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/images/notams/notams19/fsat0806.jpgFSATC is a multiplayer server and flying community on FSX,primarily focusing on simulated real-world ATC operations. Launched inJune 2019, the community has grown to a user-base of more than 1,500members, and as FSX multiplayer pilots may have noticed, is one of themore populated servers on Steam Edition this summer. Every day,multiple ATC positions are staffed by members on the server, and isthe perfect place for an up-and-coming controller to work on theirskills. fsATC is not intended to be a replacement to services such atVATSIM, IVAO, or PilotEdge. This server is meant to be a steppingstone to those services, so any controller can start their S1 trainingwith full steam ahead. Often, there are events that are hosted in fsATC, primarilyfocusing on an airport, weather phenomenons, or regions of the world,and occastionally, fsATC will partner with other servers, FlightSimpersonalities and popular streamers. These events will have areas"fully-staffed", where every ATC position from clearance delivery tocenter is ran by controllers on their server. FSATC will always be a free tool for FlightSim pilots to work ontheir ATC, fly with that coverage, and be one with the communityaround them. fsatc.us
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ATC Development In X-Plane By Brian Godwin Flying all alone can be a tad boring, not to mention quite unrealistic. There are many ways to "add some company" to your flight sim experience and thankfully, XPlane has one of them built in. If you are accustomed to the ATC in XP9 you may understandably be let down with the offering in 10, but in some respects 10 is better and it certainly has the potential to do much, much more. It currently has the capability to get you from gate to gate with fairly accurate altitude control...and as long as you don't deviate too much from your planned route, you won't get nagged (much). While the ATC system can seem daunting, we can only control what happens on the ground. If you are at an airport that doesn't have ground routes defined, XP will autogen them for you. Make no mistake, these are often atrocious (taxiing on vehicle service roads, going through buildings and other planes, etc.), so it is up to us to define the taxi routes to function the way they are supposed to. As a scenery designer, I make a point of including accurate routes on every package I do. It's actually easier than it looks and uses the same principles like creating segments for scenery design, so let's jump right in. This how-to assumes you have a working knowledge of WED (the XP World Editor). There are three types of ATC segments you can create in WED. Active Zone - areas that require tower clearance to access. These will color code red LS Protected Zone - areas that aircraft hold short of so as to not block landing system equipment. These will color code yellow Taxiway - all other movement areas on the airport. These will color code green ATC routes also make use of the WED default options bar and since I'm all about efficiency I try to gear the manner in which I work toward that which entails the fewest changes (to the defaults) as I go. Segments that involve active zones (the first two above) are most laborious to change because you have to click once to select or deselect EACH runway. For arrivals and departures that is four clicks to go from active to non-active segments or eight clicks for one runway to another. So...I do the active zone stuff first and just change the segment name field as I go (one click and type). Start with one runway. Set the runway directional restrictions. Only use "Oneway" if it is actually required. This option can also be used with taxiways but bear in mind that you can create some hefty bottlenecks if you use it. Use caution even if the actual taxiway is one way. Next, select the runway from the "Runway" dropdown (you can only pick one at a time). Set the Departure and Arrival fields for the runway you are working on. ILS is only used for the ILS protection zone so skip it for now. Name is set to the runway identifier "17R/35L" etc. "Slop" is used to tell WED the separation distance for double node checking. Use 10 or 12. Now that the options are set, click on one "end" of the runway then the opposite end. I put end in quotations, because we don't want to click on the actual end of the runway, rather at the point where aircraft have turned on to the runway and would be prepared to start the takeoff run. For runways with multiple entry points you do this near the one closest to the end of the runway. The next step is to do the sections from inside the runway hold lines to the runway segment you just created. Turn off the "Runway" option (as we are not creating a runway segment this time). The only other change you need is to set the "Name" field to whichever taxi segment you are working on. Since the arrival and departure options are set you are ready to roll. Work in one direction from