Newby desperate to fly on Vatsim !

[Gerard Zaugg 939396]

Hello,

I desperately try to fly on Vatsim but find it very difficult to get in. It took me a long time to get my ID and p[Mod - Happy Thoughts]word (had to be done manually)

When I arrive on the page http://vatsim.net, where do I go next ? The ATC applet doesn't work so where do I get the list of airports to start ?

I read somewhere that I need to go through a training (need again have to submit a username and another p[Mod - Happy Thoughts]word...) it seems endless !

 

So I would be grateful if you could give me a step by step procedure to stat that engine and take off !

 

Many thanks

 

Geezee

[Marc Sykes 852946]

www.vatsim.net/prc

[Jeremy Whittington 938747]

Start here:

 

http://www.vatsim.net/prc

 

This has a lot of docomeentation and a quiz to make sure you know the key points. Its not going to cover everything you need to know to jump up in the air. What type of flying are you wanting to do? What type of plane?

 

Depending on where you want to fly there are division websites. If the USA, goto http://www.vatusa.org and look for the Area you are going to fly on the right hand side. Each area has its own ATC division.

 

Basically a quick list of what you need:

 

1) FS9.1 patch from Microsoft

2) Either Fsinn + AVC, or Squawkbox + FSUIPC

3) ServerInfo to view what ATC's are online

 

Then depending on what type of flying you are going to do, charts, approach plates, airport information, ect.....

 

Hope this helps,

[Norman Blackburn]

2) Either Fsinn + AVC, or Squawkbox + FSUIPC

Squawkbox3 installs FSUIPC automatically so you dont even need to go find it.

[Gerard Zaugg 939396]

Well, thanks to all,

 

I have Squawkbox installed and set, FS9 patch and everything...

I've chosen Seattle ARTCC as my homebase.

When I connect Squawkbox and send the flightplan all is well but

I do not hear anything when I tune to Seattle Ground freq on 121.70

and I see that there is no (green) light on the COM window of Squawkbox.

 

How do I connect to the right frequency and get the lights on the COM windows of Squawkbox ?

Also, when i press the key for speaking, there is an awful bip, how do I get rid of it ?

 

Oh, I slo did the test in the abovementionned link but nothing happened there although I answered more than 80% to all tests ?

 

Many thanks for your precious support

 

Geezee

[Marc Sykes 852946]

Two things:

 

1) Is SEA_GND even online? If not it's rather pointless to connect to the frequency. SB3 has a controller list that shows everyone online within range. It could be that no-one is online, in which case you'd tune UNICOM on 122.8 and treat it as uncontrolled airspace. If some controllers are online, then it's possible a higher facility (SEA_TWR, SEA_APP, SEA_CTR in that order) would be covering clearance/ground services at KSEA, and you'd call him.

 

2) [Mod - Happy Thoughts]uming you were actually connected to SEA_GND and heard a buzz when trying to transmit on voice, that tells you that the controller is text only. Controllers who are voice rated have a _V_ in the middle of their callsigns (eg. SEA_V_GND as opposed to SEA_GND). So if he's text only you'll have to type to him. The same thing will happen on UNICOM, which is a text only channel. As annoying as this buzz is, it's a wonderful thing, because pilots use to connect to text-only controllers and try to transmit on voice all the time, then get angry that they weren't getting a response.

 

Hope this helps.

[Gerard Zaugg 939396]

Thanks Marc, sure it helps,

what airport(aerea) would you recommen to me where there is most chance to have an /V/ ATC controller online ?

And one more thing...where do you see which controller is online ? As I was on the ramp, there were other aircrafts,

but I did not hear anything nor would the voice traffic appear on Squawkbox ?

 

Many thanks