Vatsim Headache!!!

Hi,

I've been flying for some time now and I would like to try Vatsim. Problem is, the Pilot Resource Center in Vatsim hardly shows what to say when flying VFR/IFR. Can somebody tell me the proper phraseology for VFR/IFR or share a link? I really hope Vatsim will list the phraseology used for VFR/IFR from pre-flight till shutting down. If you are using Vatsim, where did you learn the phraseology? I really hope Vatsim will make a tutorial soon as it is the most important part.

Thanks,

Aaron

I learned the phraseology in a few places.

1. I mimicked phrases what I "told" the AI ATC. It is not too different.

2. I listened to how other people talked online

3. I listened to either a scanner or LiveATC

4. I read the forums at VATSIM a lot and other people asked this very same question.

Pay attention to what is being said and just repeat it verbatim.

"HVK001, cleared for takeoff runway 23 Right"

"Cleared for takeoff runway 23 Right, HVK001"

Just do that for now.. over time you'll learn a kind of short hand. But the most important thing is confirming the instructions you heard.

Outside of that, generally you are responsible for initiating first contact, to start your flight clearance. "Requesting IFR/VFR clearance to Destination, HVK001" is certainly good enough.

If you think learning new things is a headache, you may be in the wrong hobby!

Here's one of many online examples. It's pretty easy to find more:

SAMPLE VATSIM TRANSCRIPT - FROM CALIFORNIA AIRLINES

In most cases, speaking with ATC is telling them WHO you are (Cessna N1234C), WHERE you are (7 miles east), WHAT you want to do (landing). You may add that you have Mike (the current ATIS information). There will be specific patterns that are used all the time, and information provided by ATC will always be in a specific order, depending on what the information is, but for example when getting airport information (such as from ATIS), or when getting directions for which runway to land, where to report, etc., things will always be in the same order. Learn to anticipate those patterns, then you'll more easily understand what is being said.

As others say above, listen, really listen, to what is being said, and even repeat it word for word (listening, but not flying -- just pay attention). Radio terminology has been specifically crafted for two purposes: to unambiguously transmit information (radio is sometimes hard to understand), and to minimize the transmission time (many others need to communicate quickly, too).

Chapter 4, Section 2 of the FAA's Aeronautical Information Manual, or AIM, covers exactly what you want to know. While I don't do VATSIM, my understanding is that they pattern their operations/communications after the real world.

Like all things aeronautical, radio procedures and terminology aren't something you learn overnight -- it takes persistence, practice and time and effort to learn.

It's not for nothing that Private Pilot training takes a bare minimum of 40 hours (usually quite a bit more), PLUS the many, many hours of ground school needed; AND that IFR training (where you really learn ATC procedures) takes at least another 40 hours plus many, many hours of ground school.

So to even minimally mimic SOME of that, you'll need to spend a lot of time and effort learning.

Thanks everyone for the helpful replies :D :D :D

I took the Vatsim P1 course which had a lot of useful information. Still trying to grasp the UK airspace though. The UK charts in skyvector are totally different from US!!!

ftldave, yes it is a headache because I couldn't find any resources!! :D

Thanks for all the help,

Aaron.