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I have been trying to get this page started for sometime but something else always crops up. It's always the way with web design, you think of something and something else gets in the way. I suppose it might help if I had a plan that I could work to. unfortunately this website is an organic construct and develop's as and when something occurs to me. Since joining VATSIM UK I have heard so many funny, inspiring and often revelatory stories that I though I would dedicate a page to those pilots who might like to see their experiences in print so to speak. So the first of many is by GDAVE.

If you have a funny story that I can use please email me direct to wycliffe@wycliffebarrett.co.uk

VATSIM EXPERIENCE 1

Wycliffe has asked me to write a few lines reflecting on my Vatsim experience so far. Although writing is not one of my strong points, I agreed to do it because, if it were not for his encouragement I would probably still be ‘parked up’ and listening somewhere!! The fact that he’s a big 6’ chap had nothing to do with my decision whatsoever!!

So, where to begin? I’d been using Flight Simulator for quite some time before I stumbled onto the world of Vatsim purely by chance, whilst browsing around the net. In a short period of time I became a registered member, the required software was downloaded, installed & tested without too much hassle. Right, now let’s go flying. Hmm, where should I go? Who do I talk to? What do I say? Can I do this? How do I do that? How high should I be? Who am I? Why am I here? !! Question, questions and yet more questions kept occurring to me. Ok, time for a little reading. Back to the Vatsim site. A little reading !!! This is like studying to become a brain surgeon (although that might have been easier)!! I was surprised at the wealth of information available, not only within Vatsim, but also via links to other sites. A few weeks were spent trying to learn & understand about regulations, procedures, airspace types, VFR, IFR, etc. etc. I read somewhere that the learning curve was a bit steep – a bit steep !! It’s a vertical line !! I must say that, I personally, found it difficult at times to find the answers to specific questions. Also, articles are quite often written using many abbreviations, which is quite frustrating to the newcomer who now has to find out what they mean. Having said that, thanks must go to the various authors, without whose articles things would be a lot more difficult.

I finally decided that it was time to go online and just listen to what was going on. One night, whilst listening at Cardiff, I received a text message from the controller, asking if I would like to do some vfr circuits. Panic or what !! I remember thinking “how do I get out of this”? My reply was something like “ I’m quite happy sitting here, minding my own business thank you, so go away and leave me alone”! Wycliffe’s response was “ Go on...I’ll help you”. For some reason I accepted his offer with “Ok, give me a few minutes”. Cue adrenaline – it really was fight or flight time! Now what was I supposed to do? Stress levels went off the scale & I re-invented the word ‘concentration’! My hands were sweating so much I could hardly grip the joystick. Would I remember everything? No! I wouldn’t!! I’d practiced circuits offline, but, unfortunately for me, circuits tonight were off the opposite runway. Oh, great joy !! No problem, I thought, I’ve got the Terminal Charts for Cardiff so I can see where the taxiways and hold points are. Ok, let’s rock & roll. All went reasonably well until my turn onto final. Shock horror....where was the damn runway ????? It was nowhere in sight. I forgot all about Spot View. Thinking back on my radio phraseology at this point, I have a good idea what Wycliffe must have been thinking ! A three year old would have done better ! I then caught sight of some buildings. Relief. Right, line up and land. Hmm, odd, doesn’t look much like Cardiff – Oh no! It’s not, it’s St Athan !! What a disaster, but at least I now know where I am. Get back to Cardiff and go around. Thankfully my second circuit was a lot better (well I thought so). It was only after I’d parked up and started chatting to Wycliffe that he realised this was my first ever flight! A minor detail I’d forgotten to include in my flight plan! Never mind, job done! Time for a well deserved drink and cigarette!

The next night I was keen to do it all again. I was hooked. With each successive flight my skills improved. Then, one night, half way round a circuit, I was asked if I had a visual on a spitfire. I didn’t. Couldn’t see him anywhere. Once again I forgot about Spot view and became so concerned with finding him that I actually forgot to fly the aircraft !! Impending doom all over again!