one segment to the next along the runway, only changing the taxi name as you move. If you are lucky, and the segment goes from a runway hold on one side of the runway to a runway hold on the other side just draw the lane to those (you don't have to do one to the runway line then another to the other side...WED will create the "split" on its own). Note that you should be clicking the hold short line (as it relates to the runway) to start/end your segment because this is where you want the ATC to have you or AI planes stop and wait for clearance to proceed. Once you have done all the active zone segments (they will be red), look for any ILS zones. If you have to do these, remove the arrival and departure options and set the ILS option for the runway you are protecting. Like the previous segments, this will start with a click on the line where the zone begins (the ILS hold line) and end with a click near the runway hold line. If you clicked close enough (the slop area) the two segments should join automatically. Remember that with any endeavor you should save OFTEN. Another practice to get in the habit of (especially when dealing with ATC) is checking for double nodes. These are end points that are close, but not within the "slop" area and will not be merged. If you did these inadvertently, WED can identify them (all of them) so you can easily fix it. If you do this often you won't end up at the end of your project with 500 sets of double nodes that would be very laborious to correct. On the menu strip, click "Select", then "Select Double Nodes". If you are lucky there will only be one or two sets. If there are more than one set, you will need to find them on the map pane and drag select the pair. Once this is done, click "Edit" on the menu strip then "Merge". This will join the pair. Look at your display and make sure the path is what you intended it to be. Sometimes, if you join the wrong node into a pair, your route will get seriously messed up. Repeat the merge process until all doubles have been removed (the empty selection from a Double Nodes check), then save your work. Once you have saved, WED will move your "focus" in the hierarchy pane to the top. If you are working in grouped items (and you really should be) you will need to click back inside your ATC routing group before moving to the next section. Now it is time to start the basic taxiway segments. Although you can move on and do other runways and active zones first, I like to complete an area before moving on to another...especially if it is a complex airport. Taxiways have no affiliation with runways so make sure "Runway", "Arrival", "Departure" and "ILS" options are set to none. All we need are the segment names. If you can do long stretches of taxiway in a single click-pair, awesome...just make sure you don't run through hold lines or active zones of runways that intercept the taxiway. There is a special case where you create a taxiway with a blank name option. These are segments where you still want to have control over planes/routing, but there aren't taxi identifiers (terminal areas, cargo/FBO spaces, etc. Create these the same way as a standard taxiway, just leave the name field empty. It will look weird in the hierarchy pane but ignore it. Rinse and repeat for other runways, zones, ILS and taxiways until you have a complete network. the easiest way to check for missing segments (and one of the main reasons for grouping items in the hierarchy pane) is to turn off visibility of all other airport items and you get a picture like this: If your network looks exactly like your airport does...perfect! If not, you should be able to see obvious omissions/errors. In this shot I have zoomed in on the 18L & 18R area of DFW because it contains ALL of the elements of an ATC Taxi network. The keen eyed will notice that a taxiway is one directional. This is because the Y/Z and A/B taxi bridges at DFW are set for directional traffic regardless of landing flows, so I modeled it accordingly. The last thing to do is set your "flows" so XP knows how to determine active runways according to conditions you set. There are two primary resources I use when working with flows: airnav.com and VATSIM ARTCC web sites. Airnav gives you the general operational characteristics of the airport and the ARTCC will often give you detailed traffic flow information. Obviously, you won't find data for the bulk of smaller fields on the ARTCC sites. As with taxi routes, if there are no flows defined XP will autogen them based on the closest weather data. The downside is that you will only get one runway. You need creative flow conditions to activate and model realistic actions. In the case of DFW, I was able to put six of the seven runways of the airport in use but I had to fudge reality a bit (the seventh runway isn't normally used because of the approach pattern). A snippet from my South flow: 17R - Departures (all aircraft types) 17C - Arrivals (heavy jets, jets) 17L - Departures (turboprops) 13R - Arrivals (turboprops) Flows are now very powerful tools that allow you to precisely control what traffic goes where and I highly recommend watching the flows video tutorial series by Chris Serio (creator of the ATC system on XP10. Thanks for tuning in and I hope you learned and are inspired to create. Remember, now that the Global Airports library is open for submissions, please contribute your work so that everyone may benefit! -
