For VATSIM, I recommend vroute.info to find out about upcoming events, day by day.  

I always plan my online flights based on that info to make sure I won't be alone.

 

Meet you there.

 

 

I don't know wen how and wat to say on unicom.
A help with tht would be greatful

 

 

Like others have already suggested UNICOM is only for text and you'll use it to announce your intentions when there's no ATC online such as what arrival and approach you're planning to shoot.

 

Here are a few tips FWIW.  VATSIM UNICOM texts are on 122.80 should include who/what you are, where you are, and what you are doing.

 

Your callsign is automatic generated when you send a text, so no need to retype it.

 

If you are using a smaller airport with other airports nearby use the City name and the airport ID.

 

To a pilot holding short for takeoff, a Learjet or C152 on a ten mile final are not the same so say type aircraft.

 

Keep in mind that other pilots don't always know where, let's say "WORMS" intersection is so give distance and direction info.

 

Include Departure/Arrival ID and Approach type when applicable.

 

Sample:

 

AAY1066: Orlando KSFB traffic, type MD83 t/o RWY9L Northwest Departure to WORMS (SFB4)

 

AAL1411: KMCO traffic, type A320 ~15nm Southwest at UNITY visual approach RWY35L (MINEE5)

 

I like to type in notepad before pushback and decent, then copy/paste as it gets busy during takeoffs and landings.

 

Hope that helps.

 

GD

Once a week I head over to http://forums.vatsim.net/viewforum.php?f=17 and check for future flyins.

 

As an Australian, I am most active from 0600 UTC to 1200 UTC, although on days off I can manage 2000 UTC to 1400 UTC.

I just look through the posts, looking for stuff that is inside those time frames, and note down any that look good on my google calendar.

 

And then I show up to the event when it's on (Often days later) fully prepared with flightplan etc, because I planned days in advance to attend that specific event.

 

A good understanding of UTC time in comparison with your local time is required, and I usually use a time converter such as http://www.timeanddate.com/worldclock/converter.html - so that no silly conversion errors pop up. ("The Event was Yesterday/is Tomorrow" is a common one.)

 

That way you are operating into places that WILL be covered, and not just hoping that someone shows up.

 

Anything else is just luck based.

You don't head over to the concert hall "Just incase" they have a concert on. You check the posters/forums/website etc when a concert IS going to be on, and go there at the appropriate time.

 

Of course, on VATSIM you CAN actually get lucky and find someone controlling 'just because', as it is, afterall, free to do.

Another question, I would like to add is : presume you are departing a 'covered' airport, and during flight you get instructed to go on unicomm. How do you get to know when you get back into 'covered' airspace?

I fly fullscreen all of the time, and only have one computerscreen...

 

I don't like to fly windowed...

 

 

How do you get to know when you get back into 'covered' airspace?

First you need to know which region control you will fly through, just check your flight plan, then with FSINN or Vpilot you will see those region control coming up on ATC the list.

FSINN is the best for this, as it will show the distance from your position to the next available ATC, the first in the list are normally the one you will normally fly throw.

The second method is push windows on keyboard  and quickly active vatspy refresh and you will get the active one's and then go back to FSX, of course you need to be on autopilot mode LoL.

shouldn't it be some kind of a rule for the guys next to the uncovered space, to send a selcal to you when you enter their airspace?

I've always got a message to 'contact' the controller when I'm entering their airspace. 

 

I use that and Vattastic to know which controller to contact.

 

For those that are unsure, want to know Vatsim better and are on UK time, I'd be more than happy to offer a Vatsim taster session. I've got a Mumble server, a 'P1' qualification and have been one of the virtual pilots live at the Weston Super Mare South-West Overload event 2 years running. 

Is not such a big issue don't worry. In most of the cases when you enter controlled aerospace from an uncovered zone and you didn't notice the controller himself sends you a msg on chat to contact him on the correct frequency.

Different is when you fly between ATC covered zones as the first hands you over to the second.

 

Anyway use voice if you can is much more realistic. Simply I don't get what's the fun to have ATC coverage when you have to type answers in the middle of an approach...

 

Text has of course be used on Unicom.

Thanks for the explanation... I just tried a session on the German airspace... Munich was online, and indeed, a controller contacted me with the correct freq...