Rich Heimlich Posted June 5, 2017 at 06:14 AM Posted June 5, 2017 at 06:14 AM This didn't happen, but almost did on a previous flight so I'd like to find out what the procedure is. Let's say you're instructed to contact ground who appears online. You okay that and change frequencies, call in and get no reply. You check your equipment. It's all good. Do you head back to the previous controller to report the inability to reach the controller you were directed to? Thanks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trevor Hannant Posted June 5, 2017 at 06:25 AM Posted June 5, 2017 at 06:25 AM Did you try dropping a text on frequency or via PM to the GND controller to check they're hearing you? I'd use these first rather than go back to the previous - no problem doing that if the controller doesn't respond to these though Trevor Hannant Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ernesto Alvarez 818262 Posted June 5, 2017 at 07:03 AM Posted June 5, 2017 at 07:03 AM if you cant reach them on voice, try via text. if after multiple attempts fail, go back to the previous controller and let them know. theyll either handle you or try to check on the controller. remember controllers are human like the rest of us, sometimes potty breaks are needed although usually its nice for the controller to give a heads up to the other controllers that hes gotta run real quick so they can stop sending traffic to his/her frequency or monitor their frequency in case someone calls Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dace Nicmane Posted June 5, 2017 at 01:22 PM Posted June 5, 2017 at 01:22 PM The first thing to do is to check if the controller appears in the online ATC list in your simulator. That is the most current information. Sometimes they may have technical problems and get disconnected or have to restart their ATC client etc. If you really really can't get hold of ATC after many tries and you're in the air, in real life, there are lost comms procedures, but I'm not sure of VATSIM controllers' opinion on these. I've had to resort to them twice during my one and a half year of flying: once when a controller was ignoring me and another time when a controller was so swamped with traffic that he couldn't cope, and I was heading out of his airspace anyway. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ernesto Alvarez 818262 Posted June 5, 2017 at 04:03 PM Posted June 5, 2017 at 04:03 PM lost coms on VATSIM are like emergencies, often require permission. in those situations Dace i would simply .wallop to get a supervisor to help, just to cover your rear so you dont go lost coms and tick anyone off and get the other end of the stick. with a supervisor checking for you, you at least are talking to someone and you are covered. otherwise you might run into that one wiseguy that ignores you and plays stupid later when they wallop you for not calling (been there, but i docomeent everything on text ) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dace Nicmane Posted June 5, 2017 at 06:12 PM Posted June 5, 2017 at 06:12 PM In the situation with the controller ignoring me, it actually worked. The lost comms procedure takes me to the airport first (the airport VOR, to be precise) and when the controller saw me flying to the airport, he stopped ignoring me and started giving me vectors, so I went back to normal. I was new to the network and the controller had just logged on, so I was not sure if the amount of traffic he had was a lot (seemed like a lot to me) and how much time it'd take him to catch up, but after 3 holds and several calls, and him giving clearances and talking to everyone else I thought, this is not right. I wasn't sure what was going on and actually didn't want to believe he was ignoring me, but I know it now. In the second case, walloping wouldn't have helped, as the controller was already overwhelmed with traffic and doing the best he could. An event had just ended and there was still a lot of aircraft in the airspace, but other controllers were logging off. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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