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How To...Control The Controller In FS2002 ATC By Robert Seitz Getting the ATC controller voice, and the pilot voice, to describe your aircraft the way you'd like it described can get a bit tricky. Perhaps this little article will help if you are having trouble in this area. You may have had the experience of downloading an aircraft only to find that the ATC bears little resemblance to the plane you are flying, or perhaps you have brought over one of your favorite FS2000 aircraft only to find that you are "experimental". Let's have a look at what is involved in the aircraft.cfg file to control all this. atc_id= atc_airline= atc_flight_number= atc_heavy= ui_manufacturer= ui_type= ui_variation= description= (Text describing the aircraft. Will already be provided.) [General] atc_type= atc_model= The aircraft.cfg file can be edited with Notepad (or whatever text editor you use) or manipulated with the Aircraft Editor (fsedit.exe) which has been supplied with FS2002. In the aircraft.cfg file the first set of ATC information should always be placed just above the "description" lines. The "ui" lines have nothing to do with ATC, but are used to define the aircraft within the FS2002 aircraft selection screen. Anything you like can be typed there. I show them above only to indicate where you will find them and to mention their purpose, so we will no longer refer to them. Now for the "atc" items. These trigger spoken words that will be articulated by the ATC controller and the pilot, so you cannot type any old thing there and expect it to be sounded out -- there are only certain words or codes that are legitimate, and we will discuss these as we progress. Let's now take up the various combinations you have available to define your aircraft and its flight. TYPE and IDENTIFICATION: Controller addresses you as "Cessna N700MS". This is likely to be the setup you would use for most private, civilian aircraft. The fields would be filled in as follows. atc_id=N700MS atc_airline= atc_flight_number= atc_heavy= [General] atc_type=Cessna atc_model=C172 The "atc_type=" and the "atc_model=" fields must be in the [General] section for this to work properly. (The [General] section is a standard part of every aircraft.cfg file.) These two items are articulated by the pilot to the controller as "is type Cessna Skyhawk" when transitioning under VFR from tower to class B or C airspace. Where did "Skyhawk" come from? Sorry, but this can be a little sticky. The "Cessna" comes from the "atc_type=Cessna"; the "Skyhawk" comes from the "atc_model=C172". Oh, really? The solution to the model confusion is easily remedied: download Don Janusz's file (DIG2TIPS.ZIP). It contains a lot of good information, including complete, alphabetized lists of both types and models. The list of models decodes the esoteric letter/number combinations (such as C172 produces "Skyhawk"). This setup also can be used for a corporate (private) jet, for example. The controller here addresses you as "Bombardier N733T". atc_id=N733T atc_airline= atc_flight_number= atc_heavy= [General] atc_type=Bombardier atc_model=CL60 The "atc_model=CL60" results in the spoken word "Challenger", by the way. AIRLINE and FLIGHT NUMBER: Controller addresses you as "Continental 813". This is the setup normally used when flying an airliner. atc_id=N655CS atc_airline=Continental atc_flight_number=813 atc_heavy= [General] atc_type=Boeing atc_model=B734 You must enter a flight number to trigger the use of the airline name. Where do we find the legitimate names for airlines? The Aircraft Editor program contains a complete list of all the types (Boeing, Cessna, Bombardier, and many others) as well as the models that are recognized by the ATC. The airline list found there, however, is small and fictitious. You can download a complete list, such as one by Richard Taylor (ACCALLS.ZIP), which will replace the rather pathetic default "airlines.cfg" file with 190 airline names. He points out that Southwest has not been included (there are others, such as AirTran). Remember, too, that there are nicknames: British Air is "Speed Bird" and Aer Lingus is "Shamrock", for example. The airlines.cfg file is found in the FS2002\aircraft folder, and it is important that you obtain the complete list. Another list (ATC_AIR2.ZIP), by Erik de Meijer contains all the airlines and their associated names (such as Shamrock is actually Aer Lingus). Upgrading the airlines.cfg file will not cause it to be displayed in the Aircraft Editor program. The new list will show up, however, in FS2002 when you go to the Aircraft