Delta Virtual Airlines Water Cooler

Delta Virtual Airlines Water Cooler | Airline Operations | DVA and VATSIM

DVA10439
Captain, B727-200

Joined on January 05 2012
50 State Club
Century Club
Everett Century Club
DVA Two-Year Anniversary
Online Century Club

Southeastern United States

164 legs, 193.1 hours
150 legs, 178.7 hours online
162 legs, 191.0 hours ACARS
12 legs, 17.9 hours event

Posted onPost created on January 27 2012 15:07 ET by Kevin Bradley

Hey Guys and Gals:

I'm a new pilot and need some help with online flying that I can't seem to find online. I'm based both in the real and virtual world at ATL and would like to try flying my assignments via Vatsim. That said:
1) how do I know when Virtual ZTL controllers are online?
2) how is the best way to file flight plans (BTW using FSINN)
3) what i the process for flying when no contollers are active at your starting airport? How do you get clearances?
4) similar to #3 what if you have no one working at destination? how do you close your plan?
5) and last when filing with vatsim, what call number do you use, I assume my Pilot ID number not the assigment flight number but not sure.

Thanks for your help and being available for newbies like me.
Kevin

Kevin Bradley

Captain, B727-200

DVA9895
First Officer, B767-300

Joined on June 14 2011

Waterville, ME USA

24 legs, 47.4 hours
6 legs, 15.2 hours online
22 legs, 43.5 hours ACARS
3 legs, 6.2 hours event

Posted onPost created on January 27 2012 15:19 ET by Matt Hodgkins

Welcome to DVA!

To answer your questions:

1) Download VATSPY. Do a Google search for it. It will show you where and when controllers are online. Also, try the free vRoute, as it will show you the same info, but also when controllers MIGHT be online, based on their history. Very helpful for many, many things.
2) Using the above vRoute, you can see real-world flights between your destinations and prefile them. You can also go to Vataware and see what fellow simmers have flown, or FlightAware and see the real-world route. In FSInn, click the flight plan button on the right and fill in the info and press send to tower.
3) Just tune to Unicom on 122.800 and announce your intentions to anyone around via text. For example: "on the ground at ATL, taxi for takeoff 09L, IFR to JFK via (SID or Direct to)."
4) Same as above, tune Unicom and announce intentions. Example: at 11,000 feet, landing JFK 13R, via (STAR or other routing). Depending upon traffic, I might not even announce, though it's a good idea anyway. Some would argue the less info you give the better to keep it uncluttered, but I say give as much as possible without overdoing it. Location based on VOR or other fix (distance from the fix in nm), altitude, next altitude and distance from the fix.
5) This has been a debate here. You can do the real world flight number, unless already taken. Otherwise, I suggest DVA1438, removing the 0 from your ID. Some controllers don't like the extra numbers.

Matt Hodgkins (DVA9895)

DVA8752
Captain, B767-300

Joined on January 01 2010
50 State Club
Triple Century Club

Sedalia, CO

338 legs, 1,236.8 hours
31 legs, 181.3 hours online
37 legs, 232.7 hours ACARS
2 legs, 8.4 hours event

Posted onPost created on January 27 2012 15:39 ET by Brandon Howell

I file flightplans from here: http://www.vatsim.net/fp/ . I like it a lot more than what's in FSInn. Plus if a controller needs to change my route, the changed one will also display there.

Don't use DVA - that's Discovery. Use DAL on VATSIM.

For UNICOM: http://www.deltava.org/thread.do?id=0x1937c

Brandon Howell (DVA8752)

DVA1690
Senior Captain, MD-88
OLP

Joined on May 05 2004
50 State Club
Quatercentenary Club
Online Quadruple Century Club
Stage 1 Jet Double Century Club
DVA Twenty-Year Anniversary

"Life begins at Vr"
Longmont, CO USA

477 legs, 700.4 hours
468 legs, 686.6 hours online
254 legs, 389.4 hours ACARS
3 legs, 3.9 hours event

Posted onPost created on January 27 2012 16:28 ET by Trevor Bair

Hey Kevin - welcome aboard.

For #5 - I was just discussing this yesterday with another recent DVA member. Personally, I'd recommend using the real world flight number, always. There's no real reason to use your DVA pilot ID since ACARS can track your Online flights regardless of what flight number you're using. So, going for realism, go with the flight number.

Enjoy!

Trevor Bair

Senior Captain, MD-88

DVA10030
Captain, B727-200
OLP

Joined on August 04 2011
50 State Club
Online Double Century Club
Triple Century Club

"Inertial Navigation System Fan "
Milano, Lombardia Italia

323 legs, 812.4 hours
229 legs, 553.7 hours online
308 legs, 767.2 hours ACARS
27 legs, 52.7 hours event
1,410 legs, 2,961.0 hours total

Posted onPost created on January 27 2012 16:35 ET by Luca Di Biase

kEVIN, u can also use vatroute info to get a summary of online's activities and staffing

Luca Di Biase (DVA10030)

DVA2192
Senior Captain, A320
OLP

Joined on March 14 2005
50 State Club
Million Mile Club
Flying Colonel
Online Fifteen Century
DVA Fifteen-Year Anniversary
Long Beach 500 Club

Attleboro, MA USA

1,703 legs, 3,149.7 hours
1,635 legs, 2,989.8 hours online
1,667 legs, 3,076.4 hours ACARS
3 legs, 5.5 hours event

