For IVAO Aurora · UK division

Flight strips for Aurora.

Contrl2Strips reads your traffic from Aurora and lays it out as a strip board in the style of vEFPS. Run it on your PC, or open it on a tablet next to your screen.

Download for Windows v0.26.1-beta · 10 MB How to set it up

Windows 10 or 11 · beta release · one file, no installer · free

CONTRL2STRIPS · EGLL_TWR

What it does

Built around how you control in Aurora

The board follows Aurora's own data, so what you change on a strip changes on the traffic, and the other way round.

Live

Traffic straight from Aurora

Departures and arrivals for your airport appear as they spawn. Squawk, controller, runway, stand and flight plan details stay in step with Aurora.

Departures

SID and initial climb, filled in

The first waypoint of the filed route and the runway in use give the SID, read from your own Aurora SID files. The initial climb goes into the CFL once you assume the aircraft. Tap the SID box to clear the aircraft and move it on.

Squawk

Wrong squawk turns the callsign red

The callsign stays red until the transponder shows the code you assigned, or a proper code if none is set.

Positions

Choose what you control

Pick AIR, GMC and GMP in any mix. When you are not on AIR, arrivals move to the runway bay under 750 ft and on to taxi once landed and below 30 kt.

Arrivals

LAND, go-around and taxi

LAND puts the aircraft on the runway and sets LND in Aurora. A go-around flashes red and moves the strip to Airborne. Once landed, a TAXI button hands it on.

Circuits

CCTS, VFR departures and IFR circuits

Preset remarks turn a strip into a circuit strip or a VFR departure with a manual VRP. IFR circuit traffic gets LAPP, T&G, LPASS, VIS and LAND buttons while it stays a departure.

Weather

METAR and QNH at a tap

Tap the QNH box for a full METAR read-out from Aurora with wind, visibility, cloud and temperature, and record the QNH on the strip.

Profiles

Layouts for different airports

A Heathrow-style board and an East Midlands-style board, chosen from the Options menu, each with its own bays and colours.

Transfer

Assume and transfer

Tap a callsign to assume or transfer. UNICOM is always on the list, for when there is no ATC above or below.

Create

Strips for anything

Make a strip by hand for a transit or a circuit. If the callsign is in Aurora, the strip links to it and takes its aircraft details.

Log

A record of your session

Takeoffs and landings with times in Z, go-arounds, deleted strips, and when you connected and disconnected. Filter it, search by callsign, and export it as CSV.

Tablet

Use it on a tablet

Choose External device and scan the QR code. The board opens in the tablet's browser, on the same network as your PC.

Clearance limits

Holding-point maps

Tap the CLX limit on a strip in Pushback or Taxi and pick the holding point on the airport map. Heathrow, Gatwick, Bristol and East Midlands are included, drawn with only the taxi centrelines and holding points so they are quick to read.

CLEARANCE LIMIT · EGLL

Get started

Four steps to a working board

1

Download and run

Download Contrl2Strips.exe and open it. There is nothing to install. Windows may show a warning on the first run, see the FAQ below.

2

Turn on 3rd party software in Aurora

Aurora only talks to other software when this is on. Change the cross to an arrow.

PVD→SETTINGS→OTHER→SOFTWARE→3rd party software mode

3

Pick your airport

Type the ICAO code of the airport you are controlling, tick the positions you cover, then choose where you will use the board: on this PC, or on an external device such as a tablet.

4

Control

On this PC the board opens in its own window. For a tablet, scan the QR code or type the link shown. If the tablet cannot connect, the start window has a button that fixes the Windows firewall.

Reading the board

Strip colours

The top and bottom edge of each strip tells you what it is. Other states are shown on the strip itself.

DepartureBlue edges.

ArrivalOrange edges.

TransitGreen edges, made with CREATE.

RED CALLSIGNThe squawk is not the one assigned.

Flashing redA go-around, for 10 seconds.

GreyNot assumed by you, or already transferred.

Release notes

What has changed

0.23Latest

Arrival strips show the QNH and a WP box, and flight rules are a four-button picker.
Arrivals move to the runway and then taxi by themselves when you are not on AIR.
Assuming an aircraft no longer moves it, and HDG and ALT can be cleared.

0.20 - 0.22

Holding-point maps for Gatwick and East Midlands.
IFR circuits with LAPP, T&G, LPASS, VIS and LAND buttons.
East Midlands sets a CTOT ten minutes after clearance.

0.14 - 0.19

Heathrow and Bristol holding-point maps, drawn fresh from screenshots.
METAR pop-up, CCTS and VFR departure remarks, and the stand read from Aurora's gate.
Heathrow board layout in three columns of equal bays.

0.5 - 0.13

Profiles and positions, with automatic bay moves for aircraft you do not control.
Aircraft are draggable to any bay, and the SID box clears and advances the strip.
Staff demo mode and the Options menu.

0.1 - 0.4

First downloadable version with a start window, demo mode, QR code for tablets and a firewall fix.
Session log, transit and circuit strips, go-around flash, and landed aircraft that stay in their bay.

Questions

Good to know

Windows says it protected my PC. Is the file safe?

The beta is not code-signed yet, so Windows SmartScreen shows a warning for any new unsigned program. Choose More info, then Run anyway. If you downloaded the file only from this website, it is the file we published.

My tablet says the site cannot be reached.

The PC and the tablet need to be on the same network, and the PC's Windows firewall has to allow the connection. Use the firewall button in the start window, then try the link again.

Can I use it without being connected to IVAO?

Demo mode shows sample traffic and is for staff use only. For live traffic you need to be connected as ATC in Aurora, with 3rd party software mode turned on.

Where is my data kept?

On your own PC. Contrl2Strips talks to Aurora on your computer and does not send your traffic anywhere. Settings, logs and your own SID entries are in %APPDATA%\Contrl2Strips.

Which airports does it work at?

Any airport you can control in Aurora. Holding-point maps are built in for Heathrow, Gatwick, Bristol and East Midlands; other airports work without a map, and you can type the clearance limit instead.

Can I add SIDs for another airport?

Yes. SIDs are read from your Aurora SID files. If one is missing, edit sids.json in that folder and add the first waypoint, runway and SID name, then restart the program.

Is this an official IVAO product?

No. Contrl2Strips is independently developed and is not affiliated with, endorsed by or officially supported by IVAO. It uses only the third-party interface that IVAO publishes for Aurora. Support comes from the developer, not IVAO. It is for flight simulation only.