It’s been a while since we heard about the inner workings at BeyondATC, the popular AI-powered ATC add-on for Microsoft Flight Simulator. This Sunday, however, the team has a very nice treat for simmers, revealing its highly anticipated traffic injection system in a new video update. It promises to be a big leap forward in air traffic simulation for flight simulation!
At the heart of BeyondATC’s new traffic injection system is a massive dataset sourced from FlightRadar24. This dataset encompasses over 15 million flights recorded over a one-week period. As Captain points out in the video, “This is not a live traffic model.” Instead, BeyondATC has opted for a historical data approach, allowing for more consistent and optimized performance.
The system doesn’t simply replay these flight records. Once an aircraft is introduced into the simulation, BeyondATC takes full control, dynamically managing its behavior based on the current situation in the virtual airspace. Captain says that “there are no static airplanes,” with every plane in the system being live and capable of pushing back or continuing its flight at any moment.
One of the most interesting revelations about BeyondATC’s traffic injection system is its performance optimization. Captain notes that the system maintained frame rates between 70 to 90 FPS while managing approximately 100 aircraft simultaneously. This level of performance is highlighted as very promising, though Captain acknowledges that individual results may vary depending on system specifications.
BeyondATC has integrated the new traffic system with its existing AI-driven air traffic control. The ATC will prioritize communications and clearances based on the overall traffic situation, treating player-controlled aircraft as just another plane in the sky. This approach leads to a more immersive experience, where simmers may find their requests temporarily delayed due to higher-priority traffic.
Each aircraft type in the system has been given its own unique performance profile. As Captain describes, “little tiny prop airplanes will take off much faster than big jetliners,” with each plane having different parameters for movement, banking, and other behaviors. The system also demonstrates situational awareness, with AI aircraft waiting at runway crossing thresholds for incoming landing planes.
While the demonstrated version is still in development, Captain outlines several upcoming features and improvements, such as implementing tug vehicles for more realistic pushback operations, fine-tuning aircraft movement timing to align with ATC communications, and addressing minor issues such as occasional repeated communications.
A significant portion of the update video is dedicated to showcasing the new traffic injection system in action through extensive plane spotting sequences. The demonstration spans three major airports: KSEA (Seattle-Tacoma International Airport), LFBO (Toulouse–Blagnac Airport), and NZWN (Wellington International Airport).
For each airport, the video provides a comprehensive look at various ATC operations, including Clearance Delivery, Ground Control, Tower Operations, and Approach/Departure (TRACON) Control.
Early Access and Release Plans
Captain revealed that BeyondATC plans to release this traffic injection system to their “experimental branch” in the near future, giving early access to users who purchased the supporters pack. Following a period of testing and refinement, the feature will be made available to all BeyondATC users as a free update.
