@@lucidsimmer I don´t have any paid software like Navigraph. I use Chartfox and the old Airac and it didn´t cause any problems for me. I recommend you to just try to fly a flight because you can always ask the ATC to repeat what they said or ask what it means. If everything goes wrong you can still disconnect from the network. You can also put a "new" in your vPilots name and "/FIRST FLIGHT" into your filed flightplan to let the ATC know that they should talk a bit slower and help. I also recommend using this table docs.google.com/document/d/1nt67fh-Q2DAUjc2KPSCE3Hcw1jLYrj1smvwHxh1xknQ/edit about the Vatsim phraseology and the PDFs from British Avgeek about words and their meanings. Good luck on your first flight!
I've finally decided, after 42 years of simming, to try out the virtual ATC community in FS2020. Took a while, but after passing the second test attempt on Vatsim, was qualified to access the network. Got the client installed, but I'm rather stumped as to how to set up the callsign and aircraft type. I feel as though I'm relearning the sim all over again, from scratch. Have yet to get it to connect. Thanks for the video. ;)
@@ThomasGrillo callsign is the ICAO callsign (so, American Airlines is AAL, Eurowings is EWG etc) and the aircraft type is the ICAO code too so the A320neo is A20N and so on. Sure is another learning curve but it's highly rewarding :)
Thank you very much for taking the time and effort to create and post the series of VATSIM Tutorials for the Flight Sim Community. You have done an excellent job in ensuring they contain all the information required for pilots aspiring to fly on VATSIM. They have been well thought out, are very thorough and superbly presented. A great piece of work. Bravo!
Hi there! I have been practising for months trying to learn on Vastsim and I never got the hang of it. I was always sad cause I got kicked so Much, Day after day, but this video has helped me learn way more. Thank you for making this video.
Amazing to hear it's helped a lot! Keep it up, there is a LOT to learn and at times it can feel frustrating but when you finally get confident on the network you'll be super pleased you did it!
Howdy from Texas! Thanks for the simbrief flightplan break-down. My biggest problem is figuring my decent speed. Even when I'm following the FP TOD and corresponding airspeed I always seem to have to go around because I'm either too high or too low. I actually use FlightGear on VatSim but the logistics are all the same as the other Sims. Your videos have really helped me gain confidence on VATSIM, although I'm still a bit nervous from taking off from a populated aerodrome. Brilliant work my friend!
Thanks AJ! Keep plugging away, it sounds like you're doing great! For the descent bits, take a look at my Descent Planning tutorial within the new Vatsim series (a few more episodes in) and hopefully that will help too!
I like how in MSFS you can just click two places you wanna go and it shows you your limit and that’s it you are fine. But in vatsim you basically have to write a book anytime you want to do anything.
@@henrikk_dom VFR is a bit of a ball ache to do on Vatsim depending on where you're flying in the world... IFR (airliner stuff) is a lot easier/simpler
The part in vPilot where you do "fetch flight plan from server", what does it actually do? Is it needed? I have to setup the plane/MCDU anyways I suppose. Is it a way of activating the flight plan in vatsim, or? And thank you so much for the old vatsim videos as well as these updates. You got me started back then, and although having taken a break, I have been thoroughly enjoying it, learning the a32nx on the way.
It pulls the flight plan that you filed on the Vatsim website into vpilot (thus linking your flight plan into your active connection to the network after logging in)
So I'm doing everything right and following everything you're saying but I can't see any information in the fmc in the actual plane after i hit file flight plan. What's the solution for this? Do i have to manually enter waypoints?
Thanks Luke...most interesting. I do have a question though. Should Simbrief nominate 5501 block fuel e.g. and you accept and file the plan with Vatsim, what happens if I elect to add say another ~500kgs to round the fuel up to 6T. a) how do I amend the fuel endurance on the flt plan and b) how do I go back into the FMC and adjust the weights? ta
Hi! You'll have to just recalculate speeds basically and your gross weight will be different too (zfw should be the same though) you can either go into simbrief and add extra fuel or just manually do it yourself
@@Spongebob123-4-u5e on VATSIM? Or another type of software like BeyondATC/Say intentions? If VATSIM then the controller may be new and still be learning ICAO codes for airlines but if it's something else like the default ATC in the sim etc then that can't be fixed
@@Jay-tc7nw ideally yes - but if you have an older one then put in your flight planning remarks "AIRAC ----" (whatever the AIRAC number is so the controller can see you're using outdated data
Can you explain how you use flightradar24 to see active runway? Do you just sit there and watch for a while? I do not see a listing for the active runway. Maybe I'm just missing it...
