VATSIM Beginners Guide | Made by a Controller | Everything you need to know!

A highly requested video, we cover the basics of VATSIM, including phraseology, principles, and flight planning, as well as tips for first-time flyers, made by a VATSIM controller. I have 100s of hours flying and controlling on the network. This guide should cover everything you need for your first VATSIM flight!
Chapters:
00:00 - 01:00 = Introduction
01:00 - 03:35 = Key Software
03:35 - 08:10 = Flight Planning
08:10 - 10:10 = Key Principles
10:10 - 20:05 = IFR Departure
20:05 - 22:10 = IFR Arrival
22:10 - 23:25 = VFR
23:25 - Tips for First Flights
Links discussed:
ChartFox - chartfox.org/
Navigraph - navigraph.com/
SimBrief - www.simbrief.com/home/
METAR - metar-taf.com/
SimAware - map.vatsim.net/

[@IsuckAtFlightSimulatorsRN]

Lol, when I did my first flight I was gonna do pattern work and so I requested taxi then the controller told me I forgot to set a flight plan and I just left out of pure ashamement

[@thevatsimcontroller]

Not embarrassing at all, a lot of people forget to file because there’s a lot going on. It’s a common thing.

[@MindRisers_YT]

If you are doing vfr you don’t need a flight plan just say “Whoever is on” “Your Callsign” “At wherever you are” “With the weather or info a-z(depending on airport)” “Requesting touch and goes or to stay in the pattern and do taxi backs”

[@mdaydj]

As a real life pilot of single engine prop and gyrocopters I've spoken on the radio over many years flying out of southend (EGMC) and North Weald EGSX and I can honestly say the first time flying on vatsim was immersive and made it feel as real as it gets. Brilliant controllers and I still get flustered working out views navigating the cockpit and doing radio but as said you won't regret it. It really does bring the experience to life ....Write stuff down you will forget what's said with all that's going on and as you get older it gets harder to recall instructions just moments ago. But if you really want to know how it really feels flying then you have to get on vatsim. Thanks to all controllers who dedicate their time!!

[@MrGokoAviation]

I'm sorry that such a beautiful video has so few views.

[@thevatsimcontroller]

This will probably get less just because it’s a beginners guide not a controlling video 😅 As long as it helps people views are just a number 👍

[@ops7917]

17k in 6 months is not bad really for a vatsim tutorial.

[@moekitsune]

I'm getting into flight simming and while I don't think that I'll be joining VATSIM for a while I'll definitely still watch this

[@karinknobbe-nasskau7934]

A fantastic insight into the Vatsim world of ATC, I'm getting ready to do my first Vatsim flight and your video has given me the best information on "How to do it". Thank you very much for the time and effort that you have put in to help all "Newbies".

[@thevatsimcontroller]

Welcome! Hope all goes okay and thanks for your words ❤️

[@slicker55]

Great video... very informative and thanks for everything you, and fellow enthusiasts do to make this hobby even more realistic :)

[@thevatsimcontroller]

Thanks for watching! Hope this helped!

[@bob7342]

Very informative video just what i needed building up to first flight on vatsim this will help greatly thank you for posting 😊

[@simondaysh660]

Thanks for making this video - I'm just about to start my first Vatsim flight so this has been very helpful.

[@thevatsimcontroller]

Glad I could help!

[@dimentoaviation]

Thanks very much for this informational video!

[@dismaldunc]

that was great, many thanks !

[@danielgofman7608]

thank you man i have been struggling with knowing what to say how and when and you sumed it up really great i even wrote notes in my note book love this video

[@thevatsimcontroller]

Glad it could help!

[@DEVIOUSIXPS]

Best tutorial so far thank you

[@thevatsimcontroller]

You're welcome!

[@gizmo104drives7]

What a great video.. i always enjoy your controller videos but more tutorials would be nice... an intermediate guide perhaps.. something to take you from your first circuits to your first regional flight to international etc

[@CloudyFN]

Thank you so much for this video it helps!

[@thevatsimcontroller]

Glad it was helpful!

[@alangajak3680]

I love this video!!!!!!!! Thank you :)

[@diamandohd5629]

great video!

[@janwillyhansen]

Tnx for this video😊

[@ruiribeiro1203]

Amazing video, can you make a similar video but only for controllers? I would like to become a controller on Vatsim. But there is almost zero content on youtube with help and tutorials. Amazing work as always all the best mate

[@thevatsimcontroller]

There is a very low demand for these videos, that’s why there are none on YT. Each country has its own procedures and I can’t cover these in one video. If you need help, feel free to send me a message on discord!

[@TylerDickeyMusic]

Awesome video! I tried my first Vatsim flight today and ended up getting kicked due to me being confused about the top down communication model. I was taking off from OKC and the nearest controller was Ft Worth Center which I neglected to contact to obtain clearance. Total noob mistake and I was super embarrassed once I had realized what happened. This video helped me better understand the requirements and how to operate on the network. Thanks!

