Hi, I've been flightsiming since 1992 but just now trying to get up the nerve to do my first online flight. One question, probably first of many. What does the expression "with alpha" mean?

Hi,Glad you are taking the plunge and joining online flying, you won't regret it.The expression "with alpha" or any other phonetic letter as far as I understand it, and you will see on here. that there are so many different levels of understanding, that someone else with more knowledge sometimes adds to a post and everyone learns something new. Some or rather most controllers on Vatsim give us the most up to date information about their controlled space such as weather and take off and landing runways, and as these change at various times of the day they alocate a letter to a time window and when you first make contact with a controller and tell him/her that you have information alpha, or some other letter, then the controller knows that you have read the latest report issued on his/her acars. I do not know if certain letters refer to specific times of the day or not sure someone may put me right on that.Enjoy online flyingregardsJohn CallejaBAW352

John's got the general idea. The ATIS on Vatsim gives things like ATC contact details and runway in use. In the real world it also gives the metar. When the ATIS changes, usually because the weather changes, the letter identifying it increases by one e.g. alpha is always followed by bravo.Sometimes it won't change for hours. On the other hand in the real world I once heard Thames Radar get through almost the entire alphabet in 12 hours during a snowy windy foggy day in London, UK.RuthDeputy Director, VATSIM-UK