Remember though with VATSIM you can only fly from-to where a controller is "on duty"vololiberista

Well, yes. To use ATC one has to be online of course. However nobody will kick you off the server if you depart from an airport where no ATC is online at the moment, and then later land at an airport with no ATC online. Just remember to state your intentions on UNICOM 122.800, it will make everything run rather smoothly even at airports that's relatively busy with no ATC online. Good luck!

Well, yes. To use ATC one has to be online of course. However nobody will kick you off the server if you depart from an airport where no ATC is online at the moment, and then later land at an airport with no ATC online. Just remember to state your intentions on UNICOM 122.800, it will make everything run rather smoothly even at airports that's relatively busy with no ATC online. Good luck!

Yes, but on the other hand that's not exactly authentic is it? In fact one could argue less authentic than the default ATC!!!!In my opinion RC4 or PFE are the best compromises. I prefer PFE as their voices are realistic and it allows pilot's discretion at strategic points.vololiberista

Yes, but on the other hand that's not exactly authentic is it? In fact one could argue less authentic than the default ATC!!!!In my opinion RC4 or PFE are the best compromises. I prefer PFE as their voices are realistic and it allows pilot's discretion at strategic points.vololiberista

Nah it get's a little boring to just state your intentions to yourself at JFK. But if you're flying VFR from an uncontrolled airfield it's as real as it gets

Thanks again guys. Will check out PFE before buying an ATC addon. Vatsim here we come!

Yes, but on the other hand that's not exactly authentic is it? In fact one could argue less authentic than the default ATC!!!!In my opinion RC4 or PFE are the best compromises. I prefer PFE as their voices are realistic and it allows pilot's discretion at strategic points.vololiberista

The sheer realism and knowledge you gain from flying real world procedures on Vatsim more then make up for the chance of a controller being offline. Europe is always busy in the evenings, and if crossing the Atlantic and leaving the UK around 7pm GMT I can guarantee I will have ATC when I hit the coast due to the time diffrence.I dont think anything can replace talking to real ATC and hearing the different accents on the Radio chatter enroute.

Yes, but on the other hand that's not exactly authentic is it? In fact one could argue less authentic than the default ATC!!!!....

Default ATC is not even capable of maintaining aircraft separation, so I would say that it is infact totally useless. Flying without atc is better than flying with the default one. Flying online is on a totally different level

Sounds pretty amazing tbh. Can anyone recommend a good beginners guide to Vatsim or is it all on their site? (I have to admit I haven't looked there in any detail yet). I literally wouldn't know where to start.

Its recommended to read through http://www.vatsim.net/prc/ at least once before you hop online. The amount of information is extensive, but its not that hard. You dont have to remember every single little thing, but it does helps to read it at least once. The controllers are usually very tolerant of new pilots, as long as the pilot is showing that he have made an effort of learning the basics instead of just hopping online without reading a single document. One thing that is expected from you is that you know the aircraft you are flying.

Many thanks indeed, I'll be having a good read through everything on the Vatsim site.

The UK division of Vatsim had arranged a massive ATC coverage of EGLL (London Heathrow) this evening and I think I counted 12 different controllers for the area. I first started from EDDN (Nürnberg in Germany) and talked to at least 10 different controllers on my way to EGLL. Unless my computer had crashed I would have talked to four more before pulling up at the gate. So all in all some 14 controllers on a 500 nm trip - not bad! :D Now I am crossing the Atlantic on my way to KJFK. Gotta love VATSIM! ;D

Fantastic, thanks for that insight :(

Double post, butone final question regarding Radar Contact:Is the ATC a bit 'prescribed'? It looks as thought you have to file your route prior to setting off. Does this mean that the ATC will always follow that route? For example, if I file a route from Birmingham, rwy33 to Edinburgh, rwy24, is that the exact route the ATC will take me, or will it use the current runways in use according to the weather? Will ATC divert an IFR flight due to changing weather conditions?

Double post, butone final question regarding Radar Contact:Is the ATC a bit 'prescribed'? It looks as thought you have to file your route prior to setting off. Does this mean that the ATC will always follow that route? For example, if I file a route from Birmingham, rwy33 to Edinburgh, rwy24, is that the exact route the ATC will take me, or will it use the current runways in use according to the weather? Will ATC divert an IFR flight due to changing weather conditions?

Hi Ed,I have never known ATC divert a flight, but that's not to say it would never happen. When you file your flight plan as per R/W then this is generally the route you will follow. ATC will frequently give you vectors however for traffic avoidance/convenience etc, again as per R/W. Runways will be assigned again depending on weather etc.As a PPL holder I have some limited experience with ATC in the UK and USA and can say that online controllers add a real dimension of realism and it is a totally absorbing experience. Well recommended.As an aside I use IVAO which is due to compatibility issues I have experienced with FSX/Win7 and squwakbox. Both networks however will provide hours of endless entertainment. Good luck.

hi guys,As with all good things ,our fellow human beings can spoil things!Years ago when flying online I was departing from an uncontrolled airport ,having used the unicom function when I was subjected to an abusive barrage from another pilot who was about to land.As I had been monitoring the unicom band for some 30 mins this pilot was not following Vatsim guidelines and announcing his intentions.As I fly for my enjoyment I quit flying on line some five years ago.!Many other pilots have had similar events happening to them and just do not fly online anymore.For that reason I would say use Radar Contact and download the alternate voice package from Avsim.The voices used on Radar Contact are actual voices from fellow simmers ,but bearing in mind that this product is older than PFE in its current form the voice choice in PFE is better.Radar Contact version 5 is in the offing ,perhaps later this year!Norman Bowman

hi guys,As with all good things ,our fellow human beings can spoil things!Years ago when flying online I was departing from an uncontrolled airport ,having used the unicom function when I was subjected to an abusive barrage from another pilot who was about to land.As I had been monitoring the unicom band for some 30 mins this pilot was not following Vatsim guidelines and announcing his intentions.As I fly for my enjoyment I quit flying on line some five years ago.!Many other pilots have had similar events happening to them and just do not fly online anymore.For that reason I would say use Radar Contact and download the alternate voice package from Avsim.The voices used on Radar Contact are actual voices from fellow simmers ,but bearing in mind that this product is older than PFE in its current form the voice choice in PFE is better.Radar Contact version 5 is in the offing ,perhaps later this year!Norman Bowman

Hey Norman,Shame you would let one bad apple spoil things for you. No matter what you do in life you will always come across some people like that. You need thick skin in life and if someone makes you feel uncomfortable stand up for yourself and let them know, otherwise they will keep treating people like that.I've been on Vatsim for about 5-6 years now and luckily not had a pilot try to start a fight over something stupid. I've seen some stupid things in my time that made me wonder why someone would go through the hassle of signing up downloading software just to try and cause chaos, usualy just kids and most of the time kinda funny, like some kid who used to log on to EHAM in a Helicopter and try to tell people he was customs doing a check for drugs!!Also one guy with Ryanair virtual landed at EGSS and refused to vacate! the result was a bunch of us sat at the gate waiting to pushback for 30mins before a sup was called to kick him off, another guy who was in a holding pattern had no choice but to turn crash detection off and land on top of him!I've also done something stupid, departing Bahrain in a A320 with low visibility I 'Thought' a KLM MD11 had vacated after landing 30R winds we're calm and I lined up on 12L set TOGA thrust and rotated only missing him by a few feet! If I used FLEX reduced thrust we would have crashed.Obviously he was very upset since he had just flown 7hrs all the way from Amsterdam. Note to self, announce on unicom.BTW it is not a requirement to announce on Unicom, just considered good practice if uncontrolled.