Realistic ATC

[bjratchf 80]

I'm curious as to what the instruction was, exactly, because the majority of the time, it's going to be related to a particular fix or specific location.  You'll note that I said that it's valid, but avoided.  I'm curious as to what your specific evidence is to show that it's a normal instruction.  In flying ten years (about half of that on instrument plans), I've never heard it.  If there's no specific fix crossing instruction, it's always just been a "descend and maintain" instruction.

 

 

 

 

I figured.  I'm just equally curious as to why you think it's normal, because I've never heard it except in these add-on programs, or informal instructions (VFR FF: "just in case you're unfamiliar with the area, you should be at X altitude at about Y miles from the field.")

 

Beyond being a pilot in the real world, myself, I've been involved in work with the FAA directly, which required work at the ATCSCC, Potomac TRACON, and I have a bunch of friends at ZDC.

 

Does Ginger still work at Potomac?

[Robert McDonald 167]

I guess NorthWest Central Australia and Sub-Saharan africa aren't "RW" then?

 

http://www.pprune.org/atc-issues/334215-no-atc-tiba-your-experiences.html

 

http://www.aviaddicts.com/wiki/atc:tiba

 

 

I love VATSIM, and a "Pay $15 a month to fly in California" network has little interest for this Australian.

 

Ok, so it's only going to be at it's best when you fly according to the VATSIM Flyin schedule, but when you do...

(Every link below is to an hour plus long youtube video which demonstrates a flight I have flown on Vatsim.)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

(yep, an 8+ hour video. Non-stop ATC the whole way. Thanks 777-200LR & Vatsim)

 

 

I fully admit, you can't just log onto VATSIM at "any time you want to" and get that kind of service. But there are enough events happening every week that you can always find some kind of traffic/ATC online somewhere over the course of a week. Knowing where to find out when/where these events will be at is half the battle (knowing which ones will be awesome and which ones will be quiet flops is something you learn by experience).

 

But the variety is very nice. Domestic hour long flights in the 737, smaller regional hops in the DH8D, Long haul trans atlantics in the 777, Medium freight hauls in the MD11, IFR flights in an unpressurized piston single, VFR flights in the same. Flights in Asia, Australia, Europe & the UK, USA etc.

 

That said, given the fact that the VATSIM schedule is something you have to work around can be an issue. Especially with longhaul enthusiasts who want to fly trans-pacific or trans-atlantic flights more than 2 or 3 times a year.

 

Whatever "works" for any given Pilot is great.  You're clearly happy with VATSIM.  I used to be as well.  Then my needs changed.  I wanted block-to-block ATC throughout the flight EVERY TIME I FLY.  If I really want to go nuts, I will fly into or out of the PilotEdge area on a long haul, example KSAN or KSFO to KJFK.  I have coverage on the takeoff/departure or on the approach/arrival.  

 

So I am happy with one service, you with another, others with robotic (computerized) ATC.  Any of them are just fine.

[scandinavian13 5,192]

BARET4 arrival into SAN. "Cross 25nm NE of PGY at and maintain 12,000."  For the landing west transition (which is the case 99% of the time), you're never going to make it to PGY.  That said, it might be in the flight plan and would still be easily accessible.

 

The only other "cross x miles east of [location]" instances that I know of have all occurred with fixes/VORs that are along the cleared route.

 

Exactly - that's what I'm getting at.  Any reference is going to be an along-route reference.  PGY is along the routing of the STAR, and most of the others would be, so it's pretty easy to set one of those waypoints into the automation.

 

With some of the questions I see related to these ATC programs, that's not always the case.

 

 

 

Does Ginger still work at Potomac?

 

Sounds familiar, but not a name that I can put a face to.  Roscoe is still up there.  I'll be heading up there in a few weeks to meet up with him and get my name back out there just in case someone there sees my name on the latest referral list...