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General Discussion / Re: New User - Protocol
« on: August 13, 2019, 04:52:02 AM »Karl,
This is really helpful, thank you for this information. That helps me to understand that it indeed was not directed towards me. I will assume I can continue observing and flying under the conditions described. At some point the next challenge I will want to introduce myself to will be flying between two Class E transitional airspace airports that briefly crosse an actively controlled region, such as Seattle was last night. At this point I am somewhat unsure if I should still confine myself solely to Unicom communication, but I will be seeking that answer as I continue to observe, read and study about VATSIM. My understanding is that I would still confine myself to Unicom, but any pointers on that are certainly going to be a good lead for me in my next stage of advancement.
Thanks again for helping me out here, it is much appreciated. Best regards, CEC
Hi Clifford, welcome to VATSIM...and let me say I truly appreciate the amount of effort you're putting into learning how to do things "right" rather than just blundering along! With that said, I'll take a stab at your question
First, although you are probably aware of the airspace classifications and the requirements to operate in each...I'm going to post a link to a wikipedia page in case others stumble by here (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Airspace_class_(United_States)).
Next, to answer your direct question, if you remain in class E (or G) you would stay on UNICOM for the duration. If however you are transitioning a controlled area (class D/C/B) then you would contact the controlling facility for transition clearance/approval.
The most likely given what you've said so far would be transitioning a class D area... simply call whoever is operating the tower for the field without your callsign, ac type, and location (from the airport is best) and "request transition <direction> at <altitude>". Very similar for a class C transition, no clearance necessary just establish 2-way comms and you're good to go! (2-way comms is defined as ATC using your callsign, unless they issue specific instructions to remain clear of the controlled airspace). For VATSIM all aircraft are equipped with a Mode C capable transponder via the pilot client...so that doesn't really apply.
The most complex of course is transitioning a class B airspace...where you need specific clearance to enter that zone. Again, the call to ATC is very similar...but entry isn't permitted until you receive a "clearance" into the airspace. An important difference between what you'd expect to hear from ATC for the various classes of airspace is that when transitioning a class D/C area you'll likely never hear the word "cleared", instead typically you'll hear "approved" or something similar. Conversely, to operate in class B you must hear the word "cleared". (That word has very special meaning in aviation
