Brand new, VERY basic question

[Charles Kelly]

New to Vatsim and just logged in to the network for the first time last night.  I have some experience on Pilot Edge but trying to see how this translates to Vatsim.

Starting with  simple VFR flight from Monterey to Fresno, two class C airports in Oakland Center, which has a controller online.  So I basically use  Oakland center as I would each controller I would typically encounter along the way?

That is, the Oakland Center controller acts as the delivery/ground/tower for the departure, and app/tower/ground at the arrival?  I read that they will not always cover every airport, will they just tell me?  

I am going to run a Vatsim app on my iPad during flight, any recommendations?

Thanks

[Robert Shearman Jr]

6 hours ago, Charles Kelly said:

That is, the Oakland Center controller acts as the delivery/ground/tower for the departure, and app/tower/ground at the arrival?  I read that they will not always cover every airport, will they just tell me?  

Correct on all counts.  Charlies will almost always receive service.  Deltas will be treated as Echo during hours that their real-world towers are not operating, or (in rare cases) when the Tower there is open but the controller's workload is too high.  In either case, just call in with your request as you normally would, and the controller will inform you if you need to be back on 22.8.

[Charles Kelly]

4 minutes ago, Robert Shearman Jr said:

Correct on all counts.  Charlies will almost always receive service.  Deltas will be treated as Echo during hours that their real-world towers are not operating, or (in rare cases) when the Tower there is open but the controller's workload is too high.  In either case, just call in with your request as you normally would, and the controller will inform you if you need to be back on 22.8.

Thanks Rob.