Multiplayer ATC not available?

[Lightning]

My buddy and I were trying out multiplayer shared cockpit in FSX for the first time and were all excited about doing real type pilot - co-pilot flights in the 747 with an addon panel set we bought just for that purpose with a co-pilot panel.
Thing is we can file a flight plan, but the ATC button is disabled.
How can we fly an IFR flight if we can't contact ATC?

[FAC257]

ATC is still available using and FSHost multiplayer connection. Not sure about using a Gamespy connection.

[Lightning]

ATC is still available using and FSHost multiplayer connection. Not sure about using a Gamespy connection.

Not sure what you mean by that.
We were connected by local lan in my office to two of my computers.
Does that make any difference?
Just thought we could fly the 747 as a right seat left seat team and have the computer do the ATC as usual?
Is THAT possible, or did we miss something?
Don't want to have to rely on a human for the ATC.
Any help much appreciated.

[FAC257]

That's interesting as I wasn't thinking of a direct connection like that. I'm not sure why you wouldn't still have ATC unless that type of connection is still using the FSX/Gamespy in-game GUI interface to make that connection. I'm not familiar with the actual default FSX/Gamespy interface usage, but I believe that may be where your losing ATC.

FSHost connections like the Netwings server leave both ATC and AI air traffic intact. The down side to an FSHost connection maybe that you lose the multiplayer shared cockpit capability. I have not seen or heard of anyone using the shared cockpit feature on an FSHost connection.

[Tako_Kichi]

I believe ATC is not available in the standard FSX multiplayer mode using a shared cockpit. I know it is not available in normal multiplayer mode where the players are in separate aircraft.

As FAC257 noted ATC IS available if you run the FS Host software to set up a server as that uses a totally different system to connect the various computers together but I am not sure if you can connect to a shared cockpit that way as the FS Host software basically leaves each connected computer in singleplayer mode so the shared cockpit feature may not be available.

[datter]

Digging up an old post here as I had the same question.

If a friend and I want to connect via FSHost can we in fact have active ATC? As I understand it you need FSHost to allow the ATC to function in MP... but how does it work? Do we each get out own ATC that knows nothing of the other player, or are we getting fed info from a central ATC somewhere. In other words, if my friend and I connect via FShost and we both contact ATC for clearance to land... is it possible that we'll both be cleared at the same time, same runway because the ATC is only working locally for each of us?

Hope I explained that right.