To sum up, the first online flight is both the worst and best you’ll ever have. The more you fly the more confidence you gain and the more fun you have. However, things can still and do go wrong. I’ve seen and heard experienced pilots really messing things up, which is actually very encouraging for the fledgling pilot. On a more negative note though, I have, at times, heard atc communicating to pilots in a very impolite manner, which does nothing to encourage new pilots in an otherwise very friendly environment.

If asked to give any advice to new pilots it would be take things slowly, one step at a time and practice a lot offline. Spend time listening online to get an understanding of what is going on and why. The use of two monitors is a distinct advantage allowing multiple views without worrying about switching. I also found it a good idea to use Flight Simulator’s real world weather function otherwise you could be in for a shock – believe me! From a purely selfish point of view, it would be wonderful if pilots could transmit on voice but atc could only use text !! If only!

Finally, I must start a Wycliffe appreciation club. My sincere thanks go to him for his encouragement and time spent coaching me from vfr ccts in a Cessna to (currently) vfr trips away from the airfield in a Baron. He has also threatened to get me up to a point where I will be confident flying full ifr in a 737....we’ll see! He has also introduced me to VRC and the ‘Dark Side’, which I find very interesting. He is always happy & willing to assist in any way he can, whether it be with procedures or technical matters. He thoroughly deserves a gold plated Blue Peter badge !!

Dave

G-DAVE

VATSIM Experience 2
I was beginning to think I might be just getting out of the New Pilot stage, I mean I've been online approx 8 weeks and gaining in confidence all the time.

That was until yesterday afternoon. My usual flight from Cardiff to Gatwick was filed with my usual STAR I was happily flying along hadn't missed one call, although i was slow in replying to one particular one. No problem. I'm a professional.

I confidently repeated "Gatwick Tower say again new hdg G-CK"

It was then the nerves came back and I started sweating, the new heading was way off my normal route in, he was going to bring me in on a different runway and STAR. Oh no thats done it, my stress levels went off the scale.

All my other flights to Gatwick had been on the regular STAR I'd used.

Was the controller just testing me?

Had I forgot to read the rwy in use?

Why was ATC making me dance all over the sky?

Jeez I was sweating, my wife came on the flight deck (must get that red light over my study door) and started asking me questions about oil in her car and such like. "What!!! You ask me about your car now, are you mad"! I said (or shouted I can't remember)

This was a nightmare I had to calm down get myself sorted, come on now Wycliffe I said to myself, listen to what the nice man is saying you'll be ok.

Finally I was established on rwy heading and I could see the VASI lights. I came off auto pilot as I like to hand land my 737, then it happened SB3 did its magic and the weather changed 2 miles out. The mist came rolling in, I couldn't see the far end of the runway, I could only just see the VASI, it was going to be tight. ATC was calmly giving me calls, I was flapping like crazy.

I managed to get my Boeing down but god it was tight, used all the runway. Phew

ATC calmly said "G-CK Welcome to Gatwick please exit to your left at your discretion"

Yeah right. Dont you just love flying on VATSIM. It's a hell of a diet I lost 5lbs on that flight I'm sure.

Wycliffe
G-WICK

VATSIM Experience 3

I thought I knew it all…………….

Generally speaking from experience (or perhaps a lack of), the moment that things start to go pear shaped that you never could imagine actually could, and worse still possibly because of “your” actions, is the time to own up and say to yourself, “its time to step down lad, you cant possibly know everything – more effort, study and the reading of manuals and charts is required!”

Honing my TWR skills then on IVAO at EGHH for around six months with Pro-Controller with numerous blips randomly flashing across the screen with apparently no regard or any wish for ATC, I discovered a new world of simulated ATC. The move to SATCO (predecessor to VATSIM..well sort of) was inevitable at that time if I wanted to take a step-up on the realism ladder apart from realising that I was actually only one of two controllers based in the UK.