Selection screen, click on the "Change" button by the tail number, and then see the airline scroll box that is displayed. AIRLINE, FLIGHT NUMBER and HEAVY: Controller addresses you as "Continental 813 Heavy". If you're in one of the biggies (747, 767, 777, etc.) merely indicate "atc_heavy=1" and suddenly you are recognized as one of the biggies. MILITARY AIRCRAFT: Controller addresses you as "Navy 212". The full list of airlines (the new airlines.cfg file) contains the various military services (Army, Navy, Marine, Air Force, Coast Guard). atc_id=N93-212 atc_airline=Navy atc_flight_number=212 atc_heavy= [General] atc_type=Lockheed atc_model=S3 Remember -- You must enter a flight number to trigger the airline name. CONVERTING FS2000 AIRCRAFT: You may have noticed that when you bring an FS2000 aircraft into the FS2002\aircraft folder and fly it for the first time, a new aircraft.cfg file will be created for it. The new file is of the FS2002 variety with information gleaned from the aircraft's .air file. This helpful operation permits us to easily use the Aircraft Editor program, or our favorite text editor, to insert all the necessary ATC data. Let me make a few comments about the FS2002 ATC. While it is not perfect, it is in my opinion amazing in that every airport, every center, is referred to by name. What a fabulous piece of work that is! What a joy it is to depart Atlanta airspace, emerge into Jacksonville center, hear Valdosta traffic, and finally enter Tampa approach. Wow! Got to love it. This is in addition to the innumerable airlines, aircraft types and models. The IFR vectors into ILS approaches seem to be very good, although I have not flown dozens of them by any means. One thing I find a bit disappointing is that on takeoff (IFR) you are immediately instructed to attain cruise altitude. It would seem more realistic to be instructed to climb and maintain, say, 3000 and later given clearance to cruise altitude. Another is the inability to request vectors (or am I missing something?). Despite all this, the ATC in my opinion is one fine addition to MSFS! Summary Of Downloads Replace the airlines.cfg file with the one found in ACCALLS.ZIP Store for reference the listings of types and models in DIG2TIPS.ZIP Store for reference the airlines (with nicknames) in ATC_AIR2.ZIP Happy flying! Robert Seitz rseitz1009@aol.com -
How To...Control The Controller In FS2002 ATC
Nels_Anderson posted a topic in Nels Corner - Articles
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How To...Interact With ATC By Craig Moulton The following is a brief description of how you, as a new pilot to SATCO can get started in this great hobby without stepping on toes when you first log onto the SATCO network. By following these simple guidelines, will keep you from annoying controllers and other pilots. This is by no means a complete list, but it is a list that will get you going in short order. Plan your flight, or at least have a good idea of where you want to fly to and from prior to logging on. Gather any and all tools, charts, maps that you may need. Check available utilities or lists to see where ATC is available. Check the SATSERVE site: http://www.satusa.org/servers/allservers.htm Check WhazzUp, available at: http://www.schiratti.com/whazzup.html Check ServInfo, available at: http://avsim.com/hangar/utils/servinfo/ Gather any charts that you may need for your flight. Pull out your charts, or go online to find the charts that you need. There are a variety of sites available to the sim pilot. If you plan on flying in and around the Los Angeles Area, check out the Los Angeles ARTCC website at: http://www.laartcc.org Most, if not all of the ATC centers have their own web pages with lots of links and helpful flight planning information. To find these web pages visit http://www.satco.org Once there click on the link for the SATCO Divisions from here you can click on the map for the part of the world that you'd like to fly. Write down your plan. On a piece of paper, write down the route you are planning to fly. Make two plans. First write the plan as it will be in the flight plan that you will send to ATC. This plan should look something like this. KLAX-VTU2.RZS-J501-BSR.BSR2-KSFO. Note that the items after LAX and before SFO have a period (.) in them. This denotes either a SID/DP (Standard Instrument Departure/Departure Proceedure) or a STAR (Standard Terminal Arrival). Also note that the J501 is a Jet route (for those who fly above the Transition Level (which in the US is FL180, but can be as low as FL050 in some parts of the world). Flight plans to ATC should be as brief as possible, but include the whole route. You do not need to include every single waypoint that may be entered into your FMS (Flight Management System). Some Flights are extemely long, and if you enter every point that is in your FMS, the arrival ATC may not be able to see what your arrival intentions are. In the above example, J501 starts for this flight plan at RZS and ends at BSR, but in between there