May 12, 201313 yr I have joined VATSIM but not flown under control yet. Seems (correct me if wrong) to be focused on other than GA aviation. i.e. Commercial/VA. I now fly exclusively GA. So is VATSIM really for me? Oh yes! That's one thing, I wanted to mention. You can also fly VFR. That's what I do most of the time, because I'm no longer into that IFR thingy. If your departure airport is currently under control, you get taxi instructions, takeoff clearance and departure instructions. If your destination airport is under control make sure you call the controller approx. 5 minutes before entering the controlled airspace. Then you will get arrival instructions and later the landing clearance and taxi instructions. Enroute you can fly completely on your own or you can request flight following. A couple of things will help: e.g. understanding the different classes of airspace, A, B, C, D, E and their requirements, standard pattern procedures and a little radio phraseology. It is sooo much better than flying offline. --------------------------- Blue Skies, Gottfried www.blueskyscenery.com
May 12, 201313 yr Author Thanks again everyone for all the responses so far. I think I will have to join when I get back from my trip. Heading up to Alaska in a couple days!!! . Look forward to seeing you all online when I get back! Regards, Kevin LaMal "Facts Don't Care About Your Feelings" - Shapiro2024
May 12, 201313 yr So you're saying PilotEdge controllers are not helpful and that it's not an easy way to break the ice given the guaranteed availability of controllers? I have used the service in the past and they were patient, helpful, and I would recommend them to any one who enjoys West Coast US flights. Heavy or GA. Xplane, FSX, or FS9. He didn't say that at all. One major aspect you are not stating however, is that VATSIM is free, and PilotEdge is not....
May 12, 201313 yr He didn't say that at all. One major aspect you are not stating however, is that VATSIM is free, and PilotEdge is not.... Guess I was confused with the Disagree to my statement part. Correct, Pilotedge is a paid service. Cheap though, but free is free. Both have their pros and cons and it's nice to have options.
May 12, 201313 yr VATSIM to offline flying is like the NGX to the default 737, it will take effort to learn to aviate, navigate and communicate but once you get there you'll love it.
May 12, 201313 yr Commercial Member VATSIM to offline flying is like the NGX to the default 737 True enough. The majority of VATSIM Pilots will tell you that they wished they'd became members long before they did. Two things really keep people away from VATSIM. 1. Ther perceived learning curve, 2. Not knowing how to use the radio, or just apprehension of talking where others a can hear. This is normal. I remember my first time using the radio in the military... man oh man! I think most guys new to VATSIM struggle with this - of course it's all in one's head, no need to be nervous. Everyone on VATSIM remembers when they first started. VATNA/VATUSA PILOT TRAINING PROGRAM While nothing in offline flying will prepare you for flying in a realistic enviornment, the learning curve IS NOT nearly as bad as people think. Still, there is a better way of introducing people to the network. I'm currently tasked with starting a Pilot Training Program for VAT-North America / VATUSA that will be radically different than anything that has ever existed. Scheduled classed (Saturday and Sunday) hosted in a Virtual Classroom with a certified instructor and a separate Duty Instructor to answer specific short questions who will also be able to pop you into a private training room. All VATSIM Pilots will be welcome to take part in the classes. The classes are Practical Application and topic specific. They are not Certifications, we're working with and leaving that up to the ATOs to do. Our goal is to shorten the learning curve and get people up and flying without their having problems. Look for the official annoucement sometime around July 2013.Most of the Instructors will come from the ATC ranks, thougha anyone such as real world pilots (General or ATP) or those hard core sim pilots should consider applying to join the instructor staff. It's a little too early for questions, but if you really have to ask one, please PM me. Dave Dave Hodges System Specs: I9-13900KF, NVIDIA 4070TI, Quest 3, Multiple Displays, Lots of TERRIFIC friends, 3 cats, and a wonderfully stubborn wife.
May 12, 201313 yr Dave, that's awesome and would recommend to anyone at least join up with one of the VATSIM regional groups, I'm currently doing my P1 in vatsim.uk and really enjoying being part of a let's face it niche of a niche hobby. Would agree that speaking online is frightening for everyone at first as its a strange language that seems to make no sense at first. However everyone on their seems to be real helpful and when I started I just flew in and out of less busy airports. Its also for all types of flying and feedback I've had from controllers is that is nice for them not to have yet another IFR tube liner in their space.
May 12, 201313 yr Author "The majority of VATSIM Pilots will tell you that they wished they'd became members long before they did." I keep seeing this everywhere that I find when researching vatsim/online flying...looking forward to becoming part of the community. Regards, Kevin LaMal "Facts Don't Care About Your Feelings" - Shapiro2024
May 12, 201313 yr I have joined VATSIM but not flown under control yet. Seems (correct me if wrong) to be focused on other than GA aviation. i.e. Commercial/VA. I now fly exclusively GA. So is VATSIM really for me? There are special GA events going on on VATSIM. And anyway - its fun to listen to ATC and to fly into staffed airpot So try it! Good luck!
May 12, 201313 yr VATSIM to offline flying is like the NGX to the default 737, it will take effort to learn to aviate, navigate and communicate but once you get there you'll love it. exactly! --------------------------- Blue Skies, Gottfried www.blueskyscenery.com
May 12, 201313 yr I love VATSIM and have my P1 rating. They provide all their services for free, but in return expect the pilot to be semi-versed in real-world procedures. In the UK, they provide excellent training. It is a huge ladder to climb, but well worth it, even just to get a quarter way up. If you're a member of the overclockers.co.uk forum, have a look for the 'Official FSX' Thread and message me in there if you need help.
May 12, 201313 yr I've been on Vatsim for maybe a couple weeks now, and I can't imagine flying any other way now. The ATC programs like radar contact are fine but they're 100% predictable. With live controllers there's spontaneity, you never know what instructions might get thrown at you.
May 12, 201313 yr Do you have to follow the certification things when starting out on VATSIM? I don't really have the patience to start on small hop VFR flights as i just want to fly my heavies lol. James Bennett
May 12, 201313 yr For those that are leary on joining online ATC, Pilotedge also records ATC daily http://www.pilotedge.net/audio/today to give you an idea of what goes on and what to expect. I used to listen all the time, even more than liveatc. Kinda neat.
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