One of those occasions where I already had this notion of being the bees knees but occasionally dropping the odd clanger or three (I call them senior moments these days – this always covers a multitude of sins), I recall just passing my CTR exam with SATCO. This meant after 500 hours on TWR with no APP work under my belt, I was actually going to be let loose onto the pilot membership with a view to help bring them home with their trust placed firmly on my shoulders as a new radar man.

I remember it was late in the year with weather closing in, the latest sector file loaded into Pro-Controller complete with new alias file. The sector file was extremely basic. Just the NDB’s VOR’s ISEC’s Zone and a wee little line for the runway, no such thing as airspace then, vector lines or runway distance markers and the like. (You chaps have it so easy these days, superbly produced clients with built-in voice comms and sector files that have more details than you can shake a stick at! – sheer bliss).
Anyhow, logging onto APP around 1900 local time, the usual 1200’s plus a smattering of standby’s revealed themselves on the scope. Departures were given the appropriate SID’s and flight plans were checked for route validity. A couple of inbounds texted on the comms line and after offering them the weather and vectoring onto the ILS, they were happily down safely and as always, thankful for the ATC as usual, all going well so far…… or so I thought.

I remember this pilot well, mainly due to the fact that from this night onwards, we became quite good friends with each other, there wasn’t any other outcome in reality!
Inbound he arrives from the west and requested some IFR circuits for pilot training. Armed with only a basic set of aliases, at stages I improvised quite well apart from the odd spelling mistake or two, three, four….you get the idea. Some turn out quite funny really. After vectoring onto the ILS, a request was made for left-hand vectored circuits. Touch and go clearance given and climb-out instructions issued, he reported level at the assigned altitude and heading in readiness for the next approach.

A left turn downwind was given, albeit a little late on my behalf due to being absorbed in checking a few outbound routings for departures (multi tasking – what’s that??), so he ended up just outside the zone but nevertheless on a downwind heading. Approaching the base leg turn, In a hurried effort to get back to my ground traffic and quite incorrectly, I issued further descent clearance to the ILS intercept altitude (thinking that I was being efficient) followed by the 90 degree turn onto base leg.

Half way through the turn, I noticed something rather odd, his speed readout slowing from 140 knots and settling to nothing over a few seconds, whilst his altitude remained the same, Ha-Haaaaaah - Pilot error ?, Flight-Sim problem maybe !, I was just about to text my - “Are you alright there sir..?” transmission when I received his call “erm I have just made a landing on a hill top!”

Oh dear I thought, how on earth can this happen ?. Did I do everything right at my end I wonder. Well let it be said that the earth is not quite as flat as it was thought. There are lots of humps and bumps around, some of which can project even as far up as the cruising flight levels. The thing is, is there anything that I could have done to avoid helping this chap get back to the airport without him inadvertently settling his aircraft an a stretch of hill top 15 miles to the south east of the active runway?
There’s no such thing as terrain on the Pro Controller scope and only the basic control zone outline to work with. I was actually very embarrassed, and isn’t that just weird or what? – sitting alone in front of a PC and pulsing crimson – why? Its not as though anyone could see me, is it !

After disconnecting, the pilot came back onto the apron and we started a private chat of some length. Accepting my apologies, I made suggestions as to how the APP service could be improved and thought of methods to offer other controllers and pilots of becoming spatially aware of the local area. This consisted of drawing up some local airspace charts and then importing the airspace into the controller client sector file. On the chart, the lowest level of the airspace was added with a few colours to make it look pretty and finally laminated and pinned on the wall next to the monitor. Next time online, I was amazed to see that the chart and scope were virtually identical apart from the values written on the chart and the pretty colours.

From this time on, I was able to learn off by heart the lowest altitude that I could descend aircraft to whilst bringing them in on vectors to the ILS just by reference to this simply drawn chart and from that day on, never had another aircraft land prematurely at the hillside café.

