For all controllers who will be controlling the East Coast

[Kevin Tsai 1029796]

This Friday on October 12, 2007, I'll be flying from Newark to San Jose, Costa Rica. I'm planning to use time compression 16X.

 

Will I be able to use 16X time compression? I want to get there fast as possible and I don't want to fly for 6 hours.

 

I'm planning to depart Newark Airport between 3 and 4 P.M. EDT (Eastern Daylight Savings Time). My callsign will be COA328.

[George Marinakis]

Kevin:

 

The general rule we have long employed on VATSIM (in fact...this probably goes beyond VATSIM so it is safe to say the flight sim community) is that the maximum simulation rate ("time compression") that we use online is 4X. In addition, the general rule is that if you are under ATC control or are otherwise in controlled airspace (or are about to enter controlled airspace), you must first obtain permission from ATC to operate at 4X. In other words, you are required to drop to 1X (normal simulation rate) and stay there until you are given permission to fly at 4X by ATC. The reason is that you aren't necessarily the only aircraft in a given airspace and traveling at 4X might cause you to interfere with other pilots and/or ATC.

 

It should go without saying that 4X is suitable only for the enroute phase of a flight. It should not be used until you reach cruise or after you begin your descent.

 

I hope this helps.

[Kevin Tsai 1029796]

That's what I'm planning to do. I was planning to use 16X during cruise. What would happen if I flew 16X at say a higher altitude like 50,000 feet or could I use 16X 100nm just off the East Coast? That way I won't interfere with other air traffic and the skies would be less busy.

 

Also, I planned to depart between 3 and 4 P.M. because I've noticed that a lot of users who fly within USA log on later at 6 P.M. or so.

 

Basically what I'm trying to say is that is it okay to use 16X when the skies are not busy?

[Ross Carlson]

As George said, 4x is the generally accepted maximum time compression rate. If you really need 16x, your best bet would be to disconnect from the network, and reconnect at 1X when you get to controlled airspace (use ServInfo to see what airspace is controlled while you are disconnected) and/or when you reach top of descent.

[Kevin Tsai 1029796]

If I disconnect, will I still be able to keep my IFR plan or do I need to request clearance again when I reconnect?

[Norman Blackburn]

If you reconnect less than an hour after disconnecting then your plan will still be in the system. Otherwise simply refile it and continue as if you had never disconnected.

[Gabriel Adei]

If the skies are not busy??? = flying offline so you might want to stay offline for 16X. If you disconnect for that purpose and then reconnect I will suggest you resend the FP just to be safe, and usually if you contact a controller and they dont have your FP they will ask you to resend anyway.

Tip Offline you can do what ever you want.

[Kevin Tsai 1029796]

In your statistics, if you're flying online, disconnect, and reconnect later still flying, would the computer record you down for 2 flights?

 

Also, I can't tell the difference between disconnecting and quitting Squawkbox. Is there a difference?

[Norman Blackburn]

In Squawkbos simply click on the SB3 start button and select Disconnect. When you wish to reconnect again click on the SB3 start button and click Connect.

 

Statistics would show it as two seperate (but identically routed) flights.

[Kevin Tsai 1029796]

How far is San Jose, Costa Rica from Newark? How long does it take to get there?

 

I'm asking these questions so that I know what time I expect to arrive and wheter or not if I need to use 16X or 4X time compression.

[Paul Byrne]

Kevin,

 

If you are planning to fly that route on VATSIM, plan it at 1X. If you really have to do the flight at 4/8/16/1024X then just disconnect from the network and reconnect when you can fly at 1X.

 

The reason being, that if you're in a controllers airspace and he's busy, you probably won't get permission for increased sim rate.

 

Cheers!

Paul

[Brad Littlejohn]

On top of what GSM stated, IIRC, there is a hard limit in FS9 and older of a simulation limit of 4X when using any multiplayer function (which FSInn, Squawkbox, FSNav, etc. qualify as multiplayer). So regardless, if you're in a multiplayer environment, 4X will be the fastest you can go.

 

BL.

[Ross Carlson]

On top of what GSM stated, IIRC, there is a hard limit in FS9 and older of a simulation limit of 4X when using any multiplayer function (which FSInn, Squawkbox, FSNav, etc. qualify as multiplayer). So regardless, if you're in a multiplayer environment, 4X will be the fastest you can go.

 

Good point ... though I think he could just disconnect MSFS from the SB3 MP session (after disconnecting SB3 from the network) and then fly 16x.

[James Hudson 951027]

Why fly that route if you can't sit there. Might as well fly something closer. Its pointless to takeoff 16X it then land. Do a shorter flight or find something to do while you are in you're cruise. You don't necessarily have to be in the cockpit the whole time. Or you can ALT+Enter it and open the internet, watch some videos on youtube or read the AIM or something.

