I've been perusing the aircraft flying on VATSIM lately and notice that the vast majority of them are Airbus and Boeing with a smattering of Dash 8.  IVAO seems to have more traffic (at least this morning)...maybe 3% of traffic was GA (Kingair, Cessna, Pipers, etc.).  So, do GA people just not fly much online?  Is there a reason? 

 

Gregg

Because a lot of the controllers become confused when you're not on a STAR/SID... It's stupid really. I'm generalizing a little here as some vatsim artcc's are good like ZMP and ZBW

 

Pilot Edge would better suit your ga online flying

Depends where you fly. Wrest cost north America has quite a bit. All of Canada does actually. England and Australia and new Zealand too.

I second pilot edge. There's a good mix there of GA and airline. Some of the GA pilots are real world guys doing their type rating or instrument training.

I flew on PilotEdge some a while back.  Good folks and very professional.  Then I took my sim apart.  Truth is, I've flown SoCal so much I'm pretty much completely bored flying there these days...which is why I was looking at VATSIM/IVAO.

This morning in Europe there are far, far fewer aircraft on VATSIM as on IVAO and a solid 10% on IVAO is GA...no GA at all on VATSIM.  21 airports open on IVAO, 3 open on VATSIM. 

I've heard IVAO is more Europeans and vatsim more Americans flying...

 

But for either you need to look at usage during peak hours (evenings on weekdays and afternoons - evenings on weekends), vatsim does Fri Night Ops which features an airport for a few hours on Fri nights. It's typically a class B in the USA and mostly jets. You can use whatever you want but expect a stupidly long final in your putt putt Cessna *sigh* or fly into a reliever satellite airport - this would be more realistic for a small prop.

But for either you need to look at usage during peak hours (evenings on weekdays and afternoons - evenings on weekends), vatsim does Fri Night Ops which features an airport for a few hours on Fri nights. It's typically a class B in the USA and mostly jets. You can use whatever you want but expect a stupidly long final in your putt putt Cessna *sigh* or fly into a reliever satellite airport - this would be more realistic for a small prop.

 

A class B airport might not be typical for GA (though, some do fly there.)  Anyway...it's just the way it is, I guess.  Pilots do what they want.

 

I guess the bottom-line question is, where do GA pilots go in the US if they want ATC?  PilotEdge if they're in SoCal.  Elsewhere?  Teamspeak or do they just give up and fly alone? 

Vatsim works you just typically won't get service like pilot edge.... on vatsim the ARTCC will work you from clearance to down at a towered airport or canceling ifr etc.... unless during an event you'll find the usual bottom to top staffing....  occasionally you'll find approach and artcc on during weekdays... or maybe ground and tower but not approach etc..  I was just so tired of that - especially since I can't always fly at night when most people are on.... and the level of service....  mmmmmyeah...  leaves much to be desired imho ESPECIALLY when flying a small prop.  Big tubes you're ok lol

 

There are some private servers that host fly ins where a bunch of GA guys go check out virtual airlines etc...  Are you sure you're really bored of socal?  There's a ton of airspace out there, from KPTV in the north boundary down to KSDM in San Diego, and then west to KSBP east to KGCN....  Try flying with FSEconomy or something....  try more VFR flight in socal - that's more challenging that IFR easily.

 

 

Are you sure you're really bored of socal? There's a ton of airspace out there, from KPTV in the north boundary down to KSDM in San Diego, and then west to KSBP east to KGCN.... Try flying with FSEconomy or something.... try more VFR flight in socal - that's more challenging that IFR easily.

 

Hi Ryan,

 

Well, let's just say I am bored enough not to want to try to fix the scenery problems.  Rebuilding my machine was, for the most part, a success but all the setup I had in Socal was lost and, like I said, even in GA, I get OOMs now.  PilotEdge is excellent.

Looking at GA vs big iron and how ATC handles the traffic I know in Swedish airspace the ATC is fully capable of handling GA traffic in a fully realistic manner.

 

This is on Vatsim.

Gregg, regarding PE, have you visited every airport and flown every approach in ZLA? If so, you would be the first person I've met who's done that

 

To keep things fresh, I've added FSEconomy into the mix with PilotEdge as well as starting to tinker with helicopters. Between those things, I've found plenty of life even out of areas that I've flown into hundreds of times.

Hey Keith does PE simulate VHF transmission yet?

 

Gregg, regarding PE, have you visited every airport and flown every approach in ZLA? If so, you would be the first person I've met who's done that

 

To keep things fresh, I've added FSEconomy into the mix with PilotEdge as well as starting to tinker with helicopters. Between those things, I've found plenty of life even out of areas that I've flown into hundreds of times.

I fly GA on VATSIM a lot. But you are correct your typical traffic are the FMC programmers. It's hilarious to listen to them fumble around when given ATC instructions that deviate from their programmed route.

 

Look for a few of us flying GA into tonight's FNO at KSMF. We may actually have more fun and fly just below/above the Class C there (38CL)... ;-)

 

 

Gregg, regarding PE, have you visited every airport and flown every approach in ZLA? If so, you would be the first person I've met who's done that
 
To keep things fresh, I've added FSEconomy into the mix with PilotEdge as well as starting to tinker with helicopters. Between those things, I've found plenty of life even out of areas that I've flown into hundreds of times.

 

Hi Kieth,

 

No, haven't done all the approaches...or even most of them, honestly.  I was flying the area long before Pilot Edge existed because it was the only descent scenery I had.  It's an OOM mess now and several airports are just messed up.   Perhaps, ORBX Vector will help me get it fixed.

 

Helicopters?  That's gotta keep it fresh with the controllers, no doubt.