It doesn’t matter how much you “think” you know in this superbly fascinating arena of simulated ATC and flying on VATSIM, I have found from the experience of learning by your own mistakes and reading up on procedures, just how much you can advance yourself. It is amazing just how much information there is around that is available for inwardly digesting, and all free. All that is needed is that you take the time out to read as much as possible about your local controlling area. In the end, this will only amount to one thing, and that is to provide a service that is truly realistic and appreciated by all users alike.

D Finney

To the Newbie - First time Jitters

OK, first of all a confession, in order to set the scene if you will.....

As my sig sort of gives away, I spend most (OK, all!) of my flying time in the "Big Iron". I can, reasonably well, hand fly a heavy up to and down from the FL's, can read and understand instrument charts such as SID's and STAR's etc and prefer to fly them using the raw data and operating the navigation radios myself where practical to do so. I use checklists for all my aircraft, know the emergency drills reasonably well for most of the Boeing fleet and all in all consider myself to be reasonably competent at IFR flying. Heathrow, JFK and other major airports hold no fear for me anymore - that's not to say I don't make mistakes or think that I am better than anybody, the point is that I am confident and relaxed about IFR flight in heavy jets.

However, the one thing I never, ever learned to do was VFR flying.

So, I found myself this evening sitting at EGFF (Cardiff) having brought a BA 747-400 from Heathrow to the Heavy Maintenance Facility at Cardiff airport, and thinking I would like to try something a little different, loaded up my trusty PA28 with the intention of flying (IFR) to my hometown, Edinburgh.

All of a sudden I realise that there is ATC at Cardiff, and a quick check tells me it's Wycliffe Barrett, a controller whom I have seen time and time again on these forums giving help and constructive advice to newbie pilots. So I figure, what the hell - why not give this VFR malarkey a try.

To cut a long story short, Wycliffe lived up to the rather good reputation he has amongst UK pilots I've spoken to and within a short time I was ready to take off and bash the circuit at Cardiff. About the time the engine fired up was about the time my palms started to sweat and my hand began to shake. Not only was I about to do my first VFR flight online, I was about to do it with another GA aircraft in the pattern, and a big jet sitting at the gate! So it wouldn't just be Wycliffe who would see how terrible I was at this arcane dark art called VFR.....

After a few fluffed communications, due mostly to my lack of knowledge about how VFR traffic talks to and interacts with ATC I get off the ground flying right hand circuits. With a few nicely timed PM's from our friendly neighbourhood ATC I even start getting the phraesology right!

So there I am, doing low-approach-and-go-arounds at Cardiff, the other GA chappie is behind me in the circuit somewhere and a big jet is departing - and I am having the best fun I have had on Vatsim in as long as I can remember. This, I think to myself, is real flying!

And then it happened....

The steady thrum of the engine became a *cough* *cough* *cough* then silence......

It took me about a split second to realise that I had landed a 747 with maybe 5 or 6% fuel in the tanks and changed into the PA28. My nerves started to build from the second I decided to try this new form of flying, so much so that in my flustered state I - yeah you probably already figured this bit out - forgot to reset the fuel. 6% is still a fair few truckloads of fuel in a 747, but it's about enough to fill your zippo in a PA28. Actually it's exactly enough to complete 2.7 circuits at Cardiff airport. But you get the point.

One swift disconnect before I hit the wet stuff later and it's off for a smoke to calm my nerves again.

The moral of the story, and the reason I share my embarrasment, is that no matter how good you think you are, and no matter how experienced you are there is ALWAYS scope to screw up royally. And I bet a week's pay that I am by far not the only pilot with 4-figure hours logged on the network who has made a complete and utter hash of something very publicly.

So, to the newbie with first time jitters - relax and have fun. Learn from your mistakes and jump right back in. I for one, shall definitely be doing more VFR flying in future although from now on I will always make sure to check the tanks are sufficiently full before setting off!

Cheers,
Scott

P.S. - Thanks again Wycliffe, I shall most certainly be visiting Cardiff again