New User - Questions

[Michael Dobritz 817124]

I am trying to get ready for my first flight on VATSIM but don't know how to set the built-in (FSX) traffic and ATC.

 

1.) Do I need to turn off the built in ATC somehow?

2.) Do I need to set the AI trafiic to nothing in FSX before logging in to VATSIM?

 

Thanks in advance!

[Robert Shearman Jr]

Yes and yes.

[Michael Dobritz 817124]

Thanks for your answer!

 

Next Question: I finally did my first flight yesterday from EDNY to EDDB but could not see any ATC online. I did see other planes on the radar screen and "looking out my cockpit window" which probably means I am connected to VATSIM.

Is there a way to test voice communication with ATC without bothering traffic to much? I am not sure if my voice setup is correct.

[Johnny Coughlan]

I am trying to get ready for my first flight on VATSIM

 

You're first flight?, are you serious?, your CID would suggest you registered pre 2003(because my CID is 2003 and starts with 86).

 

Have you seriously waited over 15 years to fly on the network?.

[Dace Nicmane]

Is there a way to test voice communication with ATC without bothering traffic to much?

Just make a radio check. Controller callsign, your callsign, radio check.

[Michael Dobritz 817124]

I am trying to get ready for my first flight on VATSIM

 

You're first flight?, are you serious?, your CID would suggest you registered pre 2003(because my CID is 2003 and starts with 86).

 

Have you seriously waited over 15 years to fly on the network?.

 

Yes, it took me that long!!! Real life always kept me too busy to concentrate on this. The problem is that there is no really good entry guide for VATSIM, you end up following links (many times to dead-ends) and don't really find straight forward answers.

 

You just gave a perfect example for receiving a totally useless answer!

[Michael Dobritz 817124]

Is there a way to test voice communication with ATC without bothering traffic to much?

Just make a radio check. Controller callsign, your callsign, radio check.

 

Thanks, will do so next logon!

 

What are you supposed to do if there is no controller in your range? I am using FSinn and can't see any controller nearby when I click on the ATC button. I can see other planes though.

[Joel Richters]

I am trying to get ready for my first flight on VATSIM

 

You're first flight?, are you serious?, your CID would suggest you registered pre 2003(because my CID is 2003 and starts with 86).

 

Have you seriously waited over 15 years to fly on the network?.

 

Yes, it took me that long!!! Real life always kept me too busy to concentrate on this. The problem is that there is no really good entry guide for VATSIM, you end up following links (many times to dead-ends) and don't really find straight forward answers.

 

You just gave a perfect example for receiving a totally useless answer!

Good to see you on the network Michael. I hope you get your teeth into it soon

[Dace Nicmane]

The problem is that there is no really good entry guide for VATSIM

Did PRC not exist back then?

 

You can use vattastic, vatspy and other tools to check for ATC coverage. If you log on in Europe in the (local) evening, you'll find plenty of ATC around.

[Johnny Coughlan]

You just gave a perfect example for receiving a totally useless answer!

 

With that attitude you'll fit right in, welcome.

 

And if you reread my post, I didn't even answer your question, I actually was asking my own questions but that's neither here nor there as I clearly hit a nerve with you.

 

Keep up the great attitude and enjoy your first flight .

[Michael Dobritz 817124]

You just gave a perfect example for receiving a totally useless answer!

 

With that attitude you'll fit right in, welcome.

 

And if you reread my post, I didn't even answer your question, I actually was asking my own questions but that's neither here nor there as I clearly hit a nerve with you.

 

Keep up the great attitude and enjoy your first flight .

 

Thank you, you are so helpful!

[Michael Dobritz 817124]

So here I am sitting now at EDNY getting ready for a flight to EDDB. The next ATC I can see online is either TWR at EDDL or APP at EDDF, whom shoould I contact for clearance?

Or should I just start and contact any ATC when I get closer to their area?

Which frequency should I have tuned in and watch?

[Dace Nicmane]

You won't always get ATC at the airport you want. If you want to be sure to have ATC, first see where they are and log on at that airport. Only Center controllers cover multiple airports, and sometimes approach services a few more airports close by. While you're on your own, monitor unicom 122.8. You can announce your intentions if there's other traffic around.

 

P.S. EDNY falls under Muenchen FIR, I believe. So if Muenchen Radar or any of EDNY controllers were online, you'd talk to them.

http://www.vacc-sag.org/?PAGE=sag_area

[Michael Dobritz 817124]

You won't always get ATC at the airport you want. If you want to be sure to have ATC, first see where they are and log on at that airport. Only Center controllers cover multiple airports, and sometimes approach services a few more airports close by. While you're on your own, monitor unicom 122.8. You can announce your intentions if there's other traffic around.

 

P.S. EDNY falls under Muenchen FIR, I believe. So if Muenchen Radar or any of EDNY controllers were online, you'd talk to them.

http://www.vacc-sag.org/?PAGE=sag_area

 

Thanks for clarifying that!

