Justin Broshears 1162944 Posted August 1, 2010 at 04:26 AM Posted August 1, 2010 at 04:26 AM Greetings Vatsim Members, I just recently registered for VATSIM and kind of intimidated to log in as I'm not sure what to say or anything to be honest I've only flown offline and when it was online was with a friend no tower. Only ATC I've ever used was FSX ATC offline. I'm creating this thread to basically ask if any one knows a controlled airport that does not receive a lot of traffic so the Air Traffic Controller could possibly help a new person out etc. Another thing I keep seeing ZLA cert., what is it exactly? Regards, Justin Broshears www.vectorairlines.net Callsign; VEC1771 or N1771 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Keith Smith Posted August 1, 2010 at 04:41 AM Posted August 1, 2010 at 04:41 AM Welcome, Justin. The ZLA program was, in fact, created precisely for someone in your situation...interested in learning to fly on the network, but not quite sure where to start. It's a series of flights that you undertake on the network under the watch of ATC. You'll start with VFR pattern work, then do a short VFR flight between two fields, then a trip through the LAX Bravo, ending the flight with a landing there. After that, it's onto IFR flying, starting with a simple instrument approach, then slowly moving through various routes, concepts, and more advanced approaches. By the end of the program (3 VFR flights, 11 IFR flights), there isn't much that the network can throw at you, conceptually, which you won't have already covered. At least, that was the intention of the program. It is NOT meant to mimic a real world PPL syllabus...it is simply meant to help you become a better VATSIM pilot, and give you a structured program within which to work. I can't recommend a specific field....but I can advise you of a situation to avoid. If you use one of the network monitoring tools, such as Servinfo, and you see a facility with a single CTR controller, and 15-20 airplanes within the facility, do not fly there. It's not a matter of choosing a quiet field, per se, it's a matter of finding a controller who isn't busy. ANY controller who is not busy should be able to help you out with the basics. Btw, you mentioned that you weren't quiet sure what to say on the radio. That's perfectly natural given the world from which you're joining us. To that end, the ZLA program includes sample transcripts for every one of the flights giving you an idea of what you might expect to hear. If you feel the program isn't quite for you, in terms of taking part, feel free to simply use it as a resource to get some ideas. You can take the concepts it introduces and put them to use just about anywhere in the US. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bernard tremblay Posted August 1, 2010 at 05:46 AM Posted August 1, 2010 at 05:46 AM Something you might want to do right away ... lots of return for minimal effort: park in a safe place at a busy airport and tune it. Not only will that give you a sense of procedures, it'll get you used to setting up your radios in game, and your audio too. KLAX was where I did that. Get your feet wet and start splashing around! (I'm taking my time before diving in.) If you look to see how the system works Likely you will find that it doesn't. @bentrem - FSX SP2 | AMD Athlon II 630 2.8GHz X4 | GA-MA785 | Radeon 5770 | 6GB DDR3 | XP Pro | Saitek X52 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ian Elchitz 810151 Posted August 3, 2010 at 07:04 PM Posted August 3, 2010 at 07:04 PM Bernard - you should dive in already. Based on the amount of effort you appear to spend educating yourself - I'm willing to be that not only will you be as competent as anyone else on the network, but you'd actually learn more about the network. This of course is in addition to having a blast. Ian Elchitz Just a guy without any fancy titles Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bernard tremblay Posted August 3, 2010 at 07:44 PM Posted August 3, 2010 at 07:44 PM Bernard - you should dive in already.You're right; it's true; I agree. Based on the amount of effort you appear to spend educating yourself - I'm willing to be that not only will you be as competent as anyone else on the network, but you'd actually learn more about the network.Yepp yepp ... I've spent quite a few hours just listening ... CYVR and KSEA to learn procedures in that area, and KLAX to see if I could keep up with traffic. This of course is in addition to having a blast.Yepp yepp ... which, to me, means not botching it.I've stopped landing on the gr[Mod - Happy Thoughts] beside the runway. I think that's progress. FWIW right now I'm just [Mod - Happy Thoughts]embling a small fleet for FSEconomy. Then I'm going to go through a small number of planes to see if I can standardize panels. Then I'm going to program my X52 /once/ huh huh see you in the air! ^5 If you look to see how the system works Likely you will find that it doesn't. @bentrem - FSX SP2 | AMD Athlon II 630 2.8GHz X4 | GA-MA785 | Radeon 5770 | 6GB DDR3 | XP Pro | Saitek X52 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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