Nathaniel Miller Posted July 15, 2021 at 09:16 PM Posted July 15, 2021 at 09:16 PM (edited) Okay it has been a looong time but being now again relatively gnu again to VATSIM i have forgotten a few things... What is the more appropriate flight pattern to take while on VATSIM... I guess in the common arena of flights. While Center is on or offline -- file VFR or IFR flightplan... ? For me, doing a test flight will always be going to be beyond norms... as I work other people's freeware to make them to real world specifications (as close as i can get it) But usually i have been flying VFR... I have, however been told by my fellow Colleagues on the VAs I am with and several Mils I used to fly with that have warned me that I should fly IFR while being on VATSIM... So I am a bit confused... when should I file VFR and when should I file IFR... (I know one is visual flight and approaches, and landings. while the other is flying on full instruments)... well that depends on the aircraft i will be flying... Most commonly in a MIL jet or a Large commercial you can't really see over the nose and the ground in realistic terms so you rely mostly on instruments, so its IFR... I AM CAN DO on this type of approach coming in to an airport -- having done so on outside connectors like FSCLOUD / FSHOST / JOINFS / even MS ZONE+ or GameSpy... and knowing how to utilize ILS... So I know the difference to a point... i just don't want to get kicked for filing a bloody flight plan that is just wrong on VATSIM and have one of their SUPERS or CTRS wet their pants and get emothional over something REALLY minor... It's really not a big deal... I am not a pilot in RL so i have been learning from books - most often... They might be wrong you know... or getting it from internet sources. Knowledge is power ya know... ! So I am straight and won't get confused on this... and do it right... Thanks! FA/MM N.A Miller, USN Ret. Edited July 15, 2021 at 09:36 PM by Nathaniel Miller mispelled and used incorrect terminology Respectfully, FA/MM N.A Miller, USN Ret. "Here's to our Navy and all the good things it stands for..." Adm Rockwell Torrey, USN (John Wayne) In Harm's Way -- 1965 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robert Shearman Jr Posted July 15, 2021 at 11:45 PM Posted July 15, 2021 at 11:45 PM (edited) Fair warning -- I'm gonna over-explain this knowing that you have some IRL experience (EDIT: or, I thought you did, maybe from misunderstanding something you said in a previous post), but in the end, I'll tie it back into how it applies to VATSIM. Whether you file IFR or VFR really doesn't have any bearing on whether controllers are online or offline. IFR if you're going to be navigating a specific path based on nav-aids (radio or RNAV) and/or flying in instrument conditions, and VFR if you're going to be in visual conditions and free to deviate from a planned route and/or are planning a route based partially or wholly on visual landmarks. Normally in the US when IFR you have ATC from start to finish. But on VATSIM, you might not. Just proceed as though you were cleared as filed. You can squawk 2200 as a "VATSIMism" for "IFR without anyone on to assign a squawk." (EDIT: there are a bunch of different things people will recommend to squawk if you're IFR without ATC, but the long and short of it is, if there's no ATC, it really doesn't matter.) For any pieces of the flight you don't have ATC for, instead of talking to the relevant controller you just self-announce intentions on 122.8 to help others know what you're doing and coordinate as not to hit you. If you're VFR then you'd only need to talk to ATC within B, C, or D airspace. (talking USA here.) If the appropriate controller is on, talk to them before entering airspace (or taxiway or runway, if at a towered airport). If not, self-announce on 122.8. Flight Following in Class E airspace is optional but obviously not available if there isn't a controller on to provide it. Does that help? Edited July 15, 2021 at 11:53 PM by Robert Shearman Jr clarified a couple points Cheers, -R. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nathaniel Miller Posted July 16, 2021 at 01:29 AM Author Posted July 16, 2021 at 01:29 AM 1 hour ago, Robert Shearman Jr said: Fair warning -- I'm gonna over-explain this knowing that you have some IRL experience (EDIT: or, I thought you did, maybe from misunderstanding something you said in a previous post), but in the end, I'll tie it back into how it applies to VATSIM. Whether you file IFR or VFR really doesn't have any bearing on whether controllers are online or offline. IFR if you're going to be navigating a specific path based on nav-aids (radio or RNAV) and/or flying in instrument conditions, and VFR if you're going to be in visual conditions and free to deviate from a planned route and/or are planning a route based partially or wholly on visual landmarks. Normally in the US when IFR you have ATC from start to finish. But on VATSIM, you might not. Just proceed as though you were cleared as filed. You can squawk 2200 as a "VATSIMism" for "IFR without anyone on to assign a squawk." (EDIT: there are a bunch of different things people will recommend to squawk if you're IFR without ATC, but the long and short of it is, if there's no ATC, it really doesn't matter.) For any pieces of the flight you don't have ATC for, instead of talking to the relevant controller you just self-announce intentions on 122.8 to help others know what you're doing and coordinate as not to hit you. If you're VFR then you'd only need to talk to ATC within B, C, or D airspace. (talking USA here.) If the appropriate controller is on, talk to them before entering airspace (or taxiway or runway, if at a towered airport). If not, self-announce on 122.8. Flight Following in Class E airspace is optional but obviously not available if there isn't a controller on to provide it. Does that help? Yes it does... thanks... at least i won't file the wrong flightplan type... Respectfully, FA/MM N.A Miller, USN Ret. "Here's to our Navy and all the good things it stands for..." Adm Rockwell Torrey, USN (John Wayne) In Harm's Way -- 1965 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alistair Thomson Posted July 16, 2021 at 12:23 PM Posted July 16, 2021 at 12:23 PM 14 hours ago, Nathaniel Miller said: I know one is visual flight and approaches, and landings. while the other is flying on full instruments) Not quite! There are four things involved: Visual Flight Rules (VFR), Visual Meteorological Conditions (VMC), Instrument Flight Rules (IFR) and Instrument Meteorological Conditions (IMC). Generally a flight under VFR will be conducted in VMC, but there's nothing stopping a suitably qualified plot from flying using instruments in IMC under VFR outside confrolled airspace. A pilot flying under IFR can fly in both VMC and IMC in both controlled and uncontrolled airspace, so it's common for a pilot flying under IFR to fly in VMC, and a visual approach during an IFR flight is one example of that. Flying using instruments is therefore not restricted to IFR. :) Alistair Thomson === Definition: a gentleman is a flying instructor in a Piper Cherokee who can change tanks without getting his face slapped. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michael Williams Posted July 16, 2021 at 08:21 PM Posted July 16, 2021 at 08:21 PM Is it OK to fly primarily VFR? I just got into all this stuff during the pandemic and am getting better but am not confident enough to do IFR yet. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alistair Thomson Posted July 17, 2021 at 12:29 PM Posted July 17, 2021 at 12:29 PM 16 hours ago, Michael Williams said: Is it OK to fly primarily VFR? Absolutely! In fact, flying VFR, probably in an aircraft with little or no autoomation, is likely to help you to become a very good pilot. Alistair Thomson === Definition: a gentleman is a flying instructor in a Piper Cherokee who can change tanks without getting his face slapped. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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