are Two intersections that you will be crossing, that ATC does not need to see. They are PEGRS and ZONAL. Some J routes are extremely long, and contain dozens of VOR's and at least as many intersections. All you need to include for ATC is the start and stop point of the route. Second, write down all the waypoints that you will be entering into your FMS. These are the points that are critical to flying the route correctly. Here you would enter every VOR and Intersection of a J route, so that the FMS can automatically guide you to your destination. You may find that in some cases the FMS flight plan will be very long. Don't worry, there are a lot of utilities out there such as FSNAV (shareware) that can whip up a flight plan for you. You may also try FSBUILD will not only give you hundreds upon hundreds of pre-made flight plans, but will also show you the Flight plan as it should be filed for ATC, which you can then copy and paste. Start your Flight Sim, SquawkBox, RogerWilco, and whatever else that you use while flying online. Open your SB menu, and if loading a SB flight plan, select LOAD FMS Flight Plan. Follow the onscreen instructions and select the flight plan that you will be using and click OK (Note: You should save ALL of your SB flight plans in your SquawkBox directory, otherwise you will receive an error message telling you that DAT files could not be found) When the File Flight Plan box opens, ensure that you enter the type aircraft that you will be flying (pull down menu), ensure that the *REQUESTED* Cruise Altitude is correct (remember the NEODD/SWEVEN rule. If your destination is East of your departure point, file an Odd altitude/Flight Level [anything from 000-179 degrees]. If your destination is West of your departure point, file an Even altitude/Flight Level [anything from 180-359 degrees]. Also keep in mind that ATC may assign another altitude/Flight Level based on Traffic, Terrain, etc). Also ensure that you re-enter the ATC's Flight Plan (the first one you copied down, they don't need, nor want all of your waypoints, as discussed earlier). Lastly, ensure that you have an Alternate airport if necessary. Now, position your aircraft on your departure airport in a place that will not be a hazard to other pilots, prior to connecting. DO NOT ever start on a runway, as you may connect as another pilot is landing or departing. It is always best to find the terminal area, and start there. Next, you are ready to connect to the network. Log on, and at this time you can change your Callsign to reflect the flight number you may wish to use. After you are connected, you will need to resend your Flight Plan. Do this by right clicking in the SB Box, and click Resend Flight Plan. If you do not do this after you connect, ATC will not know where you are going, and will likely hear ATC request that you resend it. Now you are ready to find the appropriate ATC and request your clearance. Now select the SB menu and click on the ATC Directory. This will pull up a box of all ATC that is available within range of where you are. If you do not see any ATC, then there is none that are in range, and will not see you either. Do not call ATC that is not within range of you, as they will not be able to see you, and therefor will not be able to assist you. Select the appropriate ATC. If you are at LAX for example, you would first look for LAX_DEL (this is LAX clearance delivery, who would be responsible for giving you your clearance, weather, and runways to expect). If DEL is not available, you would next look for LAX_GND, else LAX_TWR else LAX_APP or LAX_DEP, and if none of those are available you would look for LAX_CNT (note that if you see a callsign with a _V_ in between the normal callsign, this denotes a Voice controller who can be reached via his RW channel). To select the ATC, simply double click on his callsign. (In some parts of the world, the ATC may not be listed as you might expect. For example, in San Francisco you would look for BAY_XXX, in Dallas you would look for REG_XXX. This may not be immediately clear, so be sure to check that Center's Web site for details). Next, you will see the controllers ATIS (Automated Terminal Infromation Service). This is generally some pertinent information that you will need, so pay attention. It can include such information current weather, runways in use, name of the controller, his RW IP address as well as other info that you may be interested in. Once on his frequency you need to contact him to let him know that you have seen his ATIS message, Who you are, where you are, and where you are going to, and how you'd like to get there (IFR-VFR). If only using text, just type in the info, and send it. If, however, you are using RW, you need to wait a minute or so, to make sure that you don't talk over someone else whom the controller may have just given instructions to, and is waiting for a response. Once you have determined that the channel is clear, contact the controller and tell him the above info. Now that you have a