New to Vatsim - A Few Questions

[Ben Hartley]

Hi Vatsim Europe,

 

Can I ask a couple of queries before flying online with you,

 

1. When filing a CRZ Altitude on the Vatsim Flight planner do you count the altitude above sea level or do you count it at '0' feet ?

 

2. When flying into an airspace how do you know if a staff team member is monitoring the one you want to fly into ? / also can you find

the name of the airspace & the frequency needed to tune into it ? (is this all included through squawkbox/fsInn )

 

Thanks very much,

Ben

[Darrol Larrok 1140797]

1. Above sea level. For example, if you file for 5000 feet, it's 5000 above sea level.

 

2. Vatspy, Dolomynum are all tools that can be used to view the network. The frequency can be seen in the ATC menu of FSInn, and you can also be sent a contact me. Keep in mind that ATC is not VATSIM staff, but ordinary members like you or I.

[Ben Hartley]

Cheers Darrol for the information,

 

Can I also view Airspace frequencies on Squawkbox ? How do I do the 'Contact Me' function is that in squawkbox too ?

 

Thanks,

Ben

[Darrol Larrok 1140797]

I would presume you can see the frequencies on squawkbox, but I don't know anything about squawkbox. A contact me is a private message sent by a controller that usually consists of "Please contact me on [frequency]. Don't respond to this message, use the frequency instead."

[Ben Hartley]

Just one more question

 

I started out at EGNM With a Cessna 172 my callsign "CESSNA" Do I read it out in alphanumeric lettering "Charlie Echo.." or just the word ?

 

There wasn't any Leeds Controllers around so do I just contact Manchester, do I Squawk COM1 ?, and if I want to make contact with ATC do I just speak through

my microphone, or do I need to press something ?

 

Thanks,

[Darrol Larrok 1140797]

Don't use a callsign like that. It's not a proper callsign. See the Pilot Resource Center article about choosing a callsign here: http://www.vatsim.net/prc/prc-genlession/choosing-a-callsign/

 

Basically, in Europe each callsign for private aircraft is a letter identifying the country followed by a dash and four letters of the pilots choice. For example, in Great Britain, a callsign is G-XXX, G-ABCD, ETC

 

For airlines or other commercial operations the callsign is the company's callsign and a flight number.

 

You tune the frequency you want to contact, which is the lowest level controller at your field. If no one is on but center, contact center, if approach is on contact approach, tower, ground, etc.

 

Read the PRC through at vatsim.net/prc, it will answer a lot of questions.

[Ben Hartley]

Is it ok if I re-ask (the lowest field level controller) you mean the nearest controller to you or at the top of the ATC List ?

 

& Also does every Vatsim pilot follow all the chart procedures such as noise abatement & climb gradient percentages or is it ok to follow

the basic things like Speed & Altitude restrictions ?

 

Say you are cruising at FL140 and request directions into London Heathrow Approach but the only ATC on is EGLC APP Would you contact them as such ?

[Wygene Chong 1089621]

No you wouldn't contact EGLC_APP because that's London City Airport Radar. In that case you'd monitor UNICOM 122.800. Controllers operate on the following order:

 

DEL

GND

TWR

APP

CTR

 

You contact the first one (DEL) and if he isn't there, then GND, then TWR, then APP, then the mighty CTR. That's for departures. Arrivals are in reverse order. Generally, once you've made contact, controllers will p[Mod - Happy Thoughts] you on so you don't need to remember who next to contact.

 

As for your other question, not every pilot does follow charts but they are highly recommended.

 

Happy flights!

[Darrol Larrok 1140797]

For arrival,s you contact center when your in his airspace, if center isn't online, you contact approach in their airspace, and tower on final approach, and ground after landing. Never any need to talk to delivery when your arriving.

 

For charts, you should make sure to follow speed and altitude, but climb gradient percentages, I'd be shocked if anyone would notice.

[Ben Hartley]

Cheers guys, this really helped !