First off...let me say how much my two flights have increased my enjoyment. Unreal!!! Was able to set everything up in less then an hour and was off flying with Voice ATC. Amazing.Now for the "FNG" questions...:-roll The most important thing I am having trouble with is the Error message I get sometimes about Incompatible Aircraft trying to load. I downloaded and installed per the instructions Common Shapes Library for Squawkbox. BTW, I am using FS9. Should that of fixed it? What am I missing here.Second thing. Another Aircraft passed below me and as I was wathing it, it seemed to have quite a bit of LAG. Was really jumpy. Is that normal? I have a Cable modem. Third thing...looking for software to crete the Flightplans. The only link I see is FSBuild 2.0. Is there another one that is not payware? Someone told me that the 1.4 version still works, but I have not found a working link for it yet. Forth thing...I was flying a departure out of KORD, and the controller said I needed to add a ORD 1 Departure in my flightplan. Can anyone explain to me what that is? And the very last thing...(at least for this post :)) Is there a requirment for working ATC? I have been using ATC Simulator for 2 years now, and would feel fairly comfortable trying that out. Any info on that would be apprieciated...Thanks all for giving me a reason to fly!!!!

I am glad to hear your first two flights were so enjoyable. Welcome to VATSIM.>The most important thing I am having trouble with is the Error>message I get sometimes about Incompatible Aircraft trying to>load. I downloaded and installed per the instructions Common>Shapes Library for Squawkbox. BTW, I am using FS9. Should>that of fixed it? What am I missing here.This is a problem we have all needed to deal with using FS9.The cure is adding the aircraft to your FS9 config file under a header called FrameCallNoWarn.http://forums.avsim.net/dcboard.php?az=sho...ing_type=search>Second thing. Another Aircraft passed below me and as I was>wathing it, it seemed to have quite a bit of LAG. Was really>jumpy. Is that normal? I have a Cable modem. This is normal but will be much improved at a yet unknown date when Squawkbox version 3 is released.>Third thing...looking for software to crete the Flightplans. >The only link I see is FSBuild 2.0. Is there another one that>is not payware? Someone told me that the 1.4 version still>works, but I have not found a working link for it yet. http://ourworld.compuserve.com/homepages/a...er1/fsbuild.htmInstall 1.40 then install the upgrade to 1.43>Forth thing...I was flying a departure out of KORD, and the>controller said I needed to add a ORD 1 Departure in my>flightplan. Can anyone explain to me what that is? It is a SID (Standard Instrument Departure)These are charts used for a departure. On an arrival, you may be asked about a STAR (Standard Terminal Arrival)Here is the one you are asking about:http://clearanceunlimited.com/SID-STAR-IAP...iles/ohare1.zipHere are links that you can get others from:Charts:http://clearanceunlimited.com/SID-STAR-IAP/chts-main.shtmlhttp://edj.net/cgi-bin/echoplate.plhttp://www.naco.faa.gov/ap_diagrams.asphttp://www.ead.eurocontrol.int/http://www.eurocontrol.int/ais/index.html>And the very last thing...(at least for this post :)) Is>there a requirment for working ATC? I have been using ATC>Simulator for 2 years now, and would feel fairly comfortable>trying that out. Any info on that would be apprieciated...Go to the regional website you are interested in and look for links to applications there. Those can be found by starting at the vatsim.net website. Since your questions seem to be about a flight in USA airspace, start here: http://vatusa.org/training/

Thank you very much Mike. I was able to 'visit' with a controller out of DEN that was most helpful. We were the only two on Roger Wilco at the time. An incredible amount of knowledge was passed on by him. I don't know how much of it I actually caught! :) Okay....So with a few more flights under my belt...I can say for sure, this thing is the best thing since sliced bread! The thing I am having most trouble with is how to put the STARs in my flightplan. But I am off to get the FSBuild now. So maybe that will help.Thanks again!! Oh..BTW I Passed my entrance test for the controller just barely (80%)on the vatusa.org site. The ones I missed were ones I should have known! Hopefully I will embark on another new adventure. I think that knowing both sides of the situation will add all that much more to the enjoyment.Thanks again...and any other suggestions would be greatly accepted.

Fantastic!Here are examples of flight plans with a SID and a STARKLAS IDALE1 HEC CIVET CIVET4 KLAX IDALE1 is a SID (RNAV) "departure" and CIVET4 is a STAR "arrival"KLAS MCCRN1.BTY OAL.MOD2 KSFO MCCRN1 is a vectored departure to the BTY VOR wich is the departure transition OAL is a VOR which is a "transition" to the MODESTO 2 STAR "arrival"Download those charts and it will be much clearer to you.

http://www.clearanceunlimited.com/SID-STAR...chts-main.shtmlthere's quite a few charts available here if youre stuck for charts.

Another good source for domestic (US) charts is www.myairplane.com.