plan, have sent the plan into the System, and have contacted the appropriate ATC, you are ready to begin following the ATC's directions for a fun filled flight to your destination. Clearance Delivery (DEL) Clearance Delivery, as stated before is responsible for issuing a valid clearance, current weather/airport conditions and runways in use. DEL will review the flight plan that you have sent, make any necessary changes and read it to you. The items that you can expect from him are best remembered with the Acronym CRAFT. C = Clearance limit. This will normally be the airport that you are filed to. However, it may be to a Navaid or Intersection, if you would be required to hold, or if you are planning to proceed VFR at some point. R = Route. This could include a departure proceedure, if applicable, and may be as short as your first filed waypoint. At some point you may be told ...then as filed, meaning that you are cleared to XXX, at which point you are free to continue on the flight plan that you filed. Keep in mind that the controller is obligated to give you a. either a route that gets you to your destination or b. a route that will connect you to the flight plan that you filed. A = Altitude in order flown. Here you will be given an initial altitude that you can expect, with a final altitude assignment to be given in X number of minutes, miles etc. You may not be given an initial altitude, or you may be given a several altitudes that you can expect prior to reaching your Cruise altitude. F = Frequency. This will be the Frequency that you will first need to change to once airborne, and told to contact. For example, at LAX you can expect to be told to contact LAX_DEP on 124.30 T = Transponder Code. This is your squawk code. This is a four number code that is unique to your flight. In the real world a computer spits out a code that will be unique to you and you alone. In the SB environment, this may not be practical, and you may be flying with a code that someone else is using. There are limits to our environment, but in the long run, it doesn't make too much difference. Once read to you, you will be expected to read it back to one degree or another. It is not necessary to read back the entire clearance, but if you do you must get it right, or ATC will keep correcting you until you do. Most ATC expect that you at least repeat those items that are not in your filed flight plan, such as a departure procedure, if you did not file one, the initial climb, frequency and the Transponder code. An example of a full clearance, to use the sample FP that was written above would be... "N254RC, Cleared to San Francisco via the Ventura2 departure, San Marcus transition, J501, as filed. Climb and maintain 5,000, expect FL310 ten minutes after departure. Departure Frequency 124.30. Squawk 5001." Your read back could be as simple as "N254RC, Cleared as filed, c/m 5,000 expecting 310 in ten, 124.30 on departure, squawking 5001" DEL will then tell you whether or not read back was correct, and correct you if you left something important out. He will then give you other information that is important, such as current weather, the runway in use and anything else that you will need to know about. He will then push you on to Ground GND Ground (GND). Once you have recieved your clearance, started your engines and have made your way to, but not onto the taxiway, you will need to call Ground for Taxi instructions. Ground is responsible for getting you from point A on the airport to the departure Runway, in an orderly manner, and to ensure you do not conflict with other traffic on the ground, be it another aircraft, a fuel truck, or someone changing a taxiway light. At most airports, Ground only controls aircraft on taxiways inside the departure runways. You may want to check a Centers website for more details. Ground will give you instructions to taxi, it is important that you understand what you are being told, and read back all instructions. If you have a question about what Taxiway Bravo is, ask! If told to taxi to a runway, it is implied that you have clearance to cross all other taxiways/runways to get to that runway. However, if you are told to taxi to a runway, but hold short of another taxiway/runway, then you may NOT proceed across that taxiway/runway unless specifically told to do so. Once you are at or near your assigned runway, you will be told to contact the Tower (TWR). Tower (TWR). Tower is responsible for all active Runways. He is also responsible for sequencing all aircraft for landing and departing. This can and does include both VFR pattern aircraft, as well as IFR traffic. The Tower, when it is clear to do so, will clear you for departure. He may give you additional instructions that you must follow, until told otherwise, by either himself or the next controller. For example, Tower may clear you for departure by saying "N254RC, Wind 230@5 Fly runway heading maintain 250 knots or less, Runway 25R, cleared for takeoff. What this all means is, that the winds are coming