Vatsim is kind of a curse. I don't have much interest in it, but it is an excuse for developers to ignore the ingame ATC. If VATsim and similar services simply didn't exist I bet we would have a much better default ATC by now. 

Interestingly this did now happen with the Xbox release. No VATsim or Pilotedge or Ivao at all, and not even those clunky and old third party addons. 

Microsoft said that they have a team working to improve the ATC and I'm curious if they really can enhance it to where It could be a viable alternative. 

Personally i always fly online on VATSIM even if there is no ATC coverage where i am flying, although i am aiming on flying where i have ATC coverage.

I couple my pilot experience with ATC sessions as well. For me, after getting into VATSIM there is no way i can be satisfied with offline MSFS ATC or any other product.

If ATC is not online then i turn the table and become ATC and make other people experience nice as well as mine.

Before MSFS - All my flights were done on vatsim. At the moment, I'm somewhat waiting for a decent traffic matching product and also an airliner that wouldn't cause too much issues on vatsim. 

I feel like I need something in between default ATC and vatsim.  Default ATC is just ok but needs improvements, and vatsim is great when I can fly uninterrupted and really focus on what I’m doing, but certainly I find it less relaxing then flying with offline ATC.

I used to use Vatsim back in the day but I enjoy being able to pause the sim and go take a break when ever I want. 
 

also having to talk to ATC all day sometimes in my daily job makes it so that in flight sim I don’t really want to talk to anybody.

13 hours ago, Bobsk8 said:

Did that a few years ago. Found the area of the world and airports they covered very limiting, like playing in a sandbox for me. I like flying all over the US,  Europe, Canada, Bahamas, etc. Can't do  that with Pilot edge. and it is really expensive, $34.95 a month. I paid around $60 for PF3 ATC, and that was about 4 years ago. ATC anywhere I fly. 

OK, it's just you mentioned the West Coast of the USA.  I'll check out PF3, never heard of it so far.

I am flying on VATSIM for years about 5 flights per week.

Just in Europe, mostly in LSZH Zurich, LSGG Geneva and EDDF Frankfurt.

And sometimes in Brasil, as I worked there for 13 years; the controllers speak Brazilian with the local pilots and and english with the foreigners.

In the US it is very hard for me to understand the controller, as they speek very fast, and not English but American.

Peter

 

52 minutes ago, MrBitstFlyer said:

OK, it's just you mentioned the West Coast of the USA.  I'll check out PF3, never heard of it so far.

Free demo. The only thing is the demo only has 3 voices. The actual program has over 100 controller voices included. 

 

 

What is happening with POSCON which as I understand it is (or was) to be an upgraded alternative to VATSIM?

Al

 

People always suggesting Vatsim as an alternative to the awful in game ATC.  I just don't see it's appeal.  You are so tied to areas and airspaces where there's actually a controller online in order to get any realism. 

The number of times I've seen a stream where someone uses Vatsim and then just as they reach TOD the controllers in their area go offline..  Then what do you do?  Seems like a bit of a strange add on to this hobby, but I know it attracts a huge following so there must be something I'm missing. 

2 minutes ago, Langeveldt said:

The number of times I've seen a stream where someone uses Vatsim and then just as they reach TOD the controllers in their area go offline..  Then what do you do?  

What if the controller was online for several hours and they had to go. They can't plan there online session based on a users TOD. As the pilot you should be able to continue your descent without the aid of ATC. 

Just now, Wise87 said:

What if the controller was online for several hours and they had to go. They can't plan there online session based on a users TOD. As the pilot you should be able to continue your descent without the aid of ATC. 

Yeah of course, I'm not saying that a controller should be at my beck and call for any flight, but I'd like coverage for whatever flight I choose, so VATSIM can't be an option.  I wish more time was spent on improving the in game ATC. 

If VATSIM posted the times it expected ATC locations to be manned, I think that would help alienate some of the frustration since pilots could plan their flights accordingly.

Al

19 hours ago, Zangoose said:

Before MSFS - All my flights were done on vatsim. At the moment, I'm somewhat waiting for a decent traffic matching product and also an airliner that wouldn't cause too much issues on vatsim. 

You can totally rely on CJ4 to do everything you need on the network. Flown too many times online in Germany where ATC is constantly changing the transitions for the STAR and CJ4 came through all the time. Not an airliner though,

11 hours ago, ark said:

If VATSIM posted the times it expected ATC locations to be manned, I think that would help alienate some of the frustration since pilots could plan their flights accordingly.

Al

There is info regarding scheduled events where you can surely rely on having ATC.

On a side note, remember that the people manning the ATC on VATSIM/IVAO e.t.c are just like the pilots who want to have some good time.

Moreover they are in a position to help new pilots overcome their difficulties and start using the network and find out how much fun they were missing. I can only speak for myself, but i do it every time i see a beginner pilot, provided that i have the spare time to help him.