My first IVAO flight, did ehm... not go so well...

[ttkl 0]

Just remember one thing we all had to start some where, i do atc in real life at a small local airfield, but i still get nervis when i talk to atc whilst flying on ivao.Regards Tim Clarke

[Houghton11 12]

2- Ivao or UT2 : you can only run one at the time. online flying or UT2 you have to choose. Anyway, you can install UT2 and that way when you want to fly offline you can use your UT2 software: pretty cool! thats what i do. Once you got UT2 installed, i'll tell you what to do, but nothing complicated here, just disable traffic in UT2.

I know with FSINN on VATSIM, I can still have UT2 traffic whilst on-line. Normally I disable it though to avoid confusion. This I understood was because UT2 uses the SimConnect interface to place aircraft in the environment yada yada yada as opposed to the traditional traffic.bgl method.

[WTE_Pharoah 7]

hey mateI fly on VATSIM but same thing. Before I fly from a major airport with ATC, I always ensure I have:1. charts (SID/STAR) and2. taxi way chartsRe the calls, thats why they request a readback of instructions - so that you don't miss it. if the ATC is too hard to understand (happens), just request in text. Also, ATC make mistakes as well eg. they may give you the right SID for the wrong runway or vice versa - all you do is say 'but xxx is for rwy 26R not 26L' and they will check. If you don't have the charts, just request a radar dep (half the time flying out of Sydney ie. YSSY, I get Sydney 1 dep, which is just climb on rwy heading and wait for vectors!!).Once you get 2-3 under your belt, you'll get a lot more comfortable and will actually enjoy the experience. Now I actively LOOK for the airports with ATC as I realise its a challenge but a good one, esp when dealing with RL ATC and RL pilots.

[William J.S.S 173]

Stick with it man.My first flight on VatSim was a complete disaster....Now, I like to think that I am proficient at it. It all takes time, plus, it is a given that you will be not ready for your first time talking to real people...it can be pretty intense the first time.My first flight was a busy busy ATC at KATL....like 20 departures, and more arrivals expected in about 2 hours...it was mad.

[bakaman 28]

A couple of quick hints when it comes to unicom1: If there's no traffic in close vicinity you are not required to transmit on unicom, infact, you are discouraged to transmit on unicom.2: When you transmit on UNICOM make sure that what you say makes sense to people who are unfamiliar. For example, "KJFK traffic, at FL290, descending on CAMRN4 to cross CAMRN at 11 000" is not a very good message. Nobody except the pilots who are very familiar with the area knows where the CAMRN4 arrival goes, where the CAMRN waypoint is and not only that, its generally too far away from KJFK to be very useful to the other pilots going to JFK. A more appropriate transmission could be "KJFK traffic, about 20nm west at 4000, planning ILS4R, will call when turning final". In the last example the other pilots do not need to have a great amount of experience and knowledge about the airspace you fly in. It should be obvious to everybody in the JFK area where your plane is.

totally agree!!!! and i see many people doing what you said (i mean the inappropriate transmission you were talking about).

[rocketfs 2]

@rocketfs. When and how can I do exams (in the future)?

Hey Arjen,For exams, basically you need a certain amount of flight hours before you can apply. You can get a rating when you passed both theoretically and practical tests. If you fail, you need to wait a bit (depending of how bad you failed) in order to practice more.Concerning exams, a link to the BE-website (although I'm sure NL has something too)http://be.ivao.aero/select pilot/pilot training/exams.also this one.http://ivao.aero/training/Bert Van Bulck

[ArjenVdv 190]

I just did my 3rd flight on IVAO, from EHRD to LEIB. Went really well, until I was on final approach. I wanted to hide the IVAP window by pressing Ctrl+F9, and then FSX crashed. Damn it! Any solution?

[smokeyupahead 6]

Finally decided to really get started online, this time on IVAO. I was planning a flight from EDDM to EHAM. Planning went ok. I do not have a headset, but the controller of Munich was talking to me and I could here him. He was quite hard to understand, lol. He told me to take the INPUD1S SID, and I had to take off from runway 26R. That's where the trouble started. I chose INPUD1S in the FMC, and it turned out that that SID belongs to 26L instead of 26R. So I requested pushback, and thought, that I had to go to 26L because I had to do the INPUD1S SID. Then after pushback was completed the controller told me that I was faced in the wrong direction. Then I got really confused. Then I asked again which runway, and then he told me 26R again, telling me a lot of taxiways. I can't remember that whole list of taxiways! So I made a 180, then I found out I forgot to print my ground charts, *facepalm*. So I parked my aircraft in the middle of some taxiway, printed my charts and asked the taxi route again. I had to go to taxiway N first. Getting my ground charts with me, finding N on the chart, then figure out where I am. Finally I knew where to go. In the end I succesfully made it to the runway via N and A13. I took off succesfully and switched to UNICOM.OMG, this was so much harder than I expected, and I don't even have a headset yet! Controllers which can be hard to understand, remembering all those taxiways he named. And then the controller makes a mistake too! Assigning me 26R with the INPUD1S SID, while actually 26R should be INPUD1N. This created a lot of misunderstandings and miscommunitions. And I had to ask to say some things again several times.I told him in the beginning that it was my first flight on IVAO, he said "no problem, sir.", but still, I felt like a big noob! While actually I perfectly know how to operate and land the NGX! Communicating with ATC makes aviation so much harder, but also this is a good way to learn for me.If you have any tips, you're welcome.Thanks!