Posted onPost created on January 27 2012 16:46 ET by Richard Walsh

As far as unicom, simply announce relevant info. Departing runway xx and direction. Unless people have the stars and sids in front of them they are useless. Your destination is also not needed in the announcement. You also don't need position reports. I simply state my position and intention about 20 miles out and then call again on final ....example " ATL traffic 20 miles southeast inbound 9R" and then on final "ATL traffic on 10 mile final 9R" Both paint a very clear picture of where I am and where I am going without having others needing to reference charts. I don't announce my SID either. " ATL traffic taxing to 9L" and " ATL traffic departing 9L northeast departure". Again, no charts are needed for others. They know I am departing 9L and my direction of flight will be to the northeast. Likewise inbound traffic now knows a aircraft is coming up on 9L and direction of travel will be to the northeast. It is the same way I flew in the RW in a C152 into and out of uncontrolled fields with the exception of announcing legs (crosswind, downwind, base, final).

Richard Walsh

Senior Captain, A320

Posted onPost created on January 27 2012 17:11 ET by Kevin Bradley

Thanks everybody for the tips. Your prompt and professional responses proves I made the right choice by going to DVA!

Kevin Bradley

Captain, B727-200

DVA9545
Senior Captain, B777-200
OLP, 737-ATP

Joined on March 03 2011
50 State Club
Globetrotter
US Coastal Club
US Mountaineer Club
Million Mile Club
Events Double Century Club
DVA Ten-Year Anniversary
Toulouse 500 Club
Bi-Millennium Club
Online Twenty Century
DVA Fleet Master

"YUPIIIII"
Goiás Brazil

2,515 legs, 5,091.0 hours
2,344 legs, 4,812.6 hours online
2,507 legs, 5,061.4 hours ACARS
271 legs, 683.8 hours event

Posted onPost created on January 27 2012 17:27 ET by Thiago Braga

VATSPY for sure. Its a must while using VATSIM.
here is the link: http://www.metacraft.com/VATSpy/

Thiago Braga (DVA9545)

DVA9895
First Officer, B767-300

Joined on June 14 2011

Waterville, ME USA

24 legs, 47.4 hours
6 legs, 15.2 hours online
22 legs, 43.5 hours ACARS
3 legs, 6.2 hours event

Posted onPost created on January 27 2012 17:48 ET by Matt Hodgkins

Brandon Howell wrote:

I file flightplans from here: http://www.vatsim.net/fp/ . I like it a lot more than what's in FSInn. Plus if a controller needs to change my route, the changed one will also display there.

Don't use DVA - that's Discovery. Use DAL on VATSIM.

For UNICOM: http://www.deltava.org/thread.do?id=0x1937c

Right, my bad. DAL. not DVA. I don't know why I put that. Guess lack of sleep and too much sauce can do that to you.

Matt Hodgkins (DVA9895)

DVA9571
Senior Captain, B767-300

Joined on March 10 2011
Everett 500 Club
Online Quintuple Century Club
DVA Five-Year Anniversary
Six Century Club

Miami, FL USA

612 legs, 2,333.0 hours
590 legs, 2,242.9 hours online
602 legs, 2,307.3 hours ACARS

Posted onPost created on January 29 2012 10:25 ET by Bob Klemm

For planning I would highly recommend using Flight Aware, as you can see the most up to date routes being used in the real world. This can be pretty important if you (as you should be) are using r/w weather and winds aloft.

Bob Klemm

Senior Captain, B767-300

Posted onPost created on January 29 2012 10:28 ET by Bob Klemm

Richie Walsh wrote:

Unless people have the stars and sids in front of them they are useless. Your destination is also not needed in the announcement. .

This is not always true. You may have other pilots on the same SID/STAR, and this would let them know how far you are ahead or behind them. You can also give your distance from the field, so you cover both issues.

Bob Klemm

Senior Captain, B767-300

DVA853
Senior Captain, B747-400
OLP
E-MAIL

Joined on September 26 2002
50 State Club
Tin Dispatcher
Globetrotter
Two Million Mile Club
DVA Twenty-Year Anniversary
US Coastal Club
Toulouse Millennium Club
Bi-Millennium Club
Online Twenty Century
Cascadia Club

Rincon, GA

2,207 legs, 6,359.7 hours
2,186 legs, 6,317.8 hours online
2,175 legs, 6,226.6 hours ACARS
2 legs, 10.0 hours event
376 legs dispatched, 185.3 hours

Posted onPost created on January 30 2012 08:27 ET by Chris Hannigan

Richie hit it spot on... announcements should be short and to the point. In other words,

"ATL - departing 9L on southeast dep" or "ATL - inbound 9R eta 10 min"

These announcements are quick and do not require other traffic to really study charts to figure out where you are. If you find yourself on the same route as someone else then something like "ATL - crossing SINCA for 9R" could be benificial for the traffic following you in.

Chris Hannigan

Senior Captain, B747-400

Posted onPost created on January 30 2012 10:36 ET by Bob Klemm

Chris Hannigan wrote:

If you find yourself on the same route as someone else then something like "ATL - crossing SINCA for 9R" could be benificial for the traffic following you in.

That's what I was referring to.

Bob Klemm

Senior Captain, B767-300

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