Alignment to actual frequencies

[Kirk Royster]

IRL (in real life) clearances include departure frequency except when cleared via SID assumption is to use the published frequency.  But in live ATC (VATSIM), coverage is variable / partial.  In this context, my question:

-  in VATSIM should I expect departure freq 100% of the time as part of clearance (because of the above mentioned limitation)?
-  to what extent/degree does VATSIM use "published IRL frequencies"?

 

[Mateusz Zymla]

9 minutes ago, Kirk Royster said:

 to what extent/degree does VATSIM use "published IRL frequencies"?

Probably 90% around the world, none in Europe (due to lack of 8.33 kHz channel spacing).

9 minutes ago, Kirk Royster said:

in VATSIM should I expect departure freq 100% of the time as part of clearance (because of the above mentioned limitation)?

Probably you'll get it on clearance, it may be in ATIS, otherwise as required by the controller.

Edited August 20, 2022 at 03:50 PM by Mateusz Zymla

[Alistair Thomson]

28 minutes ago, Mateusz Zymla said:

Probably 90% around the world, none in Europe (due to lack of 8.33 kHz channel spacing).

I don't understand that. Isn't it the case that Europe have been 100% on 8.33 spacing for many years?

[Mateusz Zymla]

12 minutes ago, Alistair Thomson said:

I don't understand that. Isn't it the case that Europe have been 100% on 8.33 spacing for many years?

So that's why I said, in any part of the world that it's not Europe, it's probably around 90%. In Europe, his hit is 0%.

[Torben Andersen]

I don't think the problem lies on the controller side. Rather it is a choice from VATSIM to continue support of older flightsims, which are unable to use 8.33k spacing.

Edited August 20, 2022 at 04:34 PM by Torben Andersen

[Trevor Hannant]

 

13 minutes ago, Alistair Thomson said:

I don't understand that. Isn't it the case that Europe have been 100% on 8.33 spacing for many years?

They have - but on VATSIM there's always been the limitation of what:

- the controller clients could use and
- add-on aircraft were able to handle

Just now, Mateusz Zymla said:

So that's why I said, in any part of the world that it's not Europe, it's probably around 90%. In Europe, his hit is 0%.

I actually read your post the same as Alistair suggesting that there's no 8.33 in Europe - think that's just a language thing though rather than what you said.

[Trevor Hannant]

55 minutes ago, Kirk Royster said:

IRL (in real life) clearances include departure frequency except when cleared via SID assumption is to use the published frequency.  But in live ATC (VATSIM), coverage is variable / partial.  In this context, my question:

-  in VATSIM should I expect departure freq 100% of the time as part of clearance (because of the above mentioned limitation)?
-  to what extent/degree does VATSIM use "published IRL frequencies"?

 

Not everywhere specifies the departure frequency as part of an ATIS IRL.  I can't think of a UK clearance that uses this although circumstances may dictate that one is issued (perhaps non-standard frequency, variation in who the departure is being handed off to against normal handoff order).   Some clearances will give it - I had it today at Luxembourg and I know Dublin certainly issue it as part of the clearance.

[Kirk Royster]

Wouldn't it be highly unusual for Delivery to not specify a frequency because it's mentioned in ATIS?  IRL, pilots tell me that it's either in Clearance or if not there, in the published SID frequency.  Assume ATIS could specify it if it's not a segmented set of freq's as at a higher volume airport, and then of course I'd record it proactively as such.

 

[Dustin Rider]

2 hours ago, Kirk Royster said:

IRL (in real life) clearances include departure frequency except when cleared via SID assumption is to use the published frequency.  But in live ATC (VATSIM), coverage is variable / partial.  In this context, my question:

-  in VATSIM should I expect departure freq 100% of the time as part of clearance (because of the above mentioned limitation)?
-  to what extent/degree does VATSIM use "published IRL frequencies"?

Don't expect departure frequencies 100% of the time; just most of the time. VATSIM does use as many of the real-world frequencies as feasible, based on who is working and staffing up the associated ATC positions, but they're not continuously guarded on VATSIM as they are IRL. That is, if you're at a towered airport and call up on the ground frequency when only TWR is online, the controller staffing up the TWR position may not have the ground frequency active, whereas IRL the frequency will be up anytime the tower is open and providing services.

While it's possible to have the departure frequency in the ATIS, but I've never seen it. More often the ATIS will list which frequencies the pilot should use for certain services--e.g. "Clearance delivery is combined with ground on 121.8." If an IFR clearance does not specify the departure frequency, refer to the chart for the associated SID.

Of course if you're departing ORD and the TRACON is offline but the Center is up, your clearance will have to specify the departure frequency because it's other-than-published, unless the center controller happens to have the published departure frequencies pulled up.

[Kirk Royster]

Excellent.  Thanks to all for the input, it is very clear.