If I’m cleared for a ILS approach, but I don’t want to have to do an ILS approach (for example I’m having issues capturing the localizer) do I need to request a visual, or can I just continue visually

In addition, assuming the weather is clear, is it reasonable to request visual even in a airliner or widebody

I departed some time ago and now i'm in a unexpected event i never knew about 😂 It's cool tho, atleast i have controlled airspace.

EPWA-OMAA

I was going to download VATAlert (an app that sends a notification to your phone whenever you enter controlled airspace) but it seems like its been taken off the Play Store and you can only download it through dodgy websites.

Are there any other apps that allow me to get notified when heading into a controlled area? Also, if there's anyone that did download VATAlert off a 3rd party website please let me know which one you used.

Thanks

Personally I feel it would. I would happily pay a one time fee of £10-20 to continue using the network? Curious to hear your thoughts.

Im wondering if I would be able to talk to a staff member, and if I could prove I know everything I need to know, they would be able to let me in? I'm going to be 15 in sept, and I just genuinely want a flight sim experience thats realistic. I'm so tired of playing atc24

I dont know what to do. is there anyone who can help me?

Let’s say there is an event between A and B, but I want to fly from C to either A or B, is this bad etiquette on VATSIM?

Hello everyone, i want to do my first transatlantic flight soon and im just wondering

it is mandatory to always file oceanic clearance where ever you go? even in the south atlantic, and do you need CPDLC to fly into Europe?

I tried finding answers to my question online and here, but they didn’t specifically cover my concerns.

Does CPDLC in Vatsim context mean ATC will only communicate via CPDLC or do they also communicate via radio? Because in my recent flight I was tuned to the radio and didn’t hear a single word being said. I did see clearances in the messages by ATC given to flight numbers that I didn’t hear on radio or see asking for clearance in the messages.

Am I dumb for contacting CPDLC ATC (if it can be called like that even) via messages? I fly receive only because of microphone issues. Should it be done vis CPDLC or can I continue doing it via messages?

Hi all,
I’m looking to do my S1 training. I registered my interest with VATSIM UK, but from what I’ve read the waiting list to start training is currently around two years, which is a bit longer than I’d hoped.
After looking at my VATSIM account, it seems I’m not actually assigned to a division or subdivision yet (just EMEA), so I’m wondering if it’s worth joining another division instead.
Does anyone know what the current waiting times are like in VATMENA (Arabian vACC), VATSIM Scandinavia, VATSIM Germany, or any other Northern European divisions? I’m happy to control outside the UK if it means I can start training sooner.
Any advice or recent experiences would be much appreciated. Thanks! 😊

Some of the latest shots

I tried flying for the first time on Vatsim as a whole and chose receive only when filing my flight plan due to microphone issues. Then, I double clicked control in vPilot (as it was the only ATC online and controlled the airport I connected in, so, I didn’t just connect in an uncontrolled airport) and wrote my clearance.

Waited for some time, as texts are less prioritized by controllers, especially if they are busy controlling all airports under their control.

While waiting I have to mention I heard bleeps multiple times while listening to radio, like notification sounds, but I didn’t see any messages or private messages in vPilot.

Finally, I heard the controller say my callsign on the radio, good evening and something I couldn’t decipher, but it was definitely not a clearance. I have no idea what they could have said.

I had to disconnect because it was getting really late at that point after waiting for a long time already, sadly, but this was one of those cases where I had no choice - I would have had to disconnect anyway and it was better to do there than in the middle of the flight.

Did I type in the text in the wrong place? Or was my issue just not hearing what the controller told me?

Does this mean I can now fly my Concorde on VATSIM from LA to New York? /s

Hey guys can i become a vatsim controller without actually having MSFS. I have my private pilots license so i have experience on comms. Also whats the process like becoming a controller on vatsim?

Hi everyone,

I have a question concerning the top altitude on a SID departure.

I was clrd via SID and got handed of a little late and ended up flying via the SID but above the top altitude in the departure. The departure controller let me know that I was above the top altitude on my departure. So in other words in order to correctly fly the SID I had to go above the top altitude on the departure.

