Talk to the Tower: AEROSIMICS ATC Is Now Available on Fox3 Servers
Key the mic, say "Ground, Viper 1 1, request startup," and hear a controller answer. With AEROSIMICS ATC, that is now how a sortie starts on a Fox3 server.
AEROSIMICS ATC brings voice controlled, AI air traffic control to DCS World. It is built on A.R.E.S. from Aerosimics, a simulation company in Amsterdam, and Fox3 installs, hosts and maintains it for you on your dedicated server.
What it is
AEROSIMICS ATC turns every airfield in your mission into a staffed, talking airport. There are no F10 menus and no canned radio lines. Pilots press their cockpit radio button and speak, and an AI controller understands the call and answers by voice.
In Aerosimics' own words, you can "speak to ground, tower, approach, area, AWACS, GCI and JTAC," with "100% voice control" and phraseology "based on ICAO and NATO standards for optimal realism."
What your pilots get
Voice controllers. Pilots talk normally on the radio, and the controller replies by voice. Hands stay on the HOTAS.
Real phraseology. Clearances, taxi instructions and handoffs follow ICAO and NATO standards, so you practice real procedures and real radio discipline.
ATIS, Ground and Tower at every airfield. Each field has its own controllers on its own frequencies, and ATIS broadcasts the mission's weather.
Air battle management. AWACS, GCI and JTAC controllers turn combat sorties into controlled packages, not just airport traffic.
Realistic radio. Distance, terrain and the atmosphere all matter. If a controller cannot hear you behind a ridge, climb or get closer.
One shared airspace. The controllers run on the server, so every pilot hears the same controllers, the same clearances and the same traffic. Squadron nights finally sound like one airspace.
DCS's built in ATC goes quiet while AEROSIMICS ATC is running, so there is one voice on every frequency.
A flight with AEROSIMICS ATC
- Install the free A.R.E.S. DCS Radio from aerosimics.com and connect it to your server. It follows the DCS server name automatically.
- Spawn in and tune ATIS for your field. Copy the weather, the runway in use and the information letter.
- Call Ground for startup and taxi.
- Switch to Tower for takeoff clearance and depart.
- Work the mission with AWACS, GCI or JTAC where the airspace includes them.
- Come home on the current ATIS, call Tower for landing, then Ground to taxi in.
How Fox3 runs it
Everything except each pilot's radio app runs on your Fox3 dedicated server, and we take care of all of it.
Simple setup. Add AEROSIMICS ATC to your server, send us your license file, and we have ATC live within 24 hours, usually much sooner.
Airspaces ready on day one. We built and tested ATIS, Ground and Tower setups for all 14 DCS maps, so ATC works the moment your mission loads. Need something special for an event or a campaign? We can build a custom airspace for your mission.
Always current. New Aerosimics releases are installed for you.
Looked after around the clock. We monitor ATC on every server that runs it and keep it healthy.
Works with your tools. Tacview keeps recording, so your debriefs stay intact.
Built together with Aerosimics
We did not just install AEROSIMICS ATC. We spent weeks testing it on hosted servers alongside the Aerosimics team, and the fixes went into their product for the whole community. Aerosimics shipped a voice engine that runs on the Windows Server systems hosts actually use, built in a fix we sent them so Tacview keeps recording, and worked with us on airfield templates that cover every real airbase on big maps like Syria. Our long running tests also helped them find and fix memory issues, and the current release holds steady through long sessions.
Pricing and getting started
There are two parts. The Fox3 addon covers installation, hosting, updates and support. You hold your own ATC license from Aerosimics.
- AEROSIMICS ATC addon from Fox3: $5.99 per month ($16.99 per quarter, $67.99 per year). Available on Fox3 dedicated servers, Squadron tier and up.
- A.R.E.S. ATC and ABM Server license from Aerosimics: EUR 9.99 per month, billed yearly, with a one month trial for EUR 9.99. Bought at aerosimics.com.
- A.R.E.S. DCS Radio: free, one per pilot.
- Custom airspace for your mission: $2.00, optional.
Getting started takes three steps:
- Add AEROSIMICS ATC to your Fox3 dedicated server at fox3servers.com. A private support ticket opens automatically.
- Buy your ATC license at aerosimics.com and drop the license file into that ticket.
- We install and activate it within 24 hours, usually much sooner, and post your pilots' connection details.
A note on memory: ATC runs next to DCS on your server. We recommend 20 GB of server RAM, and 16 GB is the minimum. Big maps such as Syria use the most.
Fox3 hosts about 300 servers across four regions, with human support from 10am to 10pm ET, Monday through Saturday. Add AEROSIMICS ATC to your server today, and grab your license and the free DCS Radio at aerosimics.com.
You fly. We handle the rest.
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