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Thank you! Vatsim/Squawkbox works on my new Mac Mini


Alan McDonley
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Alan McDonley
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I fly a VSkyLabs Long-Ez in X-Plane11 on a 2018 MacMini+eGPU with Ortho4XP imagery, VFR only, (and generally avoid Cl[Mod - Happy Thoughts] B airports). I took lessons and p[Mod - Happy Thoughts]ed my PPL in a Cessna 152 over twenty years ago at KLNA Lantana, Florida. I now keep my X-Plane 11 Long-Ez in the exact same parking spot (without having to pay $50/hr to fly). It just feels so real, whether I'm pre-flighting, taxiing, doing T&Gs, or returning from a virtual tour.

 

33447751238_cfcefc9555_b.jpgI_Fly_A_LongEz_XPlane by Alan McDonley, on Flickr

 

Flying on a Mac is not optimum, but still pretty amazing. I flew over 100 hours in 2018 on IVAO but their software for Mac does not work correctly on my new MacMini. It is super exciting that VATSIM and Squawkbox seem to work on my new Mac Mini.

 

I finally gave up on IVAO after flying the second leg of the 2019 IVAO Midwest VFR tour. IVAO was setting the temperature at mountain airports 20 degrees lower than the METAR report, and the ATC frequency mechanisms were totally hosed. Even AWOS didn't work correctly.

 

Thank you to VATSIM team for enabling us crazy Mac flyers. I'm looking forward to exploring the VATSIM reality.

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Robert Shearman Jr
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Alan, welcome to the community! VATSIM gets a reputation for being airliner-centric but there really is a strong GA-oriented community here too, and for the most part I've found that the controllers (particularly at the APP/DEP and Enroute levels) are generally adept at handling GA IFR and VFR traffic. Hope to see & hear you around!

Cheers,
-R.

fvJfs7z.png

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Alan McDonley
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Alan, welcome to the community! VATSIM gets a reputation for being airliner-centric but there really is a strong GA-oriented community here too, and for the most part I've found that the controllers (particularly at the APP/DEP and Enroute levels) are generally adept at handling GA IFR and VFR traffic. Hope to see & hear you around!

 

Thanks for the touch-base. I've seen the MIA_CTR up quite a bit, and once I get comfortable with the differences from IVAO, I'll plan the 30-45 minute flight down to MIA or FLL when ATC is live. I'm going through the P1 videos at this point, AND flying VFR connected staying clear of active controlled spaces.

 

The fact that the VATSIM XSquawkbox allowed programming my flight-stick COM PTT is, by itself, miraculous. VATSIM is really exceeding my expectations.

 

I noticed that my xsquawkbox doesn't allow filing a flight plan before connecting, and the video said to file before connecting so I tried the web file method. I did something wrong because I ended up with the last xsquawkbox filed plan being active.

 

Lots to investigate..

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Robert Shearman Jr
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No need to file before connecting. Connect, ensuring of course that you're parked on the ramp out of the way, & file straight from XSquawkBox. I do it that way every time.

Cheers,
-R.

fvJfs7z.png

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