Clarity needed for when only center is on

[Mike Read]

So I'm pretty new to vatsim and I think I'm struggling with who to contact and when.
I think I'm at the point where "I don't know what I don't know", everything seems to make sense but I just want to make sure.

This is an example 
https://skyvector.com/?ll=42.580792964273876,-73.422180169152&chart=301&zoom=3&fpl= KALB undefined KBAF
VFR - KALB (class C, Albany INTL) to KBAF (Class D, Westfield Barnes Rgnl)
To keep things simple, Only center is online, VFR with no flight following.

Question 0 : This is just to make sure i'm not crazy, I have to talk to center for this flight (unless passed to unicom when entering Class E/G airspaces) correct?
Q1 : If using real weather, but no atis is available from vatsim, do I just say "with the weather" or do I only say that if I have custom weather?

Connect to center's frequency and say something like "Boston Center, Cessna 123AlphaBravo is on the ground at Albany Intl  General Parking, requesting taxi for VFR departure to the South East with the weather"
Q2: Is this correct? or is there anything I can improve with what I say/do here?
Then for taxi clearance to leaving the airspace I think I understand "everything"

When 10 miles from KBAF's airspace I will then make a call back to center
"Boston Center, Cessna 123AlphaBravo is 10 miles to the north west of Westfield Barnes Rgnl, inbound for full stop with the weather"
Q3: Is this correct? or is there anything I can improve with what I say/do?

Thank You for any help!!!!

 

Edited February 25, 2021 at 10:50 PM by Mike Read
Chanted New York Center to Boston Center

[Alistair Thomson]

As far as I can tell, both your departure and arrival fields are within Boston Center's area. If they are online and no one else is, you would call them, not NY_CTR, for all your clearances. And if you file a VFR flight plan, control will know your intentions.

If BOS is online, you would stay with them but make your calls as if you were entering Westfield-Barnes local control, eg. you would call BOS_CTR requesting joining instructions for Wesfield-Barnes. If they went offline and no one else was around, you would broadcast your intentions on UNICOM.

I don't know what the correct US phraseology is for having real weather on VATSIM, sorry.

[Mike Read]

Thank you! I'm sorry about that, I didn't really look up who I would call at the time of writing, I edited my post to reduce that confusion. 

[Robert Shearman Jr]

Mike, as someone who does a lot of VFR flying in the US on VATSIM, your calls look pretty spot-on to me. Only thing I'd add is your current altitude when checking in at Barnes. 

[Alistair Thomson]

On 2/25/2021 at 4:12 PM, Mike Read said:

When 10 miles from KBAF's airspace I will then make a call back to center
"Boston Center, Cessna 123AlphaBravo is 10 miles to the north west of Westfield Barnes Rgnl, inbound for full stop with the weather"
Q3: Is this correct? or is there anything I can improve with what I say/do?

23 minutes ago, Robert Shearman Jr said:

Only thing I'd add is your current altitude

Rob is correct in that you should specify your altitude. When I was training for the Private Pilot licence in the UK, flying VFR almost exclusively, I got CARPACER drummed into me for reporting  en-route to an ATC which I had not already logged in with:

Callsign (you said Cessna 123AlphaBravo √): Aircraft type (partly, but not fully, implicit in the callsign and for North American ATC that may not be relevant √): Route being flown (you gave your destination, but in the UK you would also have given your departure point , indicating the full route - but see above re. N.A. √ ): Position report (you gave that √): Altitude (missing): Conditions (VFR in your case, also missing); Estimated time of arrival (missing): Request: (you indicated a request to land at your destination √).

So you have scored quite highly. No cigar if you fly in the UK, but missing a point or two is no big deal in VATSIM as long as you care enough to get it better next time.  Which you obviously do! :)