[@thevatsimcontroller]

Glad it helped!

[@SephV92]

Just did my first ever VATSIM flight after almost a 100 hours playing with offline atc and traffic. It is really very nervous on the first try, in fact after I redback my clearance I already want to disconnect. Now I'm really looking to fly more hours in VATSIM and enjoy it as much as possible. Thank you!

[@dismaldunc]

did my first start to destination flight yesterday, super scary and great fun. deffo fumbled some calls but the guys were kind!

[@techiehelper1114]

Eyyyy thanks let’s hope this reduces the number of RYR2020’s 😂

[@Irishaviator102]

this has motivated me to do my first vatsim flight, im gonna do it in 1 hour thank you for the confidence boost! but I must ask when would the quietest time of day be to fly on vatsim? (GMT)

[@JohnVanderbeck]

Did my first GA IFR flight during the Boston Tea Party.. was short and stressful but I got through it! Still not up to doing Airliners though as much as I want, so confusing! Was listening in on BOS GND today and they were assigning parking spots to aircraft pushing back from a stand? No idea what those or are even how to find them on the map Really appreciate you doing this but I also wish some US controllers or US anyone with knowledge would do something education as well because there are some major differences from what I've seen. Two big ones being the ground flow and the fact that many of our airports don't have precise approaches/arrivals that bring you straight to the runway and we rely far more on ATC vectors

[@thevatsimcontroller]

Yeah there are some massive differences on the US side. For example, your speed limit below 10,000 is 240 not 250. They have different routing rules and different level rules, just to name a few.

[@TormodSteinsholt]

I really hope that the upcoming MSFS2024 will (allow us to) combine career mode, atc, charts/plates combinable with vatsim in an unbroken VR experience. And plenty of tutorials on every aspect of aviation and navigation. So that I can go for vatsim communication.

[@ops7917]

You buying it outright or getting it on Gamepass?

[@Nagoyai]

i’ve only flown non controlled but almost called up today, sat for just over an hour too nervous to do it, tomorrow i’ll get it

[@thevatsimcontroller]

Did you get it done?

[@Nagoyai]

@@thevatsimcontroller I did! Have since done a few flights all VFR and am loving it though still anxiety when its a bit busier, im working on it and loving every second!

[@echoman9705]

Great video. Thanks. Is it better to get the aircraft ready before requesting clearance, or to get clearance as soon as you spawn ?

[@thevatsimcontroller]

Get the aircraft ready first :)

[@echoman9705]

Thanks

[@hand587]

Did my first VATSIM flight the other day. Nervous but was fun! One thing is, I was so quick to write down the number of the next frequency that I didn’t hear what the name was… am I being handed over to Bremen radar? Hanover approach? I didn’t know what to say when I contacted the next controller, so I just said my callsign 😅

[@thevatsimcontroller]

German radar is weird, there’s more than one Bremen radar, gets confusing sometimes

[@JohnVanderbeck]

Questions about the top down structure: 1. How do you reference the controller handling a lower duty? EG I I am calling Center instead of Ground would I call them Center o Ground? 2. Where does Departure fall in the chart?

[@thevatsimcontroller]

1. You call the station their station regardless of what duties they cover. You still call London Control London control even if they are covering all services below. 2. Departure is Approach/Director. Departure is an older, less commonly used name for this station :) Hope this helps!

[@pchappy2.0]

I apologize if I missed you covering this but I don't recall hearing it, so say everyone but ATCC is offline and I log on to fly, do I reach out to Center/Radar for IFR clearance/Taxi/Etc or do I just make calls on Unicom until getting to the point of needing to reach out to Center/Radar? Thanks for the content, very informative for new folks!

[@thevatsimcontroller]

You’ll reach out to centre/radar provided they cover that airport. You can use something like VATSPY or SimAware to check if your airport is covered!

[@crazzagameplaylaughs9910]

How has this not got more likies 2 off 1k on my screen

[@chryssemansmilanes7304]

could hou also do VFR guide?

[@thevatsimcontroller]

Possibly. I don’t have much VFR experience though so it would probably be a document instead of a video!

[@MrOneSky]

how do i know the QNH and the information?

[@chardys4805]

Hello, thank you for the vid! I’m from Kazakhstan, I just have a small question, may I choose Europe if my country is 15% Europe and 85% Asia.

[@thevatsimcontroller]

Yes, absolutely

[@TheAviationYoutuber]

i have a couple questions: how do you get your QNH? is there a chat where you can communacate with atc? how do you use vatsim in MSFS do you need to fill in even or uneven flight level when going southwest?

[@thevatsimcontroller]

ATIS; yes; look up tutorials - too long to tell you here; odd

[@TheAviationYoutuber]

@@thevatsimcontroller thx mate

[@dragoclarke9497]

Even flight level westbound.

