and select your starting location, the different gates and ramps at your chosen airport are supplied with a lot more information about what type of gate it is and what kind of traffic it can handle. Finally, the map also has some enhancements, more details will be shown about the active runways, taxiways and gates.
X-Plane Identity
On the road to X-Plane having its own built-in store, Laminar introduced an initial implementation of “X-Plane Identity”. This is an optional feature, allowing you to create an account and link your product key to it. Future purchases in the upcoming X-Plane Store will be linked to your X-Plane Identity, this avoids working with keys and it creates a place for managing addon installation and updating them.
Beta
As this update is a Beta release, it is per definition, less stable but does allow the community to take a look at new features and test the stability of them. The update can be obtained via the X-Plane installer with “check for new betas” checked or via the beta channel in Steam. Detailed instructions by Laminar Research on how to use beta versions can be found here.
For a full description by Laminar Research on this update you can check out their post here. For a full list of all the changes, there’s a changelog available here.
