WestWind Airlines

Hey folks

now i've already signed up on VATSIM and constantly go online just park up at the gate listening to chatter and getting a feel for it. I want to start flying my routes online is there any special way to do this? Is there a WWA tutorial on getting started flying online ??

 

Thanks

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Kamau Harriott
WWA2185
Assistant Hub Manager
London (Heathrow) Hub - EGLL
Cat III Pilot

Hello, Kamau,

 please read everything in Vatsim PRC at http://www.vatsim.net/prc/ .

When you're ready for your flight - find a route at simroutes.com , vatroute.net , or vroute.info (this little soft has the biggest amount of routes all over the world). Then fill a flight on Vatsim, don't forget to write that you're a newbie in comments. I'd recommend you to have atc on your first flight. If you want, we could do a flight together, I would be there to answer all your questions, since I'm already a successful online flyer  

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Pranas Drulis
WWA2097
Cat 4
FS9 + Level D 767

Assistant Hub Manager Amsterdam

I would go here: http://www.vatsim.net/prc/ It's a long read and a fairly difficult website but it will hopfully get you started with VATSIM

As for flying online, If you file your proposed flight plan here: http://www.vatsim.net/fp then the ATCers will know how/where you are going!

 EDIT: It looks like me and Pranas posted at the same time with roughly the same info!

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Test Pilot

50 Hours x6
Green Monster x2
P001
October 2008 Screenshot Comp Winner

VATID: 1040117
Controller: UK Heathrow & Essex Region

Thanks captains.... thats y i decided to post it in here get my fellow hub captains help in no time !!!

 

So can i also use the FP on the Control Panel to file plans ? And how do you know if it reaches tower?

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Kamau Harriott
WWA2185
Assistant Hub Manager
London (Heathrow) Hub - EGLL
Cat III Pilot

K.Harriott:

And how do you know if it reaches tower?

You are not authorised to Taxi to the "Active" aka Runway unless you have a flight plan filed. I think that ATCers can get it of VATSIMs servers!

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Test Pilot

50 Hours x6
Green Monster x2
P001
October 2008 Screenshot Comp Winner

VATID: 1040117
Controller: UK Heathrow & Essex Region

James WWA1984:

K.Harriott:

And how do you know if it reaches tower?

You are not authorised to Taxi to the "Active" aka Runway unless you have a flight plan filed. I think that ATCers can get it of VATSIMs servers!

 

Yeh understand that definitly, but i've filled plans already but no response from any tower.

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Kamau Harriott
WWA2185
Assistant Hub Manager
London (Heathrow) Hub - EGLL
Cat III Pilot

Good man Kamau, Its great to have another EGLL VATSIM pilot. We're finally getting broadband (I know I'm ashamed) in the next few days so as soon as its up and running, I'll sign up for VATSIM. About your point on a tutorial, I think it would'nt be a bad idea if we had a few in-house Virtual Flight Instructors for VATSIM and for pilots with not too much experience with FS.

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Eoin Coates
Senior Command Captain
Real World Student Pilot
Frankfurt am Mein-Hub Manager

"If the thought came into my head, I would go out and buy a gun"- Herb Kelleher's reply after being asked if he would start another airline.

K.Harriott:

James WWA1984:

K.Harriott:

And how do you know if it reaches tower?

You are not authorised to Taxi to the "Active" aka Runway unless you have a flight plan filed. I think that ATCers can get it of VATSIMs servers!

 

Yeh understand that definitly, but i've filled plans already but no response from any tower.

Once you have filed your flight plan, contact Clearance Delivery and ask to pick up your clearance. If no CD is available, then Ground or Tower or even Center can give it to you. They will read you your clearance and you will read it back to them. Once you have the clearance, contact Ground (or Tower if no ground) and tell them you are ready to push and start. They will clear you to push back from the gate and start the engines. Then you contact ground again and tell them you are ready to taxi. Once you get to your assigned runway, then you contact tower and tell them you are ready for departure at RWY xxx. Do not taxi onto the runway until given one of the following: They will either tell you that you are cleared for take off or to taxi into position and hold. If the later, then taxi onto the runway and sit there until they clear you for departure. (In Europe, instead of taxi into position and hold they will tell you to line up and wait.)

That is the short version. Enjoy. It is a lot of fun and you get the hang of it really quick.

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WWA1702 Senior Command Captain +3
RWP SEL Instrument Rating (almost)
WW Test Pilot
Monster Driver

K.Harriott:

Thanks captains.... thats y i decided to post it in here get my fellow hub captains help in no time !!!