[Michael Lowing 859137]

How far is San Jose, Costa Rica from Newark? How long does it take to get there?

 

I'm asking these questions so that I know what time I expect to arrive and wheter or not if I need to use 16X or 4X time compression.

 

If you don't know how far it is how are you going to plan your fuel load(taxi, enroute burn, alternate, FAR reserve) so you can also calculate V1, V2, Vr and Vref?

 

As said above, if you know you only have a few hours why not fly a shorter flight(EWR-ORD, EWR-CLT, etc) or disconnect, save your flight and come back to it when you have time?

 

VATSIM could do worse than make the servers auto kick any time compression.

[Kevin Tsai 1029796]

Will the Eastern Seaboard be busy with a lot of planes tomorrow? Someone told me that the rush hour is between 6 and 10 P.M. for tomorrow?

 

If the airspace isn't busy, would I use 16X? When I was flying from KLAX-TNCM, the LAX center controller says that I could use 16X, maybe because it was like 10-11 P.M. at night and the U.S. airspace wasn't busy.

[Garry Morris 920567]

Kevin, I hate nothing more than to be on a valid flight plan, tooling along, and having a near miss with someone under time compression who's at the same altitude as me on the same airway. It's very jarring, and it's very annoying.

 

While the rules say you can 4x, I'd like to suggest that if you are unable to sit through a longer flight, take a shorter one and do it real time. If you have to compress, do it offline.

[Michael Smith]

Will the Eastern Seaboard be busy with a lot of planes tomorrow? Someone told me that the rush hour is between 6 and 10 P.M. for tomorrow?

 

If the airspace isn't busy, would I use 16X? When I was flying from KLAX-TNCM, the LAX center controller says that I could use 16X, maybe because it was like 10-11 P.M. at night and the U.S. airspace wasn't busy.

 

don't do long flights if you can't sit through them

[Anthony Atkielski 985811]

Instead of time-compressing a long flight and messing everyone up, plan a flight that you're willing to sit through and fly it at 1X.

 

Remember also that quite a few add-ons to MSFS don't like time compression, especially at the higher rates. And time compression will mess up your time of day, putting it out of sync with real time.

 

KEWR to TJSJ is 1608 nm direct, and considerably longer on a proper flight plan. The fastest airliner currently in service is the 747, which can reach 540 KTAS or so. That means you're looking at a minimum of three hours flying. If three hours is too long to fly at normal speed, fly a shorter route, or fly with stopovers at other airports instead of non-stop.

 

I usually don't fly anything over 2 hours or so these days.

[Kevin Tsai 1029796]

Maybe I'll just ask ATC if I could use time compression when possible I guess.

[Alex Bailey 969331]

It won't allow you to use 16x anyway, highest is either 4 or 8 on VATSIM (hard coded, not the rule).

[James Hudson 951027]

Dude, Kevin. If you don't want to sit in your plane for 1X. Then don't fly a long flight. Its simple. 16x is like mach 9, its ridiculous. Unrealistic. Just fly 1x, maybe 2x if you really need. Or fly offline

[Tyler Alexander 878858]

Fly at 1X, drink a case of Schlitz's chase it with a bottle of Goldschlagger your 12 hour flight will magically turn into a 2 hour flight. Blackouts are like time travel, you'll start in New York next thing you know you've over shot your arrival airport by 300 miles.

 

...on second thought don't listen to what I say.

[Steve Ogrodowski 876322]

Maybe I'll just ask ATC if I could use time compression when possible I guess.

 

I don't understand why you need to do this. Flying with time compression, even 4x, basically takes the flight out of the flying.

 

If you're flying to just fly, then you should choose a route that fits your taste. KEWR to TJSJ is a 3 hour flight. Going at 16x is cutting a 180 minute flight...well lets say 150 minutes (giving you 10 minutes off departure and 20 minutes to fly your landing)...down from 150 to 9 minutes and 20 seconds (roughly).

 

So...KEWR-TJSJ is not a good flight if you just want to be flying for about 40 minutes. Find something nice to fly for 40 minutes, at 1x. If for some reason you really have the desire to say "Hey, I flew KEWR to TJSJ" by practically jumping from departure to destination, do it offline. If you want to make it satisfying, save that route for a time you really can fly it.

[James Hudson 951027]

Fly at 1X, drink a case of Schlitz's chase it with a bottle of Goldschlagger your 12 hour flight will magically turn into a 2 hour flight. Blackouts are like time travel, you'll start in New York next thing you know you've over shot your arrival airport by 300 miles.

 

...on second thought don't listen to what I say.

ahahah. Nice. But seriously keep it as real as possible.