from a heading of 230 degrees at 5 knots. He expects you to, upon departure, to fly the runway heading at 250 knots or less, from Runway 25R. You MUST comply with these restrictions, and you must read them back, so that there is NO confusion. You will be expected to comply with these restrictions until told other wise by the next controller. At which time you may be told to turn for a vector, resume a departure procedure, climb to a new altitude...etc. Once you are airborne, the Tower should then push you to the next controller Departure (DEP) Departure (DEP). Once airborne and told to contact departure you will be contacting the controller who's frequency you were given during your clearance delivery. This may be Departure, but could be Approach or even Center, depending on the staffing at the time you are online. Departure's job is to Radar Identify you, and start you out on your route in the ATC System. Departure will probably climb you to an altitude higher than your initial climb instructions, but not to your Cruise altitude (depending on your filed altitude and destination). Departure will guide you away from the airport on your SID/DP or to your first filed point in your Flight plan. He will keep you separated from other traffic by at least 3 miles and 1000 feet. Once you reach his lateral, or vertical boundary, he will again push you to the next controller in the ATC chain. This could be another Approach controller, or Center controller. Center (CEN). Once you reach the Center controller, you can expect that the radio communications to be greatly reduced. The center's job is to climb you to your Cruise altitude, and if not already on your Filed route, vector/direct you to join your flight plan route. It is conceivable that once switched to center, you will here that controller only twice. The first time, to greet you, and tell you to climb to your Filed altitude, and the second time to change frequency to the next controller. You may not hear him call you other than those two times. He may call you if there is a potential conflict with other aircraft, or terrain, at which point he may give you speed restrictions, holding instruction, vectors, or an altitude change. You are expected to comply with all instructions. It is centers job to a. vector you back to your original route or b. give you a new clearance. At all times within Class A airspace, Center will keep you clear of other traffic within 3-5 miles and 1000 feet below FL290 and 2000 feet above FL290. While not necessary, it is generally a good idea to tell Center when you reach/leave your cruise altitude. However if the controller is busy, this may be omitted. At this point you will begin to reverse the order of controllers down to your destination. Follow all instructions and read back those instructions so that there is no confusion for either yourself or the controller. If you have a problem, or a question, feel free to ask the controller. If he is not too busy, he'll be glad to help. Net Etiquette (Netiquette). While flying online, courtesy is a must. Keep to your Flight plan. Fly at 1X speed, unless approved by ATC. If no ATC is available, you may speed up to 4X, but keep a close eye on who's online. If ATC appears, slow to 1X again, until the new controller approves a faster rate. When no ATC is available, and you begin your descent into your airport, or if you are starting a flight with no ATC, switch to the Unicom Frequency of 122.80 and let other pilots know your intentions. The minimum information you should include is Who you are (callsign), What you are (type aircraft), Where you are (position from a known point such as airport, NAVAID or Intersection), How high you are, and What you plan to do. If other pilots are in the area, and could be a potential hazard, they should also call to give their position and intentions. Pay attention to these calls, as they will usually let you know of the local traffic patterns, and the landing/departure runway. It is best to conform to these runways to avoid conflicts. Be mindful of others when using Roger Wilco. Keep in mind that only one person may talk at any one time. If a controller gives instructions to another person, wait for that person to reply before you try to call. If a controller use the word "BREAK" in a radio call to Two aircraft, the second aircraft is expected to respond first, followed by the second aircraft. For Example LAX_V_CTR: "N254RC C/M FL310, BREAK AAL1028 You are flying off course, turn left heading 270 vectors back to LAX" In this case, AAL1028, after Waking, will respond with something like, "Roger, left 270" then N245RC would be clear to respond with "C/M FL310, 5RC" At all times ATC has priority. If you hear ATC start a communication as you begin yours, stop immediately and wait for ATC to resume/repeat his instructions. Above all, have fun. When done right, there is nothing as satisfying as flying online with REAL ATC! Craig Moulton gaspedal@mindspring.com -
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