Vatsim Adventures

I loved reading those Crash.
I still haven't ventured on there yet. I parked up and heard ATC at EGLL for about 10mins and then it got all to much and logged off.

I would love to fly on vatsim but since most of my flight's go into London airports, and when ever I checked servinfo there loads of people flying in there. So I'm taking my time at the moment and see how it goes.

Nice putting adventures Crash 😉 👍

These (mis)adventures are the closest I've come to "civilization. I have flown flights on vatsim where I knew there were no controllers, like Antarctica, Mongolia, etc., just to get over the, "If I crash, people can see that I screwed up". My biggest worry is that I'll do smething dumb and screw up someone else's flight, or give a controller indigestion.

I think, today I will fly in some rural areas of California or Arizona that might have some regional controllers, but not a lot of traffic. Maybe KSOW to KSJN or someplace equally remote.

Ok, CG! I'm about to make you a personal crusade - and I'm telling you, you won't like it! 😛 Don't worry you didn't anger anyone. I might just have you fly in my airspace some time and make you go through everything, VFR, IFR, emergencies, disconnects, turns, climbs and stalls. Be warned

I hope you like the polar regions. That's where I'm staying.

Liono wrote:

I loved reading those Crash.
I still haven't ventured on there yet. I parked up and heard ATC at EGLL for about 10mins and then it got all to much and logged off.

I would love to fly on vatsim but since most of my flight's go into London airports, and when ever I checked servinfo there loads of people flying in there. So I'm taking my time at the moment and see how it goes.

I've only done to vatsim flights under my Pacific Airways call sign. One in Hawaii, early on Thanksgiving and the other, from KLAX to KVNY early on Chrismas. In both cases, I checked to see I was alone.

My recent excursions have all been GA/VFR. It will be a long time before I try an IFR flight and even longer before I do it with my PAY call sign. My reputation may be in the crapper. There's no need to drag theirs in with me. 😞

Despite Bindolaf's crusade, while vatsim flying is decidedly more realistic, it doesn't fall into my definition of fun at this point.

If flying from one untowered airport to another where there are no Class B's enroute is all I can handle, so be it.

Yeah, VATSIM is a rough environment. You're definitly handling it the right way though by flying in more rural areas at first, but if you avoid ATC all together you'll never get practice. My reccomendation is to watch ServInfo and look up at Alaska's airspace. There's a guy that works the center position pretty frequently called Bert Kupier. He's a retired bush pilot from alaska with about 30 years expereience, and is EXTREMELY helpful and friendly! I had spent so much time flying IFR for UVA that when it came to VFR I was clueless. He walked me through a nice flight in the anchorage area, and even gave me visual pointers about the weather/terrain as I was flying.

I just ordered a bunch or sectionals and terminal area charts so I wouldn't be surprised where I am flying. Can't fly too many areas because I don't have that much money to burn.

I'm one of those folks who if I see a police car a quarter mile behind me, I get nervous even though I know I've done nothing wrong. 😳

So, if there is an airspace I will have to deal with, I will want to know where, what type and whose it is long before I ever leave the ground.

As it is, the only flights I will fly online are those I've already done offline.

Ok, I can't believe I'm saying this, but here it is:

We could perhaps gather together, everyone who would like to fly on VATSIM but is too afraid/apprehensive/what have you and organize some kind of evening? I could control (or someone else if you all prefer) and help you a little. We can pick a remote airport out of the way. And it would probably be a Friday or Saturday. And on European time =p

Let me know 😛

I appreciate your noble effort. I'm afraid I won't be participating. I think I've figured out why vatsim make me nervous. Simply put, I am a control freak and anything that strips control from me makes me very uncomfortable. I'm this way in the real world, so it shouldn't be a surprise that I react similarly in the virtual world. BTW, my thing about control is not about controlling others, but in maintaining control over my own life.

In the real world, I am forced to give up some control, but I assure you it is quite unwillingly. On vatsim, I am willing to fly rural areas, VFR where my encounters with controllers are not terribly frequent and entirely predictable.

I would never want to jeopardize anyone's enjoyment of flying online, but if I am to enjoy it at all, it will have to on terms I am comfortable with. I have no issue with the controllers. They are doing a laudable job.

That's fine, I understand. I still think you're missing out on a wonderful world of ultimate realism, but it's ok really.

Yes, I've just started flying VATSIM myself. I didn't spend any time listening/oberving, just felt like jumping right in. My first day in a half was text only, but I got a mic today and this evening I had one hell of a time taking my C-172 from EGNX (East Midlands) to EGSS (London Stansted) and actually being able to talk to both controllers.