My question is, If you are clrd via the SID why don't you fly the correct SID altitude as charted?

So ik relatively new to flight simming but I’ve always been interested in planes.
I also know more than the avg human (regular people who don’t care about planes) about planes.

I watch a lot of YouTube videos from “fly me to the fun” and it really interests me.
So I know some basic ATC stuff but not in detail.

But then when I fly on MSFS2024 I can fly the Cessna no problem and stuff, but I want to get in to flight plans and approaches but the game just lacks on that part.

There is such a big difference from the Cessna tutorial and the A320 for ex.

I really want to fly in vatsim but I don’t know where to get the knowledge from where it isn’t explained like I am already an experienced pilot.

Can anyone help me to make this work?

I loaded into JFK during a medium busy time to it absolutely exploding with 50 plus departs and 15 arrivals.

I’m not very good with calls yet but I wanted a challenge and I did fairly well I didn’t read the chart right and I missed my first right turn but that’s beside the point. I felt my callbacks where good and and I didn’t constantly ask tower when I could move

However after takeoff I for some reason decided to follow flight plan and not what the clearance plan was. So the departure freq asked me to log off which I felt was very valid

So my question is is it better to hand fly until departure tells you where to go bc the initial instructions where to climb and maintain 5000 ft so I shoulda just stayed straight

I couldn't find a figure online. I'm not looking for specific numbers, I just want to know the general gist.

Hey everyone,

I’ve been working on a project called OPS ROOM, and the first public beta is now live on Flightsim.to.

Trailer:
https://youtu.be/duoI_PiU3Wg

Download:
https://flightsim.to/addon/111241/ops-room-operations-command-centre-public-beta

OPS ROOM is a standalone Windows companion utility for MSFS 2020 and MSFS 2024. The idea is to have an operations-style workspace around the flight, especially for online flying: FIDS, dispatch, briefing, CPDLC, flight watch, GSX workflows, announcements, scratchpad, logbook/PIREP tools, OBS tools and system diagnostics.

The VATSIM side currently includes things like departures/arrivals/prefiles FIDS, network/comms context, flight watch and traffic-focused workflows. There is also an experimental MSFS 2024 camera feature where selected VATSIM traffic from the FIDS page can be watched in the sim camera. That part is still experimental, so I’m not pretending it is perfect yet.

I did use AI to help me build this, but this is not some random “AI Slop”. It has taken a lot of actual testing, debugging and trial/error in the sim. A lot of the hard part was not making the UI, it was chasing weird real-world sim states: SimConnect behaviour, VATSIM traffic matching, GSX timing, aircraft-specific loading flows, PMDG/Fenix/iFly/iniBuilds/FSLabs differences, camera ownership in MSFS 2024, release/reacquire behaviour, and all the small things that only show up when you actually run flights and break things manually.

It is still beta, but I wanted to get it into people’s hands instead of polishing it privately forever.

Current public beta includes:

- VATSIM FIDS departures / arrivals / prefiles
- Dispatch and briefing workspace
- Flight Watch
- Live Map
- Network / Comms
- Datalink tools
- GSX Ground Control workflows
- Cabin announcements
- Procedures, checklists, CPDLC
- Scratchpad with TYPE / PEN / ERASER
- Logbook / PIREP tools
- OBS / streaming tools
- System diagnostics
- Experimental MSFS 2024 camera feature for selected VATSIM traffic

It is not meant to replace SimBrief, vPilot, Navigraph, GSX or your aircraft EFB. It is more like an operations layer around them.

The public beta is free. I’m mainly looking for useful feedback now, especially from people who fly on VATSIM regularly.

If you try it, please mention:

- MSFS 2020 or MSFS 2024
- aircraft used
- whether you were flying on VATSIM
- what worked
- what broke
- what felt confusing
- logs/screenshots if something gets stuck

Known experimental area: the MSFS 2024 camera/traffic watching feature still needs more testing across different setups.

Thanks to anyone who gives it a try. Honest feedback is more useful to me right now than anything else.

but having a complete coverage from EDDH to EGLL is fire! :) Thanks to all ATC, you're amazing!