r/VATSIM

I have been using ChartFox which is has been good to a point, but when I get given stand numbers for parking I end up taxiing around aimlessly looking for the stand on the scenery in the sim instead of having a clear idea of where to go, I landed at KSEA and was able to comply with all of the controllers instructions upto getting to the north ramp when I was instructed to go to spot 55 and I had absolutely no clue where that was and seemingly no quick and accurate way to find it...I assume navigraph has charts with the parking spots but I dont have a subscription to it, and id really rather not be that guy who gets to the ramp and then stops and holds everything up because I dont know where to go.

According to my understanding, this is not allowed, but I was curious if it was

My system is cpu limited and I get like 35% more fps in night, I’m not sure why but apparently this is common and for most people I don’t think 35% is break or not but on my old system that’s airliners vs can hardly fly GA.

I’m curious if it would be OK to use a nighttime setting despite it actually being daytime since there’s really hardly any difference besides how things look for me and the fact of the matter is I don’t think it changes visablity especially for IFR

But I’m curious if I’m aloud to do this or if I just should try to fly in Asia or another place when it’s dark there but reasonable time for me

Ok so I'm planning on returning to vatsim again after a little while, but I'm planning to fly VFR instead of IFR like I usually do. This is because I'm currently doing pilot training so I can hopefully get my PPL after my first solo. So I was hoping for some advice on how to fly VFR correctly because at the moment I'm just learning how to control the plane, not flying in controlled airspace. So if anyone could give some advice on what do/what to expect so I can make it less of a hassle on myself and the controllers.

I was going to download VATAlert (an app that sends a notification to your phone whenever you enter controlled airspace) but it seems like its been taken off the Play Store and you can only download it through dodgy websites.

Are there any other apps that allow me to get notified when heading into a controlled area? Also, if there's anyone that did download VATAlert off a 3rd party website please let me know which one you used.

Thanks

I am genuinely frustrated at the amount of times I’ve planned an immersive VATSIM departure with coverage only for the controller to log off because of incompetent pilots, and then I end up having to depart on UNICOM.

I understand the controller’s perspective. If you’re working Atlanta Center, LA Center, Boston Center, Heathrow, Frankfurt, etc., you are already dealing with some of the busiest airspace on the network. You’re volunteering your time, trying to provide a realistic ATC service, and then you get absolutely buried by pilots who clearly have no idea what they are doing.

And honestly, that is not fair to the controllers or to the rest of us.

I’m not saying everyone needs to be perfect. Nobody is perfect on VATSIM. We all make mistakes. We all have moments where we mishear a clearance, miss a turn, botch a readback, or need something repeated.

But there is a difference between making mistakes while learning and showing up completely unprepared.

If you are flying out of a known busy airport on the network, especially when there is good ATC coverage, you need to have at least some idea of what you are doing. Know how to read a chart. Know your SID. Know your taxi route. Know how to hold short. Know how to follow basic altitude and heading assignments. Know how to not step on the frequency every 5 seconds. Know how to follow basic ATC instructions. And if you genuinely do not understand something, ask the controller instead of just guessing and creating chaos.

Controllers should not have to babysit someone through every single phase of flight at a major airport during a busy session.

This is not about gatekeeping new pilots. Everyone starts somewhere. But maybe don’t start by loading into KLAX, KBOS, KATL, EGLL, EDDF, etc. during peak coverage with no charts, no plan, no understanding of your aircraft, and no clue how IFR works. Start somewhere smaller and less busy. Practice offline. Learn the basics before jumping straight into the deep end.

Because when enough unprepared pilots pile into busy airspace, everyone else pays for it. Controllers burn out. Frequencies become unusable. Realistic operations fall apart. And pilots who actually planned their flight and wanted an immersive experience are left watching the controller disconnect because the session became unmanageable.

VATSIM only works when both sides respect the environment. Controllers need to be patient and professional, yes. But pilots also need to respect the controller’s time and the other pilots on frequency.

So please: do better.

