Frequently Asked Questions

What is FSPause?

FSPause is a small desktop client that reports data and receives commands from our server. The whole idea is that users can remotely monitor and control their simulator. It'll be the type of program that people add to their pre-flight routine, probably like Active Sky or Opus is for many sim pilots, and then leave it in the background to do its thing the rest of the flight. Now when users are delayed getting home or get invited to a friend's house, they can easily schedule a pause, pause their sim immediately, or just check up on their flight from any mobile device. The idea is that users shouldn't lose flights anymore to real-world interruptions.

Does FSPause really work on any mobile device?

We have tested FSPause on every mobile device we have access to, which includes Windows Phone, Samsung Galaxy phone, Microsoft Surface, Apple iPad, and the Apple iPhone. While we cannot guarantee it FSPause will work on 100% of mobile devices, we believe it should work natively on most devices. We have already created an alternative mobile website for devices with some compatibility issues. However, if your device(s) does not display FSPause correctly, we will do our best to ensure compatibility.

What operating systems are desktop client compatible with?

The desktop client has been tested on Windows Vista, 7, and 8. While the client should work on Windows XP, we cannot guarantee compatility; that being said, we will do our best to ensure compatibility on Windows XP. The FSPause desktop client will not run on Mac OS or Linux, and we do not have any plans to support these operating systems in the future.

Why is there a command to minimize and maximize my flight simulator?

We added these commands so that if users realize while out and about that they minimized their flight simulator and can't see it in their screenshot, they can maximize it back up without a problem. We added the minimize command so that users can minimize their simulator to improve virtual memory usage (specifically in Microsoft Flight Simulator) since the simulator won't cache scenery areas while minimized.

Why can't I add fuel to my PMDG/other payware aircraft?

Some payware aircraft use their own fuel system that is not connected to the flight simulator fuel loader. Because we can only load fuel through the default fuel loader, FSPause will not be able to add fuel to certain payware aircraft.

Why is there a command to close VATSIM clients?

We realize that people sometimes are away from their cockpit longer than expected, or forget to close their VATSIM connections before leaving the cockpit. To prevent breaking VATSIM policy, we added a command to close all VATSIM clients, as long as they are running outside of the flight simulator. This way pilots can avoid penalties for unattended connections.

Can you add more VATSIM functionality, like maybe airspace notifications or chat?

No current VATSIM client has an API for us to hook into and access that kind of information. Should a new client come along that has an API for us to use, we will certainly consider added such functionality into FSPause.

What does my investment in FSPause actually get me?

We like to think of FSPause as a virtual flight overwatch service. Not only does it allow users to monitor and control their sim from anywhere in the world, but it also monitors certain aspects of the sim itself, if enabled by the user, and performs necessary actions to save the sim from a flight loss scenario and alert the user of such actions. FSPause development will also be continuing based on user requests to expand the functionality of the platform. The central idea is that FSPause users should never lose a flight to anything except crashes within their simulator.