Can I "listen in" on VATSIM?

[turner112 52]

Just wondering if it's possible for one to listen to what's going on at VATSIM without being in active flight - and, preferably, without having to have FS running.Ideally, just over the web.Any help appreciated!thxAndrew

[Guest apollothethird]

To you specific question, the answer is no. That would be an unnecessary waste of bandwidth which is donated specifically as described.There are specifics for the beginner to listen without flying. The new pilot would file a flight plan from and to the same airport. This is described in the prc at http://www.vatsim.net/prc .-- L. James----------L. D. Jamesljames@apollo3.comwww.apollo3.com/~ljames

[turner112 52]

"That would be an unnecessary waste of bandwidth which is donated specifically as described."---------------------I. PILOT EXPECTATIONS...Keep in mind that legitimate observation to learn will always be encouraged as it is a necessary practice to become comfortable with using and functioning within the VATSIM environment.--------------------....Sitting on the ground for more than 30 minutes is not acceptable on VATSIM unless you are a new member trying to learn the flow of ATC communications.--------------------Therefore, I would think that an available technique or method which allows listening in without being active obviously satisfies both of the above expectations, and, in fact - wouldn't it decrease active use of bandwidth?Being able to listen in without would likely encourage more people to eventually become active in VATSIM as well. So it's a marketing tool as well.Thanks,Andrew

[Guest apollothethird]

Glad to see you were able to find the resource I pointed you to. As you see there is a provision for a new user to listen. However, I

[turner112 52]

Hi L.D. - Actually, I read through the guide (and searched a bit) before asking here. The main reason I'm interested in listening in is because most of the day, I am not near my simming PC.That said, LiveATC is pretty good - I've listened before... way before, when there were about 5 stations :) and will look for some smaller airports. It shows up as "Rock" in iTunes ;)My point above is that it's specifically stated that "legitimate observation" is encouraged, and I think that given the facility to listen without logging in - or, better, logging in but not having to have FS running - certainly qualifies as "legitimate".Well, I'll get started next week on joining and familiarizing myself with VATSIM... I was going to anyway, and I guess it's inevitable I'll get my feet wet sometime.Thanks,Andrew

[JayBirdski 1]

You'll be glad you did Andrew, it'll open up a whole new world of simming.Jay EklundCAT VI Senior Captain KDENhttp://online.vatsimindicators.net/812321/764.png

[hopskip 253]

I think you'd need to use ASRC/VRC in observer mode for that to work... and for that you'd have to set up your voice room to monitor the specific frequency you would like to listen to.