Fs9 & Vatsim

[Gixer]

Thought I'd post this due to questions regarding FS9 (FS2004) and Vatsim started in another topic, and thought others might find it of interest as well.

This isn't a thread to sell another game or take away from AH. IMHO FS9 and Vatsim go well with AH, with FS9  providing a nice break from furballing.

Though for me it's currently taken over as my primary simming purely because I don't have the time to spend on more then one sim at a time. Plus the learning curve for FS9 and Vatsim is long and very steep. Infact I doubt you could ever stop learning new stuff.

Firstly, I never knew anything about Vatsim untill recently. I'm sure there are many of you that are familiar with it already know all of this. But there are those that have never really looked at FS9 and/or Vatsim.

FS9 in it's boxed version is very basic, it does an ok job of GA (General Aviation) flying Cessna's and stuff but for flying jets it falls way short. Especially when they advertise it as "Real As It Gets". Biggest problems for FS9 in anything bigger then a Dutchess are poor cockpits,poor flightmodels,relatively poor terrain,unrealistic weather,limited unrealistic AI traffic (when flying ofline) and extremely basic ATC.

Lucky for us there is a huge amount of freeware and payware that take FS9 from being basic to extremely good. If anyone would like more information on these addons let me know..

Vatsim was created to enable people to fly FS2002 or FS2004 with real ATC. So with Vatsim and if your part of a VA (VIrtual Airline) you can fly real world routes as the airlines do with other real traffic and most of all real ATC. So you will receive correct ATC for taxi,takeoff,SID,STARS,flight levels etc. Of course you have to respond with the correct replies to ATC as well. All this creates a very "real" environment to fly in. Especially when you start adding in many aircraft,severe weather diversions and the odd engine fire.

You can fly what ever you wan't on Vatsim, from a R22 Helicopter and Cessna's to military jets,cargo and civilian airliners from 737's to 747's.Of course you could fly a Airbus as a last resort.

Given Vatsim requires people with extensive training to log in and provide that ATC, allot of the guys at main Hubs are actuall real life air traffic controllers as well. So while good, Vatsim can be very frustrating as well. Depending on the time in that area for lack of ATC coverage. US is often pretty much well covered but at times you might find that even big airports like JFK might not have any cover or even worse a guy has been there all night directing traffic but logs off just before you enter his controlled air space.

Though most nights I can usually fly right down the west or east coast of the US or across it with ATC cover all the way.
Often Vatsim has flyins where VA"s for that region have organised extensive cover for the whole weekend, which works very well and is allot of fun though stressfull at times.

There are three main applications for flying online. Before you can start flying you need to

- Obtain a VATSIM Pilot-ID (free) : <http://www.vatsim.net>
- Install Squawkbox (free) : <http://www.simclients.com>
- Install RogerWilco for voice communication (free) : <http://www.rogerwilco.com>

There are no ongoing monthly fees or anything like that. Only drawback is that setting this up can be a pain and take allot of trial and error. There really needs to be a all in one programe but untill then this is it. But once there it works very well, when there is ATC coverage. Of course before you logon you can see what areas currently have good coverage rather then taking off from HongKong and hoping for the best.

Again, Vatsim isn't for you if you just like to push a couple buttons take off and fly. It takes allot of study and flying some steam gauge plane like a 722,or 742 is going to take allot of practice. But once there the experience as far as desktop sims for civilian aviation is second to none and very rewarding.




...-Gixer

[B17Skull12]

note they do not accept free email adresses.

but yes it is fun as either and ATC or a Pilot!

(ZLA=Home for me back when i played.  Was both ATC and Pilot)

[TBolt A-10]

Gix,
Thank you for all the info.  I hope to find the time to try this stuff out soon.

Question...do you see the other online aircraft as they fly their patterns, taxi, etc?
Doubtful, but I thought I'd ask.

Thanks,

[SFRT - Frenchy]

You see them as they have a database of the most comon planes 3D model. Don't think they see you camo.

I used to be an ATC for FS2002, it's not too hard when you are a real life pilot with solid IFR knowledge (think not CFII but charter pilot).

The frustating part for the ATC side is to have a newbie as a pilot that ignores you, or simply doesn't have the skill/knowledge to fly in a structured environement.

[TBolt A-10]

Originally posted by SFRT - Frenchy
You see them as they have a database of the most comon planes 3D model. Don't think they see you camo.

Are you saying that you can see other online aircraft, but you just can't see their aircraft's skins?  (skins don't matter)

I'm especially interested because my brother is a working CFI, CFII, MEI here in the So Cal area.  I'm sure his instrument students would find this to be a very helpful learning tool.