Sure it makes you a bit more apprehensive, but it keeps you on your toes. And it really makes the simulation that bit more realistic. Only problem is that it's hard to know when you plan your flight whether the controller at EGSS, for example, will still be online by the time you've reached your destination (already it's happened me a few times where the controller is gone by the time I arrive).

By the way, what's the deal with unicom anyway? Whenever I go to an area that's unstaffed I'm directed to it. Does anyone staff it? If not what's the point in it? Thanks a lot in advance.

Unicom is not staffed, but if you declare your intentions on unicom, such as, "taxiing on jetway A to runway 25L", other pilots know what you are doing.

I'm glad you are enjoying vatsim.

Okay, I found the strangest way to brake the ice on vatsim. I'm flying from KDAG (Barstow/Dagget Intl) to KTRM (Thermal, California). Now, these are not busy airports on vatsim, but when Los Angeles Ctr comes online, I decide to do a "with you". He asks if there is anything he can do for me, but since there isn't I reply in the negative. The flight is uneventful until I land at KTRM when He tells me its the first time he's ever seen a plane below sea level. I tell him the area around the Salton Sea is below sea level. KTRM is 120 ft. below sea level. He says it really looks weird on his scope. I say I'd like to see that he offers to email me a screenshot. At that point, I am taxiing to the parking area at KTRM when I notice something weird. I go to spot view. My plane is on fire!!! 😳

I tell him and that I have screenshots. We agree to trade screenshots. I'll post them when I get his. I never expected to interact with ATC in that manner.

Okay, the first screenshot is of the controllers radar screen. The plane with the negative number is me.

And here is the plane which I got off the taxiway and onto the grass to take the screenshot. I have no idea what caused the fire as I was taxiing.

Excellent!

You see, ATC are people too 😛 Don't worry and enjoy every minute of online flying, it's a thrill!

As for UNICOM.

Use it to announce any important bits of information. No one "controls" UNICOM, but all uncontrolled pilots (should) monitor it. You should announce taxi/hold short, take off, clear of active, passing transition points with altitude and a few more things. You don't need to announce everything. Let me give a couple of examples:

Example 1 (good)

"KDDN traffic: ABC123 leaving FL320 for 110 by BARMA" (let's say that's an entry point to an airport TMA)

"KDDN traffic: ABC123 passing BMA, turning to intercept ILS rwy 21R"

"KDDN traffic: ABC123 on final to land rwy 21R"

"KDDN traffic: ABC123 has vacated 21R"

Example 2 (good)

"KDDN traffic: ABC123 taxiing to holding position rwy 21R for AFKG2F departure" (or in the US I guess for "BUBBA2.AFK" that's the format if not mistaken)

"KDDN traffic: ABC123 at holding position 21R to depart"

Example 3 (bad)

"KDDN traffic: ABC123 turning on engines at stand B12. Will depart north along BUBBA2.AFK at 10000 then turn over my aunt's house and continue to FL320. Then I will stop and hover (with pause) and then I will turn around and head south again, while descending to 2000 feet for"

"ABC123 at FL470, going supersonic!W OOOOOOOO"

"ABC123 cruising at FL330 towards AJRTA" (an intersection in the middle of nowher, that no one cares about)

You get the point. Use UNICOM for anything important. You can even say hello to someone or share some info. But don't overdo it

Bindolaf wrote:

Example 3 (bad)

"KDDN traffic: ABC123 turning on engines at stand B12. Will depart north along BUBBA2.AFK at 10000 then turn over my aunt's house and continue to FL320. Then I will stop and hover (with pause) and then I will turn around and head south again, while descending to 2000 feet for"

"ABC123 at FL470, going supersonic!W OOOOOOOO"

"ABC123 cruising at FL330 towards AJRTA" (an intersection in the middle of nowher, that no one cares about)

Bindolaf wrote:

Excellent!

You see, ATC are people too 😛 Don't worry and enjoy every minute of online flying, it's a thrill!

I never doubted they were people. 😉 I plan my flights pretty carefully and the idea of having to make unanticipated changes isn't one that makes me happy.

To get technical, my "with you" wasn't really correct since I wasn't requesting anything from the ctr. My understanding is that if they are busy getting airliners through their space, some GA pilot in the boondocks saying hello is not appropriate since the controller already knows there is a GA a/c present.

One thing I did discover and will pass on. Use voice rather than text. Trying to fly and type at the same time really sucks. Of course that may be a personal bias since I've been a ham radio operator in the past and have done public speaking in the past, so "mike fright" isn't an issue for me.

I'll probably still prefer to fly in areas where how far I get into interaction with controllers is my option. I just feel better about it. I planned that route to avoid any airspace where I didn't have that option.

BTW, there is one thing about vatsim that doesn't parallel the real world. There are two few planes flying out in the boondocks.