Who to talk to?

[Yukun Lin 1067314]

I'm new to VATSIM, n when i connect to an airport with no ground or tower controller, do i talk to the depature controller or center controller in the area?

[Michael Wohry 919629]

Tune your radio to the socalled Unicom frequency (122.800). Bear in mind that this is a text only frequency and there you can report your intentions, e.g. "KJFK traffic, taxing holdingposition RWY 22L"

[David Klain 874106]

MIchael doesn't have it quite right. On VATSIM higher level controllers will provide services for lower level positions. For example:

 

- If no CLNC DEL online, call ground for clearance.

- If no ground online, call tower for clearance.

- If no tower online, call Approach for clearance.

- If no approach online, call center for clearance.

- If no center online, use UNICOM as there are no controllers currently providing services in your area.

 

Dave

[Mark Baranyai 1068222]

Hello!

 

1 more qestion, do i need clearance on unicom? Everythings stay as like as flying with ATC?

 

Thanks, Mark.

[Lennart Vedin]

Unicom 122.8 is only applicable when there are no ATC control applicable in your area.

 

i.e.

- If no CLNC DEL online,

- If no ground online,

- If no tower online,

- If no approach online,

- If no center online,

Then there are no ATC control availabel for your location.

 

If no ATC available, then no one can give you any clearance nor any approve or instructions. Follow the rules and be ATC for your self.

[Norman Blackburn]

Mark,

 

When you are on unicom there is no controller to issue a clearance.

[Tony Pucca]

What if the only center or tower controller online is for a neighboring airport within your area? Unicom or neighbor's tower?

[Norman Blackburn]

If they don't cover your airport then they can't give clearance.

[David Saunders 818672]

Unicom - Usually 122.800 99.9% of the time but can vary depends where you are within the world.

 

Example :

 

On Stand at EGLL :-

 

DEL (Delivery) - this is who you will call for a clearance

 

GND (Ground) - this is who to call for your taxi instructions to the Active runway

 

TWR (Tower) - This is who to call for Takeoff Clearance and Landing clearances

 

APP (Approach) - this is who to call when within 40miles of the aerodrome for vectoring to the final approach

 

CTR (Centre) - This who to call for onward ATC, includes climbs, descents

 

 

ok now for the hard part, who to call, always look for the controller 1st in the list, so we start as if all positions are manned

 

departing ------ EGLL_DEL (Clearance) - EGLL_GND (Taxi) - EGLL_TWR (Takeoff) - LON_CTR (Onward) - ????_CTR

 

Arriving ------ ????_CTR - LON_CTR(Descend) - EGLL_APP(vectoring) - EGLL_TWR(landing) - EGLL_GND(Taxi)

 

 

this is a basic start to finish of who to call and for what, if however there is no DEL then work up the list to you get to a controller with the appropriate callsign, if you get to CTR and there are no controllers then tune to 122.800 and monitor the UNICOM freq and state intentions, ie Taking off RWY 27L EGLL, you can state as little or as much information as you like on unicom, if you are at EGLL and there is a controller on as TWR at a neighbouring airfield, then DONT call for clearances etc!, unless there callsign correcponds to the airport your at, they dont control you, as has been mentioned VATSIM work a TOP down system, so anybody controlling CTR can give you a clearance and taxi instructions for airports under there zone, again this depends on where in the world you are flying from.

 

A good way to see if a controller can control you is open Servinfo or VATSPY, enter in the airfiled your at, if you see a controller in the List, then there is a 99% chance that will give you some sort of control at that airfield.

[Tony Pucca]

Does that priority list work bottom up if you're approaching your destination? For instance, when I make a flight I take off and soon I'm handed off by Center to.... someplace where there's no coverage, and I'm not told the exact center to contact once there is coverage again... so I'm off flying a route on Unicom. But if I get to my destination region and there's no Center controller but an Approach Control for a neighboring field, should I check in with them or just fly my route to my destination on Unicom all the way? (I don't have ServInfo or Vatspy, since I'm on Mac...)

[Paul Byrne]

Hi Tony,

 

ATC service is provided "Top Down". Which means a CTR will provide service to all radar positions and most Tower positions below him. However, an TWR controller can not provide service to any positions above the Tower position, but will provide Ground and Delivery services for the airport they are at..

 

I've found the best thing to do in a situation like this is to ask the controller yourself. Some controllers airspace on VATSIM may be larger that you expect and the controller may be controlling the area you are flying into.

 

For example. If you see BOS_APP online, this controller will actually provide service to multiple airports within his airspace (15 in total) and not just Boston airport.

 

When in doubt, always ask.

 

Hope this helps.

 

Cheers!

Paul.

[Tony Pucca]

Thanks! Can't wait for my next vatsim flight... always learning...