Yes - ignore the developer as that's irrelevant - an Airbus A320 is an A320 by means of its ICAO Type Code (and the FBW A32NX is A20N as it's an A320neo)
Hi, thanks for the great tutorial. I've just signed logged into vatsim at edinburgh, but it's showing the only available ATC as EDGG (closest) does this mean they can control my flight or do i have to choose a different airport to depart? Thanks
@@DaveTibbetts if there's no ATC at Edinburgh then no, the controllers are specific to each airport, or above each airport in the Top Down structure of Vatsim At Edinburgh for example, first look for Edinburgh Ground. If they are not online look for Edinburgh Tower, then Approach, then Scottish Centre - noone else will cover Edinburgh Edin
The best way is simbrief but if you have an out of date AIRAC you'll need to carefully create one using skyvector or something similar... One good website is EDI-GLA which has real routes in it
@@BritishAvgeek Thank you. Flight planning seems to be a very opaque process, very few sources of step by step info. What makes a route "valid" and another one not?
I've been having a lot of issues with vatsim, specifically when i'm landing the runway the controllers are using is never the one i have program. is there a way to look ahead to make sure we're picking the right runway thats in use? i keep having that issue with KLAS specifically, where it would pick runway 26 when in reality runway 01 is in use and the vatsim controller goes wild on me for using the incorrect approach.
Have a look in the US at the live/real ATIS and go from there. Sometimes if the controller sets a different approach up on Vatsim we just have to amend our plan and use whatever they have set in the Vatsim atis though
Great question! It's a little tricker especially if you're flying around London as you'd need to use the helo routes and you'd need to find the charts for those
You can fly wherever you wish within the capability of the range and performance of each individual aircraft... You'll need a carefully planned route validated on simbrief etc in order to fly on Vatsim without issue though
Yes, thanks for these explanations on how VAT-SIM works. But I've never gotten it to work for me, yet managed to get to the end of the road somewhat safely. But I now simply started tracking planes I saw on FlightRadar24 and then seeing what direction or altitude they were generally flying and basic information like that. Now and then I went and bought an M.S.F.S. X and started to fly, but then I also got to know flight aids sites like Skyvector, which is really great for plotting the rough flight paths. Now but about a year later, Microsoft introduce a new version, ie. M.S.F.S. 2020! So now I had to buy that version if I wanted something more with this or that. But when it came to the game, I found out that my graphics card was not quite up to its best or something, so I had to go and buy a bigger graphics card and I got the GeForce GTX 1650 and off I went :) Now but still the GeForce's limitations started to show little by little, so I went out again and now to buy one that would literally "eat" this flight simulator (lol) yes and I spent something' around 2,600 US dollars. And I am quite satisfied with the machine. Now back to this Vatsimmi of yours, I have completely managed without it. Yes, I also include in my Simbrief the additional package that I pay something a month for, but it gives me more detailed descriptions of airports, runways and approaches, but little more than Skyvector, Flightradar24 or Flightawear have been giving me. But again I would like to thank you and you guys at the British Geekawards or whatever your group is called Thank you Thank you
Look into why - perhaps you have an out of date data set and/or out of date charts (which is where a Navigraph subscription really comes in handy) but otherwise it should be in your FMS. If it isn't, ask for an alternative SID and briefly say why you can't fly the one given ("it's not in my fms" or "I'm on an older airac can I take _____ instead please")
@@balakethedog it's a nervous thing to do first few times but you'll get the hang of it - I was very nervous the first like 10-20 times! That's why I made these videos, to try help people and make it even easier
Depends what you define as fun. I absolutely love Vatsim for what it offers - a properly immersive experience trying to replicate real world procedures with ATC. If you like to do barrel rolls in an A320 then the standard in-sim multiplayer is for you but Vatsim brings the realism up to 100
I’m glad you have started a vatsim tutorial, most of the vatsim tutorials are from 1 year ago and it’s nice to have an updated version
Not much has changed since my last tutorial sets (except my editing capability being slightly improved). Hope you enjoy the new series!
@@BritishAvgeek Is it still valid another year later haha
I’m surprised how quickly you managed to explain everything, helps a lot and can’t wait for my first vatsim flight. Thanks
Great to hear :)
Thanks for the great tutorials! I recently had my first VATSIM flight from Edinburgh to Gatwick and it was a great experience!