That happened to me too the first time!I'm sure the first time wasen't that great for anyone!Don't worry try again, at least you wont repeat the same mistake, you'll make another one but after a few times you'll be ok and more confident.

[Fabo 213]

- Join a VA as they often have training and tick lists - (FLY UK is the one I use)

Please, do. There are many VAs, and while some will not be very friendly to a rookie pilot, most are.Another good idea is to contact your divisions training department. If you are in Netherland division, ask at nl-tc@ivao.aero or nl-tac@ivao.aero or on official division forums for a contact to a trainer.

- Learnt the above after I decided in your situation to go with the IVAO world tour as a rookie (a top learning experience) - Leant the above trick in S Amercia - Tell ATC what you want. Most of the time you will get it and if you don't you are at the gate to amend. (Tip: Pre plan everything you want)

Please, DON'T. I do not assume this is the case with you, Adam, or would be for you, Arjen, but World Tour is riddled with pilots that are pure and simple uncapable of flying it half right. No charts, no idea, direct route seems to be the mindset, being unable to do what ATC wants you to do, does not help. This is why some divisions straight out opted not to allow world tours to tract through their airports. Even if you wanted to fly right, do your preflight, etc. you are running into risk of being considered yet another badge-hunter, which is not really good.

On IVAO I believe controllers don't need any training to man Towers or Ground position (They do on VATSIM, but I'm not going to start another tiering VATSIM vs IVAO debate here), so this might be the reason you got confusing runway/SID, or maybe it was something completely different that caused it.

Just a little info, on IVAO exists a system of "FRAs" that basically means limits on specific ATC positions. These are set by divisions and thus vary country to country, but generally, a total newbie ATC will only be able to connect to a tower of small, out of the way airport, gaining access to major airports and higher positions by the way of training and experience.On EDDM limit seems to be at least S3 for all positions and all times, APP for C1 all time (and thus guaranteed exam passed). Tower has S3 or C1 in the evening.

Just did my second IVAO flight, from LOWW to EHRD. Already went a lot better. There were some inconviences again though... I was again a little nervous. In the beginning I asked LOWW_DEL (this is clearence delivery correct?), for IFR clearence via a text message. I heard the controller talking to other aircraft but I didn't get any response. He probably didn't see my text message and I have not headset yet. After requesting 3 times, I just decided to pushback myself. Then he said "Transavia 5862, you do not have clearence yet". So I wrote another text message requesting IFR again, and now he responded normally. I got clearence for departing MOTIX1C from RW29. I got handed off to GND, this time I had my ground charts prepared and studied them a little before, so taxing to the runway was no problem. Then I got handed off to TWR, took off normally. Then I got a yellow warning light on panel in front of me. After a few minutes I figured out I forgot to close the front left cabin door! *facepalm*. Never forget this normally, missed that point on my checklist I guess. But anyway, I closed the door in mid air, had to manually adjust cabin temps. In the end warning light disappaered and no problems. I got handed off to Vienna Radar, then Munich Radar, then UNICOM. In then end when coming in for approach at Rotterdam EHRD, no controllers were available but still kept transmitting messages on UNICOM. I touched down perfectly with -50 fpm. Vacated the runway, and taxied to gate D3. This already went a lot better then my first flight. I guess after around 10 flights I will be comfortable with everything.Just a few question about IVAO:1. As what aircraft do the controllers see me? I have set B738 in my flightplan, but in the MTL section I could only choose between a Dash 8 and LJ45. Where can I download all other MTL models and liveries so that the controllers actually see me as a B738?2. Can I use AI traffic when online on IVAO? I currently don't have UT2, but I'm thinking about buying it. It's great programm, but doesn't the AI traffic disappear when going onto IVAO?Thanks.P.S. And yes bakaman, that would be great I'll send you a PM.@rocketfs. When and how can I do exams (in the future)?

Most all of this has been answered. About ratings and exams:http://www.ivao.aero/training/Click Ratings/Pilot Ratings.