[SFRT - Frenchy]

I don't think so, if his students want to learn communications, they can ride the backseat and observe someone else. All their energy will be focussed on listening.

If they want to learn IFR, the best way is to use FS2004 offline. Get them an approach plate you blow up. Put a lot of anotations on the actions to do. Have the student fly them at home using the "pause" button at each "checkpoint". That solved the "Being behind the airplane" for 100% of my own troubled students.

Works great with VOR holdings and DME arcs too.

Where is he flying from in SoCal BTW?

[TBolt A-10]

Ah, okay.  Well, I'll still forward this info to my brother.

His home airport is LGB.  It's a great airport for learning; easy to get in and out with a few heavies mixed in.  SNA is better practice for the big league action, though.

Thanks, Frenchy.  

[SFRT - Frenchy]

Let me know when you come in SoCal. LGB is next door.
I myself fly out of VNY (Van Nuyrs) and CNO (Chino) a lot. My routes bring me mostly to FAT (Fresno) and OAK (Oakland Int).

[B17Skull12]

i would normally fly out of ontario go to OAK then on to RNO.

RNO approach is tricky since you have to come close to mt. rose.

[Fishu]

Originally posted by Gixer
So with Vatsim and if your part of a VA (VIrtual Airline) you can fly real world routes as the airlines do with other real traffic and most of all real ATC.

A little correction here to avoid any misunderstandings..

You can fly real world routes without being part of a virtual airline
It's possible to fly under any callsign, but it is very much recommended to fly with "realistic" callsigns.



hrm.. you cant anymore use ubb code? wtf?

[TBolt A-10]

Originally posted by SFRT - Frenchy


Let me know when you come in SoCal. LGB is next door.
I myself fly out of VNY (Van Nuyrs) and CNO (Chino) a lot. My routes bring me mostly to FAT (Fresno) and OAK (Oakland Int).

cc.  I live 4 minutes from SNA, but I'm not a pilot.  I ran out of money back when I was in training.  

My bro lives 4 minutes from LGB.

U fly charter, Frenchy?  

email: tbolt@onpoi.net

[Gixer]

"You can fly real world routes without being part of a virtual airline  It's possible to fly under any callsign, but it is very much recommended to fly with "realistic" callsigns. "


That's true but being part of a virtual airline just makes it allot more fun. bit like being in a squad in AH or not being in a squad. Squad life makes it even more interesting.



...-Gixer

[Gixer]

Originally posted by TBolt A-10
Gix,
Thank you for all the info.  I hope to find the time to try this stuff out soon.

Question...do you see the other online aircraft as they fly their patterns, taxi, etc?
Doubtful, but I thought I'd ask.

Thanks,

You see them but depends if you have the exact same plane in your database. If they are flying a 737 with some odd paintjob you will just see a default 737 which is fine.

It's a little worse if you get involved in Bush flying for instance. You might fly into a small airfield and someone else is landing a helicopter. If you don't have that same helicopter FS might just default to a cessna or something. So watching a 152 hover and land is a little odd.

Thing is it's pretty easy to install large databases of aircraft. Especially civil airliners. Military and minor GA is a different story.


...-Gixer

[Bluedog]

Gixer,

I just bought FS9 two days ago, and am utterly lost

I've never played MSFS before, except for CFS2 for about a day.

Could you please give a few details of these addons you speak of?

So far, apart from not having a single clue as to what is going on, FS9 seems great, awesome weather effects, and great map size

I would really like some advice on what to get, where to get it, what not to bother with etc, and real basic stuff like, how do I install a plane I have downloaded?.

Also, can I set up my controls so that on helicopters my throttle axis is reversed?

Thanks,
Blue

[B17Skull12]

blue,

i get freeware from http://www.flightsim.com and that also has a nice share of shareware.  As for not knowing wtf to do.  find a airport and fly, but i would recommend doing the lessons first, that should give you a basic idea as to what does what.

BTW i have Fs2002, 2000, and 98.

on a bad note the offline ATC in fs2002 is o basic it really is funny.  it pays no attention to your flight plan when you come in to land.

Ex.  when coming into KONT, the ATC pays no attention to my flightplan and always send me over a high mountian, where as in ziggy 3 i think, i would go through a pass in the mountians.

that is my only complaint.

But i do love flying my plane with their views, which are better imo than ah2 views.

Alson a side note, Vatsim is really lagging on europe ATC's, since most of them moved on to the tardlet IVAO, so it is hard to get ATC service there, but it will be there around London and paris, but almost nonexistant anywhere else.