@@lucidsimmer I don´t have any paid software like Navigraph. I use Chartfox and the old Airac and it didn´t cause any problems for me. I recommend you to just try to fly a flight because you can always ask the ATC to repeat what they said or ask what it means. If everything goes wrong you can still disconnect from the network. You can also put a "new" in your vPilots name and "/FIRST FLIGHT" into your filed flightplan to let the ATC know that they should talk a bit slower and help.
I also recommend using this table docs.google.com/document/d/1nt67fh-Q2DAUjc2KPSCE3Hcw1jLYrj1smvwHxh1xknQ/edit about the Vatsim phraseology and the PDFs from British Avgeek about words and their meanings. Good luck on your first flight!
Awesome, nice work!
I've finally decided, after 42 years of simming, to try out the virtual ATC community in FS2020. Took a while, but after passing the second test attempt on Vatsim, was qualified to access the network. Got the client installed, but I'm rather stumped as to how to set up the callsign and aircraft type. I feel as though I'm relearning the sim all over again, from scratch. Have yet to get it to connect. Thanks for the video. ;)
@@ThomasGrillo callsign is the ICAO callsign (so, American Airlines is AAL, Eurowings is EWG etc) and the aircraft type is the ICAO code too so the A320neo is A20N and so on.
Sure is another learning curve but it's highly rewarding :)
@@BritishAvgeek Ok, and what about for general aviation craft, like Cessnas, Vision Jets, ect? And, thanks. :)
Thank you very much for taking the time and effort to create and post the series of VATSIM Tutorials for the Flight Sim Community. You have done an excellent job in ensuring they contain all the information required for pilots aspiring to fly on VATSIM. They have been well thought out, are very thorough and superbly presented. A great piece of work. Bravo!
Thankyou tony - I hope they help plenty of people across the community looking for more immersion!
Great video Luke, clearly explains the steps needed for a successful flight on Vatsim.
Hi there! I have been practising for months trying to learn on Vastsim and I never got the hang of it. I was always sad cause I got kicked so Much, Day after day, but this video has helped me learn way more. Thank you for making this video.
Amazing to hear it's helped a lot! Keep it up, there is a LOT to learn and at times it can feel frustrating but when you finally get confident on the network you'll be super pleased you did it!
is it just me who find VATSIM scary
Nope! Everyone does to begin with 🙂
Nope I did my first flight today and I was so scared to make my first communication
You too?
Exactly why i haven't used it yet lmaoo
you are not the only one😂😂 im scared that il be doing everything wrong or some😅
Hi from the Philippines. Thank you so much for your excellent tutorials...
You're welcome mike!
Howdy from Texas! Thanks for the simbrief flightplan break-down. My biggest problem is figuring my decent speed. Even when I'm following the FP TOD and corresponding airspeed I always seem to have to go around because I'm either too high or too low.
I actually use FlightGear on VatSim but the logistics are all the same as the other Sims. Your videos have really helped me gain confidence on VATSIM, although I'm still a bit nervous from taking off from a populated aerodrome. Brilliant work my friend!
Thanks AJ! Keep plugging away, it sounds like you're doing great! For the descent bits, take a look at my Descent Planning tutorial within the new Vatsim series (a few more episodes in) and hopefully that will help too!
Thx best video ❤
I like how in MSFS you can just click two places you wanna go and it shows you your limit and that’s it you are fine. But in vatsim you basically have to write a book anytime you want to do anything.
Thank you very much, you are helping me alot with starting on vatsim, it's really complicated :D
Great to hear! It's a steep learning curve but opens up a whole new level of realism in flight simulation 😁
What a coincidence i did the exact same flight with same sid and stars!!
Look forward to episode 2. These are really helpful 👍🏻
Great Tutorial and perfect timing that I just started to fly online 😁
Awesome keep your eye out for the next few episodes next week!
i just gonna watch it after you recomended in your current stream
is navigraph needed to schedule flights? I don’t know if i want to pay money to use it
Very good tutorial Luke👍
Thats so knowledgeable
Thanks for sharing
i did the vatsim trying to file a vfr and i forgot to put in my flight plan and i was so shy
@@henrikk_dom VFR is a bit of a ball ache to do on Vatsim depending on where you're flying in the world... IFR (airliner stuff) is a lot easier/simpler
The part in vPilot where you do "fetch flight plan from server", what does it actually do? Is it needed? I have to setup the plane/MCDU anyways I suppose. Is it a way of activating the flight plan in vatsim, or? And thank you so much for the old vatsim videos as well as these updates. You got me started back then, and although having taken a break, I have been thoroughly enjoying it, learning the a32nx on the way.