Study a little. Prepare your route. Read the charts. Listen before you transmit. Don’t fly into the busiest airspace on the network if you are not ready to handle basic instructions.

It's okay to make a mistake. It's not okay to show up completely unprepared.

From a frustrated pilot on the network.

Rant over.

Im wondering if I would be able to talk to a staff member, and if I could prove I know everything I need to know, they would be able to let me in? I'm going to be 15 in sept, and I just genuinely want a flight sim experience thats realistic. I'm so tired of playing atc24

I dont know what to do. is there anyone who can help me?

https://preview.redd.it/lyn5bsbc9ebh1.png?width=154&format=png&auto=webp&s=eecf1ec556635f47bb6c24aece237827a3c0c1a2

Why... just why...

Personally I feel it would. I would happily pay a one time fee of £10-20 to continue using the network? Curious to hear your thoughts.

They have implemented a web based version that has no connection to CRC or VATUSA at all. Right now I have seen ZJX, ZID, ZME, ZTL use it. It actually works pretty well. This is pretty cool stuff. They also use the realistic logon code of KUSA everywhere in the country just like in real life.

https://preview.redd.it/vomekuanacbh1.png?width=936&format=png&auto=webp&s=cad87c4af3002a3cb60c6a989098f82cfd4aff8e

https://preview.redd.it/z6kzmj9oacbh1.png?width=885&format=png&auto=webp&s=79345b71581a92e2c565641fb3d11828c41b094d

It

Hi, I am totally new to VATSIM and have tried starting a flight a couple of times but always aborted because I was unsure about how to behave in my scenario:

Say I want to fly VFR from an uncontrolled airport in Europe. In real life I would request taxi/departure information from ZZZZ radio. Then I would switch over to the respective information channel.

If center covering that area is online, do I contact center for uncontrolled airports? Or is that strictly Unicom?
In either case: Do I contact information with a position report like in real life? Ex: CALLSIGN, VFR flight from ZZZZ to ZZZZ, overhead XYZ, 5000’, for traffic information

And a bonus question: How about military airports that allow civilian traffic but are controlled despite being very small (LOXN as the largest grass field in Europe comes to mind)

If I’m cleared for a ILS approach, but I don’t want to have to do an ILS approach (for example I’m having issues capturing the localizer) do I need to request a visual, or can I just continue visually

In addition, assuming the weather is clear, is it reasonable to request visual even in a airliner or widebody

Let’s say there is an event between A and B, but I want to fly from C to either A or B, is this bad etiquette on VATSIM?

Hello everyone, i want to do my first transatlantic flight soon and im just wondering

it is mandatory to always file oceanic clearance where ever you go? even in the south atlantic, and do you need CPDLC to fly into Europe?

Hi all,
I’m looking to do my S1 training. I registered my interest with VATSIM UK, but from what I’ve read the waiting list to start training is currently around two years, which is a bit longer than I’d hoped.
After looking at my VATSIM account, it seems I’m not actually assigned to a division or subdivision yet (just EMEA), so I’m wondering if it’s worth joining another division instead.
Does anyone know what the current waiting times are like in VATMENA (Arabian vACC), VATSIM Scandinavia, VATSIM Germany, or any other Northern European divisions? I’m happy to control outside the UK if it means I can start training sooner.
Any advice or recent experiences would be much appreciated. Thanks! 😊

I tried finding answers to my question online and here, but they didn’t specifically cover my concerns.

Does CPDLC in Vatsim context mean ATC will only communicate via CPDLC or do they also communicate via radio? Because in my recent flight I was tuned to the radio and didn’t hear a single word being said. I did see clearances in the messages by ATC given to flight numbers that I didn’t hear on radio or see asking for clearance in the messages.

Am I dumb for contacting CPDLC ATC (if it can be called like that even) via messages? I fly receive only because of microphone issues. Should it be done vis CPDLC or can I continue doing it via messages?

Does this mean I can now fly my Concorde on VATSIM from LA to New York? /s