Vatsim

Virtual Air Traffic Simulation. A hobbyist organisation for Flight Simulation Enthusiasts to fly a multiplayer online session with air traffic controll provided by enthusiasts using a Simulated Radar Air Traffic Controll screen called ASRC. All participants on the network can see each other, even with theoretically all 70,000 users online at once. All users can see and interact with each other and use voice client software to communicate with Air Traffic Controll in THE most realistic Air Traffic Environment without being airborne.

I fired up my Flightsim, Filed a Flightplan for Vatsim and logged on. Soon requested clearance from LAX to San Fransisco... I was number 3 in cue. after recieving Clearance I was told to contact Ground Controll on 119.95 and so I did, The taxi out to the runway was cool, we were behind a Southwest 737 most of the way, and a United 767 was in front of him. Southwest was on his way to Las Vegas, and the 767 was headed out to Seattle. Eventually we were handed to Tower controll who cleared us for takeoff on runway 24L. Airborne we contacted SO-CAL departures and were given a climb to Flight Level 200. My Speed Restriction was cancelled below 10,000 feet and I was cleared direct to the Ventura VOR Navaid. Apparently an American Airlines 737 was behind us headed for San Fransisco also. We heard him get a vector to maintain a heading of 200 and a climb to 13,000 feet, and a requirement to maintain 250 knots on climb. Flying Flightsim on VATSIM is amazingly realistic, fun, and educational.

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TCAS

1: Traffic Collision Avoidance System. A computerised system in a modern airliner which utilizes radar, transponder data and in-system logic with the aim of providing collision avoidance if Air Traffic Controll fails to.

2: The alarm itself in the cockpit

1: The Aircraft was fitted with a state of the art TCAS

2: The pilots were alerted to the situation by the onboard alarm, audibly sounding off "TCAS ALERT; TCAS ALERT", Their quick response warded off disaster.

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VFR

Visual Flight Rules. Esp, Flying an Aircraft by Visual Flight Rules. Flight in this manner uses visible ground features and landmarks as a navigational reference, and visual scanning to avoid any colisions. Most VFR flight should be conducted OCTA (outside controlled airspace) or with a Flight Notification by an Air Trafic Controll centre. Minimum visibilitys must be adheared to and special requirements for ceartain airspace be met.

Also used to discribe weather as being suitable for flight by visual references.

1: We decided to file a VFR flightplan as the weather was very clear that day.

2: We had to maintain OCTA due to lots of IFR traffic in the Terminal Area, it's one of the problems flying VFR that you don't get top priority, We decided to skirt around the C-class airspace instead.

3: Inbound to our destination we found the weather was not suitable for VFR and we had to divert to another airport some 80 miles south. Finding a place to stay for the night while the storm passed was a pain.

4: Approach Controll: "Baron 371 Sierra Echo, Descend to 3000 feet, traffic is VFR aircraft your 10-o-clock at 1500 feet unverified southbound, shouldn't be a factor"

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