I tried it a few years ago with FS2K. The software problem is well documented here, so I won't go into that. I'll just give a summary of my memorable experiences..1. Phoenix. I taxied to the wrong runway. Controller blew a gasket. My apologies were a waste of time.2. Los Angeles. Controller gave me bad vectors to final (missed approach). Sensing this was a new controller, I said no problem, just vector me back around. Flustered controller apologizes and disappears.3. Atlanta. Controller has a crappy mic, or a speech impediment. Told him I was having trouble understanding him and asked him to switch to text. He kept yammering at me, anyway. After I landed, he was still yammering.. welcomed me to Atlanta 4 or 5 more times... I just wanted to taxi to the gate. Either he was lonely, or I was getting the full treatment being the only airplane landing at the busiest airport on earth.4. Newark. I was part of a handful of planes that hit the approach controller at the same time. The controller snapped us all in line like little ducks is a row, kept us separated and we all landed one behind the other, just like it's supposed to work. Totally cool.Any other experiences were totally forgettable, as there was no ATC where I was flying. This is the biggest drawback to me. Everyone is spread out over different networks. Since it seems unlikely the competing networks will ever merge, my VATSIM and IVAO memberships will probably continue to go unused. One good online experience isn't enough for me to hassle with the buggy software, massive ATC holes and multiple memberships. For online flying to become a hit, there needs to be user-friendly software and ONE major network that uses voice (text as emergency backup only). A unified environment would allow more ATC positions to be staffed and you'd naturally get more traffic. A more realistic environment would draw even more people in. I'd like to fly online and even try my hand at controlling, but not in it's current dysfunctional state.

I have flown on Vatsim for 2 years, here are my comments:1) Connection sucks - Agreed. This is something that Vatsim should have fixed a long time ago and quite frankly there is no excuse. My work around was to set up FSAutostart to handle the entire startup process (thanks Ken).2) No ATC where I want to fly. - Did you know that you can fly online (in areas not covered by live ATC) using MS default ATC or Radar Contact. - While this works it is important to be very aware of your surroundings and be prepared to switch over to live ATC if they are online.3) No traffic where I am flying. - Again you can fly online with PAI, default, Ultimate Traffic in unstaffed areas where there is no traffic. You will need to switch back over to the live scenario once ATC is online or you see lots of traffic on TCAS. - Search the Vatsim forum for info on how to do this.4) ATC with attitude. - I have really never seen this, although I have seen many pilots giving the controller a hard time. _ I fly all over the world in Vatsim and in those countries where I may not know the procedures perfectly or don't have the chart, or am having trouble with the accent, I have only ever encountered very freindly ATC that have helped me through the flight....so once SB3 is out, get online.!!!Mark.

i would like to fly online, since i play almost every game i have online.Okay i know how to land a A340, i know little about procedures but there is one or two reason i havent dared yet1.) Where do i start ? It seems pretty complicated to fly online2.) Im a total noob flying online, and im german so i dont know if everyone will understand me or if i will understand the ATCLike "uhhh what did you say?" or like "say again please ???"I think that is the one reason i didnt try it out yet.

>I mainly fly USA west coast flights. I expect to expand to>the pacific and the rest of the USA, but sadly it seems there>arent many USA controllers. I never see controllers for the>west coast and its a waste of time to go through teh work of>logging on to be more alone online than off-line. AI is>sparce off-line but you know it will always be there. ATC is>awkward off-line, but atleast its there.>I dont want to hope and pray for the chance to interact with>one controller over the course of 2 or more hours and 500nm. >Hmmm you must be on at 3am to never see controllers on the west coast in Vatsim.Cause the west Coast tends to be near the top on Center staffing hours on Vatsim.Look here at Vatsim's Iron Mic thread, which notes the top 10 Centers with the most hours during each week, and you'll see Oakland, Albuquerque, Los Angeles, and Denver tend to be in the top 10 in Center hours quite often.http://forums.vatsim.net/viewforum.php?f=2...b21df0ad4d7e4f3Regards.Ernie.

Sadly the 44,000 mile trip my packets take just to get to the servers and 44,000 back is what kills my online usage... normal latency for me is about 800ms on the two way satellite :(Its fast but not interactive enough for the flying which is a complete bummer and the only thing that holds me back.Jonathan O'Connor

There is still the obnoxious problem of not enough controllers, not nearly enough to cover the 24 hours cycle. I fly largely between 6PM and might Pacific Time in the US, well guess what.... that lets me out of flying in Europe doesn't it, because the European area controllers ARE ALL IN BED SLEEPING! .... I would too, but the point is online flying is not as real as it gets is it!Randy Jura, KPDX

I do fly online, but not very often because:1. Butt-headed controllers ruin my day. 2. More often than not. no controllers out there where I'm flying.3. Controllers logoff shortly after I connect (must be me ;)) 4. I have to leave the beauty of Ultimate Traffic traffic at wondefully populated airports. Garyedit: engrish correction

For me , the initial reason I bailed out on VATSIM was a little to do with the multi-software complexity, which was a bit confusing at first, but more to do with the fact that I absolutely ABHORRED typing my responses to ATC, especially, in IMC on a difficult approach (say Innsbruck) and with other traffic in the pattern. When I asked, via the forums, why text responses were still being used when, at that time, Roger Wilco was freely available, I was told that controllers need to learn text technique as they work their way up the ladder to voice control. No thanks, goodbye. And, as Geof and a few others have mentioned, it became harder for me to find the time for an uninterrupted session after our first, and then second child was born. Things time-wise are a bit better now, and I've once-again started flying online, though only domestically with the tremendous guys over at WestcoastATC.com. There's always something going on, some scheduled fly-in, with 10 or 20 aircraft filing for clearances simultaneously, and usually at least 5 or 6 planes arriving or departing at the same time you do. The only supplemental software required is the Teamspeak communications software, and Westcoast also has a simple software add-on that allows you tune use your FS radios using the panel knobs or Go-Flight external harware! Too cool.http://www.2decker.com/media/solent1-2.JPAlex ChristoffN562ZBaltimore, MD