It pulls the flight plan that you filed on the Vatsim website into vpilot (thus linking your flight plan into your active connection to the network after logging in)
I remember one time when I was flying on vatsim and thought I was talking to atc, but I was on unicom and tried to get takeoff clearence there😂
It happens 😅
I have a problem
Every time when I press the flight plan on the black screen it always dierects me the their website not the white screen you have
thank you. I had to learn on my own.
You are welcome! 🙂
So I'm doing everything right and following everything you're saying but I can't see any information in the fmc in the actual plane after i hit file flight plan. What's the solution for this? Do i have to manually enter waypoints?
Thanks Luke...most interesting. I do have a question though. Should Simbrief nominate 5501 block fuel e.g. and you accept and file the plan with Vatsim, what happens if I elect to add say another ~500kgs to round the fuel up to 6T. a) how do I amend the fuel endurance on the flt plan and b) how do I go back into the FMC and adjust the weights? ta
Hi! You'll have to just recalculate speeds basically and your gross weight will be different too (zfw should be the same though) you can either go into simbrief and add extra fuel or just manually do it yourself
Genuine question, how different are most paths here from the real world?
another mode to do flight plans instead of simbrief?
I have a question I filed my callsign as JBU787 or JetBlue 787 but ATC keeps saying Juliet brave uniform please help
@@Spongebob123-4-u5e on VATSIM? Or another type of software like BeyondATC/Say intentions?
If VATSIM then the controller may be new and still be learning ICAO codes for airlines but if it's something else like the default ATC in the sim etc then that can't be fixed
Thanks for this!
You're welcome!
Where do I find the active SID ?
Very nice informative tutorial :-)
Do you need the latest airac?
@@Jay-tc7nw ideally yes - but if you have an older one then put in your flight planning remarks "AIRAC ----" (whatever the AIRAC number is so the controller can see you're using outdated data
Can you explain how you use flightradar24 to see active runway? Do you just sit there and watch for a while? I do not see a listing for the active runway. Maybe I'm just missing it...
Zoom in to the airport and see if someone is on approach, if they are - work out what runway they're using 🙂
@@BritishAvgeek Ok, thanks for the reply.
Hi Luke. What will be the aircraft type Fenix A320 is it still A320
Yes - ignore the developer as that's irrelevant - an Airbus A320 is an A320 by means of its ICAO Type Code (and the FBW A32NX is A20N as it's an A320neo)
Hi, thanks for the great tutorial. I've just signed logged into vatsim at edinburgh, but it's showing the only available ATC as EDGG (closest) does this mean they can control my flight or do i have to choose a different airport to depart? Thanks
It just means that you'll need to transmit position updates on unicom instead 122.800
@British Avgeek so there's no need to get take off clearance from ground etc
@@DaveTibbetts if there's no ATC at Edinburgh then no, the controllers are specific to each airport, or above each airport in the Top Down structure of Vatsim
At Edinburgh for example, first look for Edinburgh Ground. If they are not online look for Edinburgh Tower, then Approach, then Scottish Centre - noone else will cover Edinburgh
Edin
@@BritishAvgeek Thanks for the reply, so in order to do a complete vatsim flight you need towers online at both airports?
@@DaveTibbetts no, if there is no atc you can still fly, but you just use unicom as a frequency all the way.
Just got yelled at and promptly alt f4d during my first flight, thank you for this...
Ah, it's all in the prep! ... but also hoping you have a polite controller too 😬
@BritishAvgeek this is why we don't do our first flight at 3 am after cramming every vatsim wiki page... and with a dead iPad. Charts help.
Good tutorial.
So how do I generate a "valid" flightplan without simbrief? Do I just have a go with Skyvector and hope for the best when a Controller sees it?
The best way is simbrief but if you have an out of date AIRAC you'll need to carefully create one using skyvector or something similar... One good website is EDI-GLA which has real routes in it
@@BritishAvgeek Thank you. Flight planning seems to be a very opaque process, very few sources of step by step info. What makes a route "valid" and another one not?
@@simonhughes-king it all depends on the AIRAC used being in date with the latest waypoints and data from it used to make the flight plan.
