Shirley's Capabilities
The below tables describe Shirley's capabilities and available tools to give you an idea of how to interact with Shirley, as well as features we are working to improve.
We welcome requests and suggestions through our Discord or by email at contact@airplane.team!
Things Shirley Does Well
| Capability | Example Prompt |
|---|---|
| Current Location | "Shirley, where am I?" |
| Nearby Airports | "Shirley, where is the closest airport?" |
| Location Information | "What's the best restaurant near Payson Airport?" |
| Navigation | "What's the heading to JFK?" |
| Aircraft Information | "Where's the mixture control in this thing?" |
| Telemetry Information | "What's my current heading?" |
| Flaps | "Shirley, set flaps to 30%" (or "one notch" in aircraft with profiles). |
| Landing Gear | "Shirley, gear up." |
| Lights | "Turn on my landing lights." |
| Speed Brakes | "Shirley, deploy speed brakes." |
| Radios | "Shirley, tune to 121.5." "Shirley, standby 110.9 for the JFK 22L ILS." |
| Change Time in Simulator | "Set time to 0100z." |
| General Q/A | "What's the speed limit under the Class B shelf?" |
Tools Shirley Has
| Tool | Example Prompt |
|---|---|
| Weather Lookup (real-time METAR) | "What's the current weather at JFK?" |
| Timers | "Shirley, start a timer." |
| Waypoints | "Set a waypoint so we can get back here?" "Plot a course to lake Champlain." |
| Pilot Notes | "Take a note to keep an eye on speed during my steep turns." |
| Maneuver Analysis (available in select lessons) | "Analyze that landing." |
Things Shirley Doesn't Do Great Yet
| Capability | Example Prompt | Potential Issue |
|---|---|---|
| Pretend to be ATC | "Shirley, pretend to be tower-- 'Cessna 12345 ready for takeoff.'" | Shirley will act like tower, but may give inaccurate instructions. |
| Taxi Routes | "Shirley, pretend to be ground-- 'Ground, Cessna 12345 by Signature Aviation, Taxi for departure.'" | Shirley may provide incorrect taxi instructions. |
| Aircraft Performance | "What's my best climb speed?" | Works well for Cessna 172. Information for other aircraft is often not exact. |
| Checklists | "Before Takeoff Check!" | May be a general or abbreviated version of the checklist. Accuracy may vary by aircraft. |
| Traffic Pattern Operations | "Shirley, what pattern entry is best for runway 23?" | Shirley doesn't always account for position relative to airport. |
| Instrument Approach Procedures | "Shirley, what are the minimums for this approach?" "What are the departure minimums?" | Shirley may make up procedures and details may not be true to life. |
| Radio Frequencies | "Shirley, what's the ATIS frequency at KBTV?" | Frequencies are most accurate for major airports. |
Aircraft With Shirley Profiles
| Aircraft | Variant | Shirley |
|---|---|---|
| BETA Technologies ALIA 250 VTOL | X-Plane 12 | Sees: Lift Lever & Pusher Thumbwheel Position Controls: Battery Connectivity |
| Cessna 172 SP | X-Plane 12 Fixed-Gear Edition | Sees: Throttle Controls: Flaps |
| Robinson R22 | X-Plane 12 | Sees: Collective & Throttle Position, Manifold Pressure, Rotor & Engine RPM, Low RPM & Clutch Annunciators Controls: Governor Switch |
| Lancair Evolution | X-Plane 12 | Sees: Throttle Position Controls: Flaps, Gear, Prop Heat |
Last updated: September 30, 2024
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