[@TheAviationYoutuber]

@@dragoclarke9497 ok

[@Julesandmetv]

What app or plugin were you using around 14:00 is it avalible for everyone or is it for atcs

[@thevatsimcontroller]

Which one? The software? Or the ring around the aircraft?

[@Julesandmetv]

@@thevatsimcontrollerboth

[@Uploadvideoschannel]

is there a discord channels you recommend for beginners?

[@thevatsimcontroller]

The VATSIM discord, mine (xd) and your respective country's.

[@y.s.miller4109]

Is there a compelling reason to file one’s flight plan on VPilot rather than using the pre-file tool directly from simbrief?

[@hypoxia_lover]

Nope! Not really! If you're away from the computer VPilot is on, you can prefile through simbrief and have the plan ready to go when you get on vatsim.

[@thevatsimcontroller]

Personal preference. Either works just fine!

[@L3gend_G5]

Quick question, i have a the airbus thrustmaster captain side stick thing, will the ptt on the stick work or does it have to be keyboard. I mustered up the courage to speak and pressed the button but i don’t think the controller heard me and was an open channel too, no traffic. Lastly i pressed file flight plan on vpilot and it took me to a vatsim prefile page and it’s not allowing me/i can’t find a place to write remarks, if possible please help.

[@thevatsimcontroller]

The remarks section is at the bottom of the flight plan file page. The PTT should work on a sidestick

[@L3gend_G5]

@@thevatsimcontroller Is the remarks page on the vatsim prefile page? As that is where i am taken when i press file flight plan. Also, thank you.

[@snnnh650]

(slide Clearance Delivery 10:30) Info and QNH: What does info mean? What do I have to say there?

[@thevatsimcontroller]

Can be found on the ATIS

[@isacjohnson8891]

i dont have navigraph but want to do vatsim, is it a good idea?

[@thevatsimcontroller]

Yes - you can use a website call ChartFox for your charts - its free!

[@SkyHubX]

I want to get into Vatsim but i was wondering, do i need to use FMS (B738). I can somewhat use it but im not comfortable. I can just fly direct and put in headings manually. Is it allowed? thanks

[@thevatsimcontroller]

Yes, you will have to use the FMC. ATC will be expecting you to follow airways, SIDs, and STARs, and won’t be giving you vectors, especially in busy periods

[@SkyHubX]

OK, thanks@@thevatsimcontroller

[@MotoLen51]

Wouldn't a proper clearance at least state "then as filed" after specifying the SID?

[@thevatsimcontroller]

No. You are reporting the SID not the route.

[@MotoLen51]

@@thevatsimcontroller OK, I'm new to VAT, but I don't think I've ever received a real IFR clearance that ended with the SID.

[@Pyro-DK]

A Little Bit More help how to get the QNH

[@dragoclarke9497]

Listen to the ATIS frequency, if you bring up the X-Plane map and voom into the airport you will see the frequency. It's usual to tune this on com 2 radio and use com 1 for transmission with ATC.

[@thevatsimcontroller]

Can be found in the ATIS or on the website metar.taf

[@UKPlanes01]

I really want to start vatsim but I’m so scared and I don’t know how to do full flights I only know the basics and don’t know how to talk to ATc

[@thevatsimcontroller]

Hope this helped you!

[@Dre160YT]

I wanna do vatsim, but I don’t think I know enough at this point in time

[@thevatsimcontroller]

I have a beginner’s guide on my channel that could help?

[@Dre160YT]

@@thevatsimcontroller I watched and it helped a lot. Now all I need to do is actually download everything. Thank you 🙏

[@ommpatnaik1912]

I am having a glitch where I can’t hear nor say anything in vpilot I have tried many things bro can u help me

[@thevatsimcontroller]

Could be a lot of things. Can you describe what you have tried already?

[@ommpatnaik1912]

@@thevatsimcontroller I got it working I found out that I just needed a new mic and audio card and now it’s working like a new born child

[@skyreloempia5583]

How do you know what info you have? 11:23

[@thevatsimcontroller]

You can find it in the ATIS information

[@TehBlackNinjaProductions]

@@thevatsimcontroller Is ATIS always online? If not where can you get it from and what do you say to Clearance when you say "Information"?

[@TheInsatiableViper]

@@TehBlackNinjaProductionsit’s not always on but if a controller is on then ATIS will be available

[@lillolongobardi1630]

I never understand the departure😩

[@thevatsimcontroller]

Just keep practicing. It’ll get there

[@LunnarisLP]

"Just say back what the Controller says" Delte 54 Heavy you are not in Transponder Mode C - "You are not in Transponder Mode C Delta 54 Heavy" "Delta 54 Heavy No you are not in transponder mode " -"No youi are not in transponder mode Delta 54 heavy".. hmmm

[@thevatsimcontroller]

As said in the video, this video covered only phraseology, not operation of the aircraft.