A couple of quick hints when it comes to unicom1: If there's no traffic in close vicinity you are not required to transmit on unicom, infact, you are discouraged to transmit on unicom.2: When you transmit on UNICOM make sure that what you say makes sense to people who are unfamiliar. For example, "KJFK traffic, at FL290, descending on CAMRN4 to cross CAMRN at 11 000" is not a very good message. Nobody except the pilots who are very familiar with the area knows where the CAMRN4 arrival goes, where the CAMRN waypoint is and not only that, its generally too far away from KJFK to be very useful to the other pilots going to JFK. A more appropriate transmission could be "KJFK traffic, about 20nm west at 4000, planning ILS4R, will call when turning final". In the last example the other pilots do not need to have a great amount of experience and knowledge about the airspace you fly in. It should be obvious to everybody in the JFK area where your plane is.

@1: I strongly disagree. Transmitting on UNICOM even if there is no traffic in immediate vicinity is considered good airmanship, although you should keep track off your messages, no need to report on every single enroute fix. Usually I send a message a five minutes and monitor all time. On approach, if you are a single airplane in vicinity, entering STAR, leaving STAR and on final message are a good practice, if there is traffic, coordinate. By no means are you discouraged from transmitting anything flgiht-related on unicom.@2: This is good practice, I would recommend that.

[Roman 47]

In the beginning I asked LOWW_DEL (this is clearence delivery correct?), for IFR clearence via a text message. I heard the controller talking to other aircraft but I didn't get any response. He probably didn't see my text message and I have not headset yet.

You should know, that LOWW_DEL this day was also a beginner on IVAO. So this might be the reason for the problem with _DEL ;). btw I was your TWR ;)best regards

[mas618 17]

I just did my 3rd flight on IVAO, from EHRD to LEIB. Went really well, until I was on final approach. I wanted to hide the IVAP window by pressing Ctrl+F9, and then FSX crashed. Damn it! Any solution?

Arjen - I had this happen to me many times, but I've found a way to fix it.I assume you fly in full screen - as do I.I found a few basic steps, to prevent CTD.1. Be in windowed mode (alt+enter) while setting up FSX. Selecting airport, selecting aircraft, setting time/date, starting up weather programs and so on and so on.2. Be in windowed mode while starting up Ivap (IVAO) or Fsinn (VATSIM).3. As soon as Ivap has started up, I open a chatbox. the chatbox kan be to anyone - even a controllerposition which is not online. I live en Denmark,so I always open up EKDK_CTR - in your case you could open EHAA_CTR - what ever. In the Ivap, type .chat EKDK_CTR (or .chat EHAA_CTR) - the trick is to start with a decimal . before chat. That will open up a small chat window, which I then minimize and position in the lower left area of my screen, so it covers the area where the braking message appears. This serves several purposes:1. FSX don't like to mulittask while in full screen mode. So when you hide IVAP (without a chat window open) IVAP is sent to the taskbar. But with a chat window open, IVAP is really not "closed" away when you press alt+F9, only the the IVAP interface disappears. You'll notice how FSX is not stuttering or anything when you show/hide the IVAP window after a chat window is active.2. If you suffer from the FPS drop when mouse is visible in VC, placing your mouse on the chat window, will have same effect at placing the mouse in the menubar - no FPS drop.Once IVAP is runnning and connected and chat window is setup along with anything else running as an add-on, I go to full-screen again, and start flying.Hope this will prevent IVAP crashes for you - I never had IVAP cause a crash ever again after this. But keep remembering - FSX will never be crash-free. I run it on a tight system , and with all tweaks and tips going on, but you can never be safe ;)Mas Edited January 25, 2012 by mas618

[bakaman 28]

Hahaha ! I've been saying this for a looooooong time. WINDOWED MODE. It has just changed my fsx experience. No crash in several months, matter fact no more crash. Whereas constant CTD when full screen mode was on ! Just my experience.

[Sekstifire 10]

Real Men fly Windowed Mode™

[WebMaximus 372]

...or get a second networked PC to run all addons including IvAp letting you run FSX in fullscreen mode without any crashes... :wink:Sorry if this has already been mentioned but if not and regarding to increase your situational awareness both on the ground and in the air I highly recommend Aivlasoft's EFB, this addon is probably one of the best addons I ever bought for FS and I wouldn't want to be without it now that I got used to having it always running on my second PC while flying. Helps a lot when you want to know where exactly is that gate and/or taxiway etc etc...you will never again need to search for and print out any charts and it works with all the airports both default and payware you have in FSX and it's compatible with both IVAO and VATSIM to show other online traffic and no...I don't work for Aivlasoft :(

Edited January 25, 2012 by WebMaximus

[IVAOCONTROLANDPILOT 0]

Hello Im Tyler I also Started Like You Not Knowing What To Do But Now I Have Grown To Become A Pilot And ATC And Im Going To Be Taking My ADC Exams Very Soon If You Want Some Help I Will Be Happy To Help Im Normally Tower At East MidlandsEGNX_TWR Come Down And i will give you some help.Happy And Safe Landings Tyler