Community Discussion > Flight Operations

ProPilot FAC

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EHM-0654 Murray:
I've been having another look at the FAC calculation mechanism, and I think I've spotted a fundamental flaw in it.  For those that don't know how it's currently calculated, it's:

Your total number of PP flights * 0.5 PLUS
Your total PP flight minutes *0.3 MINUS
Your total PP extra penalties * 0.7 MINUS
Your total PP flight penalties PLUS
Your total number of online PP flights * 0.9

The problem is the emphasized section; extra penalties are crashes - minus 900.0 each, however we wipe these after a year, but flight penalties go into the calculation completely unmodified and they never, ever, get "removed from your permanent record", they only ever get more. This means there are a lot of pilots out there who've accrued negative tens of thousands FACs and they're never, ever going to get back close to positive under the current mechanism.

The big problem as I see it is that we've lost sight of the "A" in FAC - average. I'm proposing making the calculation an average, rather than a total:

Average PP flight minutes * 0.3 minus
Average PP extra penalties * 0.7 minus
Average PP flight penalties plus
Average PP online flights * 0.9

Values will trend back toward the middle of the curve - zero, as long as you're not accruing vast numbers of new penalties, but even if you do, you won't plummet into an abyss.

OK, direct examples - me:

Total Flights = 56
Total Minutes = 5,105
Total Extra Penalties = 0
Total Flight Penalties = 8,680.00
Total Online Flights = 41

Current FAC mechanism score = -7,083.60
Proposed FAC mechanism score = -63.27

Bruce W (without doubt, our most prolific PP member):

Total Flights = 1,322
Total Minutes = 317,211
Total Extra Penalties = 1,800
Total Flight Penalties = 7,400.00
Total Online Flights = 0

Current FAC mechanism score = 75,124.30
Proposed FAC mechanism score = 232.99

It should be noted that if this change goes through, it'll be applied to everyone wholesale to ensure a level playing field "at the start", and when we roll out the new Flight Logger, it'll have a brand new, skills promoting (rather than problem penalising) FAC mechanism any way.

EHM-1749 Hector:
Every time this subject comes to surface I normally make the same suggestion. I don't want to mess with the maths of the formula. I leave that to management. The only idea that I have been talking about is that somewhere in the FAC formulae should be a recognition for those flying on-line. Even I once sent a new formula. Again, flying on line either IVAO or VATSIm or whatever recognized by EHM imposes an additional element that have to be accounted for.

EHM-1465 Dominic:
Hector,

It's already included in the formula as per Murray's examples above ;)

EHM-1749 Hector:
Sorry I should have clarified it. Both total flights and total time are accounted for, but regarding the on-line issue, only the number of flights are inserted in the equation. I think that the on-line time should also be part of the equation.

EHM-0654 Murray:

--- Quote from: EHM-1749 Hector on September 03, 2009, 07:17:22 pm ---... regarding the on-line issue, only the number of flights are inserted in the equation. I think that the on-line time should also be part of the equation.

--- End quote ---

Ah, I understand. That would be an easy addition.

Another possibility that comes to mind (having whined about flight penalties sticking with you for life) would be to only include one year's worth of them - simples...

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