Eastern Wind - VFR

[Brian Pryor 810138]

One concern is VFR operations in some of the countries. Today I tried to fly as a helicopter and do a VFR departure. After being sent from controller to controller, and getting links to real world SOP docomeents I finally disconnected in frustration. Time from connection to finally disconnecting just over an hour.

 

The whole time it seemed IFR traffic got priority and because I did not have a point a to point b flight plan I was left to hold.

 

I spoke with the DD of the facility in question afterwards but it seems they were not anticipating VFR aircraft and at this facility a VFR aircraft is really a IFR aircraft in that you must have a full flight plan with routing and an altitude versus the free flight VFR is used to in many areas of the world.

 

Wish I could have flown during the event , I did enjoy watching several aircraft take off and land though while holding so it wasn't a total loss.

[Kyle Ramsey 810181]

This has come up before where pilots from places like the USA which doesn't require a fp for VFR yet there are countries that require all aircraft to have a fp filed for any flight. Not sure there is a clean place to look that stuff up.

 

As you know from your VSOA experience, filing a fp even if it is not point to point is probably more useful in VATSIM than the real world to help the controllers keep things sorted out.

[Brian Pryor 810138]

Kyle, I did file a flight plan ultimately, but they wanted a set of landmarked visual waypoints with specific code names placed in.

 

Ie: Central Park - CKK , Eastern Canal - ECL

 

etc. , quite confusing , the only reason I found out the specific codes after was when I came back and inquired via VRC to the staff member who gave me the "code key" which is the real world facility docomeents.

 

There becomes a difference of putting your intentions and going thru a set of impossible hoops just to take a quick flight? This seems akin to the forcing pilots on a SID or STAR but not even giving the correct place to get the chart. (as i'd said above I only got the "key" and it was on a real world site and not the VATSIM division chart page).

 

Maybe it's a case of the division needs to link the docomeents to their chart page, but how long is acceptable to ground-stop someone because of a local policy? What if I was a brand new pilot with no flying experience and this was my first time flying? In all honesty if that was my first time flying on VATSIM I probably would have reconsidered whether to come back.

[Kyle Ramsey 810181]

I hear ya, Bryan, I wish we could just find that happy middle ground where pilots can fly and ATC can control without needing to impress each other's realism on each other. I need to go fly some VFR around the world and see who won't give me service, could be fun.

[Hakan Guven 811602]

In my opinion, all flyable vehicles (except ultralights, paragliders,paramotors,ballons) should be fill a flightplan which is describes their intentions from where fly to.

 

I really don't understand why USA doesn't require FP on VFR flights! it means "I want to fly today, lets go take a plane and takeoff whereever we want! "you says? I'm sure you have filled a basic flight plan even you want to mke VFR, sightseen flights. ATC must be know, that aircraft tookoff from there and wants to fly to there.

 

According me, VFR flights should be filled a FP at least designate departure airport (or location) and Destination airport (or location) and if pilot fills flight route as basic (not mean IFR routes) would be better to understand of controller about that aircraft what will be do.

 

As you know, non-designated airports is not reason of " no necessary to fill FP".If you want to departs or fly to non-designated airport, just fill "ZZZZ" (include anywhere in landable surface). You have to fill route section as shorts as can get example; over hudson river to eastbound,atlantic coastal, northbound etc.. or nothing. (I'm sure it can be teach in a tutorial "how can we fill IFR and CFR flightplan")

 

As Kyle says,Specific code name shouldn't be know everyone also I didn't heard that until today. If applied for local flyers by local authorizes, they shouldn't be expect that from foreign pilots, at least in vatsim

[Jason Baxter 920557]

Brian,

Have to agree it shouldn't be too hard to get a VFR plane into the air with a general idea, that said you could've helped ATC out by filing an FP and making your intentions more specific especially since it is a high traffic situation (the only one they'll probably have all year) keeping in mind that during this event all of the controllers on GND, TWR, and APP (with the exception of 1) were student controllers and this could've been left at the internal feedback stage without a need to post in the forum. I read through the Honk Kong AIP and they almost come out and say that IFR traffic has priority over VFR, at least they're honest . I wish ATC could've been more accomadating, but you have to understand like the US was a few years ago VFR is still a novelty that other countries don't understand, sometimes due to a lack of info although not in Hong Kong's case they have all the info available on the chart page. That said I wish you had at least known where the VFR chart link was since it was an event which is a time for people to bring their A game so everyone can enjoy the event.