 

So can i also use the FP on the Control Panel to file plans ? And how do you know if it reaches tower?

 

Hello Kamu,

 I believe you will find that online aviation will be quite rewarding. It is quite important to study the Vatsim PRC and try to understand  the procedures as much as possible. It took me two or three weeks of studing. One could probably fill a page here on just how to get started! That being said. There still is no better experience than just doing it. To answer your question. Once you have filed and SENT you flight plan it will be your responsibility to contact the local controller, bottom up, depending who's on line.Clearence del. ground, tower, dept, approach or center for your clearence. Only then will that controller assign you taxi clearence and RWY dept. Hope this helps! Sorry Mike didn't mean to step on you there!

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Randy Donnelly
AHM KSLC
WWA2024

If GE CF6-80C2B8F engines were attached to a typical automobile, at takeoff power the car would accelerate from zero to 60 mph (96.5 kph) in less than .5 seconds.

Mike Gibbs:

K.Harriott:

James WWA1984:

K.Harriott:

And how do you know if it reaches tower?

You are not authorised to Taxi to the "Active" aka Runway unless you have a flight plan filed. I think that ATCers can get it of VATSIMs servers!

 

Yeh understand that definitly, but i've filled plans already but no response from any tower.

Once you have filed your flight plan, contact Clearance Delivery and ask to pick up your clearance. If no CD is available, then Ground or Tower or even Center can give it to you. They will read you your clearance and you will read it back to them. Once you have the clearance, contact Ground (or Tower if no ground) and tell them you are ready to push and start. They will clear you to push back from the gate and start the engines. Then you contact ground again and tell them you are ready to taxi. Once you get to your assigned runway, then you contact tower and tell them you are ready for departure at RWY xxx. Do not taxi onto the runway until given one of the following: They will either tell you that you are cleared for take off or to taxi into position and hold. If the later, then taxi onto the runway and sit there until they clear you for departure. (In Europe, instead of taxi into position and hold they will tell you to line up and wait.)

That is the short version. Enjoy. It is a lot of fun and you get the hang of it really quick.

 

Ok duly noted guys....i want to try it tonight about 8:00pm EST,

 

Eoin man time to put EGLL on the map lol again.....

Thanks again guys. I'll be starting up my Dash 8-300 at EGLL tonight VATsim for a Test flight

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Kamau Harriott
WWA2185
Assistant Hub Manager
London (Heathrow) Hub - EGLL
Cat III Pilot

I probbably would of dropped by but 8pm EST is 1am UK/London time, so I will be asleep while your flying, shame

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Test Pilot

50 Hours x6
Green Monster x2
P001
October 2008 Screenshot Comp Winner

VATID: 1040117
Controller: UK Heathrow & Essex Region

Exactly Mate!! We'll get on that map, trust me!!

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Eoin Coates
Senior Command Captain
Real World Student Pilot
Frankfurt am Mein-Hub Manager

"If the thought came into my head, I would go out and buy a gun"- Herb Kelleher's reply after being asked if he would start another airline.

James WWA1984:

I probbably would of dropped by but 8pm EST is 1am UK/London time, so I will be asleep while your flying, shame

 

yeh thats tru, what is a good time all the pilots from here log on?

 

We need to have another online event ? lol 

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Kamau Harriott
WWA2185
Assistant Hub Manager
London (Heathrow) Hub - EGLL
Cat III Pilot

Several captains wrote above: read the Vatsim PRC. They are right, prepair and know the procedures. Know what you can expect.

What I did not read in this thread is to get the feeling of it by parking your a/c on the GA parking, log on to the Vatsim net.
File a FP from (ex) EGLL to EGLL and put in your remarks "observing".
Switch to the first ATC position in the atc-chain (DEL-GND-TWR-DEP/APP-CTR) and listen, listen, listen.
Good luck.

 

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Chris, WWA1509.

K.Harriott:

James WWA1984:

I probbably would of dropped by but 8pm EST is 1am UK/London time, so I will be asleep while your flying, shame

yeh thats tru, what is a good time all the pilots from here log on?

We need to have another online event ? lol

Really there isn't a best time to log on, everybody just randomly logs onto VATSIM then flys.

If everybody would like another Online Event then we can all start arranging one, it would be my first Assignment since becoming Director of Online Ops!

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Test Pilot

50 Hours x6
Green Monster x2
P001
October 2008 Screenshot Comp Winner

VATID: 1040117
Controller: UK Heathrow & Essex Region