Very good
I've been having a lot of issues with vatsim, specifically when i'm landing the runway the controllers are using is never the one i have program. is there a way to look ahead to make sure we're picking the right runway thats in use? i keep having that issue with KLAS specifically, where it would pick runway 26 when in reality runway 01 is in use and the vatsim controller goes wild on me for using the incorrect approach.
Have a look in the US at the live/real ATIS and go from there. Sometimes if the controller sets a different approach up on Vatsim we just have to amend our plan and use whatever they have set in the Vatsim atis though
Thank you! this answers my question :)@@BritishAvgeek
when i press flight plan on vpilot i get redirected to the same web page as wich you filed the flight plan in
yes, vpilot/vatsim has changed the pre-filing now meaning once you go to the webpage and submit your flight plan it'll be on the server
Good tutorial but, how easy would it be if I only fly helicopters?
Great question! It's a little tricker especially if you're flying around London as you'd need to use the helo routes and you'd need to find the charts for those
@@BritishAvgeek thanks for the quick response. I have a London Heli Chart but quite a few years old so would have to update that I would assume..
Do you have to follow a real world aircraft or can you just make a flight up???
You can fly wherever you wish within the capability of the range and performance of each individual aircraft... You'll need a carefully planned route validated on simbrief etc in order to fly on Vatsim without issue though
Yes, thanks for these explanations on how VAT-SIM works. But I've never gotten it to work for me, yet managed to get to the end of the road somewhat safely. But I now simply started tracking planes I saw on FlightRadar24 and then seeing what direction or altitude they were generally flying and basic information like that. Now and then I went and bought an M.S.F.S. X and started to fly, but then I also got to know flight aids sites like Skyvector, which is really great for plotting the rough flight paths. Now but about a year later, Microsoft introduce a new version, ie. M.S.F.S. 2020! So now I had to buy that version if I wanted something more with this or that. But when it came to the game, I found out that my graphics card was not quite up to its best or something, so I had to go and buy a bigger graphics card and I got the GeForce GTX 1650 and off I went :) Now but still the GeForce's limitations started to show little by little, so I went out again and now to buy one that would literally "eat" this flight simulator (lol) yes and I spent something' around 2,600 US dollars. And I am quite satisfied with the machine.
Now back to this Vatsimmi of yours, I have completely managed without it. Yes, I also include in my Simbrief the additional package that I pay something a month for, but it gives me more detailed descriptions of airports, runways and approaches, but little more than Skyvector, Flightradar24 or Flightawear have been giving me. But again I would like to thank you and you guys at the British Geekawards or whatever your group is called Thank you Thank you
where did you get that pay ware scenery?
Pyreegue Dev Co Edinburgh - it's available on Orbx and a few other web stores
Can you use VATSIM on an Xbox? Or is it just for PC gaming?
Just PC I'm afraid
Ok, thanks!!@@BritishAvgeek
Why do you have to put a / before remarks?
To split it from any other remarks automatically filed
@@BritishAvgeek I see, thanks for the reply 👍
Thanks, but HOW to install Vatsim?? You've already started the Tutorial with Flight Planning and it didn't even explain how to install the program...
head to vatsim.net
Good idea for Vatsim!! Please bring Airbus too!!!
The series is filmed using the PMDG 737-800 currently though the aim/topics of the video make the aircraft used irrelevant as it's all about ATC
what do i do if im unable to fly the sid atc gave me
Look into why - perhaps you have an out of date data set and/or out of date charts (which is where a Navigraph subscription really comes in handy) but otherwise it should be in your FMS. If it isn't, ask for an alternative SID and briefly say why you can't fly the one given ("it's not in my fms" or "I'm on an older airac can I take _____ instead please")
is it also for xbox?
no.
I've just finished my first flight. I couldn't understand anything. Completely butchered it
What went wrong? Check out all my tutorials and keep at it, it's not easy but when you finally get confident it's so rewarding 🙂
my voice is s h a k i n g and they get so upset and i feel like i disappointed them its the worst
@@balakethedog it's a nervous thing to do first few times but you'll get the hang of it - I was very nervous the first like 10-20 times! That's why I made these videos, to try help people and make it even easier
Sounds like vatsim just knocks all the fun outta flight simming
Depends what you define as fun. I absolutely love Vatsim for what it offers - a properly immersive experience trying to replicate real world procedures with ATC.
If you like to do barrel rolls in an A320 then the standard in-sim multiplayer is for you but Vatsim brings the realism up to 100
VATSIM is amazing