Walkthrough: Getting Ready for your First Flight on VATSIM in Microsoft Flight Simulator

VATSIM is a fantastic way to increase the realism of your Flight Simulator experience. If you've never tried it before, here is everything you need to know to get registered and connected for the first time. This video is intended for Microsoft Flight Simulator users, but is also applicable to Flight Sim X, Prepar3d, and X-Plane. My next video will show you how to fly your first circuit (including radio calls). Stay tuned!
00:00 What is VATSIM?
01:42 Step 1: Register
07:06 Step 2: Take the New User Course and Exam
11:34 Step 3: Install and Configure Client
16:37 Step 4: Connect and Test Your Audio

[@user-nu6dd6cc6f]

Thank you Rob! This video was exactly what I was looking for!

[@UPS1000]

Great intro video Rob. Hopefully this encourages people to join. Looking forward to the next one.

[@break2048]

It's encouraging me at least lol. I've been learning a lot trying to make sure I get a slight grasp before joining. I just did my first flight using FSEconomy and that went pretty well. Gonna get used to that a bit more then it's time to try VATSIM😄

[@CaptNabs]

Glad to hear you are enjoying FSE. VATSIM is also great fun. Stay tuned to the channel. I will have a few more tutorials about VATSIM coming soon...

[@willibaldkothgassner4383]

very super and easy to understand, thanks

[@ramis4594]

Very helpful thank you

[@CaptNabs]

Introducing: NEWBIE NIGHT on VATSIM WHEN: Thursday Night Sep 26 from 6-9pm PDT / 9pm-midnight EDT / 0100z-0400z WHERE: CYYJ, Victoria International, British Columbia Are you new to VATSIM? Nervous? Unsure you can keep up with the phraseology and procedures? Try out VATSIM on Newbie Night. For 3 hours on Sep 26, I will staff Victoria Tower (CYYJ). During that time, I will answer questions and coach rookies about procedures on the VATSIM network. Note: This will NOT be a livestream. This is just a chance for rookies to get some practice on VATSIM. Experienced pilots: I respectfully request that you fly elsewhere so that nervous new members will not be intimidated by your mad VATSIM skills. Watch my Intro-to-VATSIM videos if you need a refresher: kzbin.info/www/bejne/r6KTgIaJh52caJY See all you rookies then!

[@falc56]

Hello, how do you find the aircraft alias name for radio check , eg MB339 or Daher TBM 930 was interested after you said speed bird ?

[@CaptNabs]

Sorry I missed your question. Every airline is assigned a unique callsign and airline identifier. The airline identifiers are 3 letters at the start of a flight number and are assigned by ICAO (Intl Civil Aviation Organization). For example, British Airways is BAW. Along with the code, they are assigned a unique callsign. BAW is "Speedbird". Many are more obvious such as ACA = "Air Canada" but some are relatively obscure. The challenge is that ICAO has to make sure they sound unique from other callsigns without usually being more than 3 or maybe 4 syllables. We don't want pilots mishearing similar callsigns, so while some airlines use their names, others are a little more obscure. Republic Airlines is "Brickyard". US Airways was "Cactus." If in doubt, every Wikipedia entry about an airline lists their official radio 'callsign'.

[@dougashton]

Hi, thanks so much for this. Quick Q: How come you said "Speedbird" instead of "BAW"?

[@dougashton]

Managed to answer this myself. Apparently all the airlines have different aliases, callsigns, for use on the radio.

[@CaptNabs]

Yes. There will be a distinctive callsign for every airline. Just saying the letters, so many letters sound similar. B A W and D A W and E A W would be often confused. And saying Bravo Alpha Whiskey is just too many syllables. 6 syllables vs the Speedbird's 2 syllables. Thanks for watching!

[@attosmith7903]

How deos it work with seeing planes around you? When you connect to the server deos it also connect to a server on MSFS or what?

[@CaptNabs]

I'm afraid I don't totally understand the question. vPilot connects to VATSIM and gets info about planes around you. It then feeds information directly to MSFS telling MSFS which airplanes to draw and exactly where.

[@attosmith7903]

@@CaptNabs that answered my question. Literally thank you man. Also looking at getting some new equipment. Would you recommend the thrustmaster tca captains pack?

[@CaptNabs]

@@attosmith7903 Awesome! I took my best stab at it. The thrustmaster TCA looks like a good product. I have read good things about it but never used it myself

[@attosmith7903]

@@CaptNabs sounds good. I’m prolly ordering soon. Can’t believe I missed steam summer sale on the premium edition for MSFS

[@attosmith7903]

@@CaptNabs definitely going to get that side stick and stuff ordered as well 👍

[@wrwerwr]

Is it fine if when I connect to the server and I have no liveries?

[@CaptNabs]

Yes. The liveries on your system only determine what you see in your sim. If you don't have any installed, the other traffic on VATSIM will just look like generic airplanes in your sim. What you have installed does not affect anyone else's VATSIM experience.

[@wrwerwr]

@@CaptNabs ALR thanks!

[@keithhall652]

Nice guide, I joined vatsim couple days ago, got a really sarcastic and tbh nasty atc guy who -even tho I told him it’s first day on it- Had no sympathy and really put me off it 😩

[@CaptNabs]

That disappoints me to hear that. Sadly it does happen. But please don't judge the whole network on one person. There are many very friendly controllers who are happy to help new members, as much as their workload allows. I hope your next experience goes better.

[@keithhall652]

@@CaptNabs thanks for the reply, do you know where I could find a few friends I could get some tips with and maybe practice talking to a tower etc?

[@CaptNabs]

Canada has a pretty friendly team. There are a few diehards that are very "it has to be real life" but most of us are pretty chill. Checknout the vatcan discord through the website vatcan.ca to get jn touch with ppl. I will be controlling and livestreaming during the day Saturday.

[@keithhall652]

@@CaptNabs I usually fly over uk, I’m thinking of doing my actual license soon 😬

[@CaptNabs]

@@keithhall652 Hey Keith. Lots of good controllers in the UK, but they are usually very busy. I find most evenings in the uk there are as many pilots as in Canada on a relatively tiny island so everyone is working much harder. I suggest getting your feet wet in a quieter area and head back to the busier skies of VATUK when you are a bit mor comfortable. For most UK controllers, they need everyone to be pretty competent just to get through the workload.