[Simon Kelsey]

Hi Michael,

 

Have you considered doing a P1 rating with one of the various VATSIM Approved Training Organisations (ATOs)? It is designed to help answer many of your questions about how VATSIM works, how to get set up and how to avoid dropping any major clangers -- in a structured course.

 

Various ATOs have various ways of delivering the material -- https://ptd.vatsim.net/atos for a list. The method of training varies from live one-on-one and group sessions, to self-study online courses (such as that offered by the VATSIM Academy -- https://academy.vatsim.net/

 

The amount of information and resource available to help pilots has moved on rather a lot from the days when you (and I) first signed up!

 

Good luck and hope to see you in the air soon!

[Michael Dobritz 817124]

Hi Michael,

 

Have you considered doing a P1 rating with one of the various VATSIM Approved Training Organisations (ATOs)? It is designed to help answer many of your questions about how VATSIM works, how to get set up and how to avoid dropping any major clangers -- in a structured course.

 

Various ATOs have various ways of delivering the material -- https://ptd.vatsim.net/atos for a list. The method of training varies from live one-on-one and group sessions, to self-study online courses (such as that offered by the VATSIM Academy -- https://academy.vatsim.net/

 

The amount of information and resource available to help pilots has moved on rather a lot from the days when you (and I) first signed up!

 

Good luck and hope to see you in the air soon!

 

Thanks for your advice!

Actually the first thing I did before I decided to get back into Sim Flying was signing up for a VATEUD training programm. I received a written confirmation by email and I am waiting since for the training department to get in touch with me.

I agree that some kind of training will anwser a lot of my questions.

[Michael Dobritz 817124]

Thanks to everybody who helped me flying on VATSIM for the first week, you guys were great!

 

Still some questions:

I fly through a controller's airspace and let's say there are 5 wpts of my route in his area, for example A, B, C, D, and E. After I report myself in his airspace and ATC answers that I am cleared directly to E, do I still have to p[Mod - Happy Thoughts] B,C and D or can I change course and take a shortcut directly to E? I am asking this because I p[Mod - Happy Thoughts]ed somebody's area and he cleared me to the last waypoint in his area, so I changed course and went there directly but all of a sudden the controller called me and said (in a very nice way!!!) I was 20 miles of course which was true since I changed course and went directly to the waypoint I was cleared to.

What am I supposed to do when I get cleared to a waypoint, go directly or just follow the filed plan?

 

BTW, I signed up for some training which was confirmed but never heard again from them.

[Evan Reiter]

I fly through a controller's airspace and let's say there are 5 wpts of my route in his area, for example A, B, C, D, and E. After I report myself in his airspace and ATC answers that I am cleared directly to E, do I still have to p[Mod - Happy Thoughts] B,C and D or can I change course and take a shortcut directly to E?

In the United States, if you are "cleared direct E", you then byp[Mod - Happy Thoughts] all of the other waypoints between yourself and "E" within your flight plan, and go directly to "E". It's very common for controllers to issue shortcuts for traffic, weather, or just because we are trying to keep your route as short as we can (without a ton of coordination).

[Dace Nicmane]

A direct means what it says - direct to the waypoint. If you still had to go to the other waypoints, it would make no sense for the controller to give you that instruction, would it? Looks like you had some misunderstanding with the ATC. Perhaps he forgot he gave you direct. If he was nice, you should've asked him, as we can only guess.

[Randy Tyndall 1087023]

...cleared directly to E...I p[Mod - Happy Thoughts]ed somebody's area and he cleared me to the last waypoint in his area

 

Without realizing it Michael, you've said two completely different things here. Note the colored highlights. Without knowing the airspace involved, the training those controllers get, or the circomestances, was the controller giving you a "direct" to E or "clearing" you through his airspace to E?

 

I myself have never been "cleared" through someone's airspace without it being "direct", but perhaps the controller meant your flight plan A-B-C-D-E was "good" as far as the boundary of his airspace so he cleared you to that boundary, but expected you to follow A-B-C-D-E.

 

If you heard him say the words "cleared direct to E", then that of course is what you should have done and apparently what you did, turned directly toward E. The controller's later call about being 20 miles off course makes it sound like he cleared you through his airspace, but not direct. Why he would do that I have no idea.

 

Again, as I said, I have never heard of a clearance through and only within someone's airspace and being expected to follow all the waypoints inside that boundary, but that doesn't mean it doesn't happen, though I don't know why it would.

 

Randy

[Robert Shearman Jr]

The other possibility is that the pilot was indeed cleared on a direct-to E, and *thought* he was flying a direct-to E, but in fact was *not* flying a direct-to E, resulting in the call about being off-course.

 

As we've discussed in other threads, if he was using the default GPS to achieve the direct-to, there is a good chance it was leading him astray.