So you’re an avid flight sim pilot and you are tired of flying the fighters and civilian aircraft have now got your interest. I found myself in this same spot recently so I headed out to my local Electronics Boutique and picked up a copy of the mainstay Microsoft Flight Simulator 2004. Once I got home I loaded all four disks, updated the game and read the vague manual that came with it. It took me all of about a day to tire of flying the Cessna and I wanted more.
In the manual they speak of Virtual Airlines, so I did a quick search on them. There are a lot of them, from bush pilots to professional airlines. I chose to become a pilot with American Flight Airways. The process required me to apply to the airline, take a 20 questions test on basic aircraft knowledge and then I was assigned to the HUB of my choice Atlanta, GA. Once there I became AFA2592. By the way, if you have FS2002 you can still fly many Virtual Airlines still.
American Flight Airways has one of the best websites that I visited www.flyafa.com. AFA is an American based airline of American Pacific Group, which also operates Pacific Airways. Together they have hundreds of pilots and routes for a pilot to fly on the global level. As I looked at their site, the lay out and flights, I wanted to call and book a flight it was just that good.
Virtual airlines are run much like a real one. You start out flying the smaller aircraft or as my father-in-law terms them, puddle jumpers. As you progress in hours you also gain bigger aircraft and longer routes. After each flight you log into the pilot database, log your flight hours and it gives you a pay receipt. Just like their real counterpart the more experience, the longer the route the better the pay. At this time there is not a use for the virtual pay system, but in the months ahead there are ways to use it coming.
One of the great things that have just come out was multiplayer for Virtual Airlines. VATSIM (Virtual Air Traffic Simulation Network) was formed to provide virtual pilots, both veteran and newbie alike, with realistic real-time air traffic control for their virtual flights. VATSIM offers you the opportunity to get air traffic control routing and see other pilots on the network flying to and from airports instead of flying alone in an empty sky. VATSIM also offers real weather as you fly into and from different areas. You can also see other AFA pilots online and chat with them through the private message system that is part of the VATSIM software. The official call sign for American Flight Airways is "AFA" and you are asked to use this when connecting to the VATSIM environment. VATSIM is accessed through the program Squawk Box, which is a free add-on, enabling ATC to see you on radar, for you to type your messages to the controllers, and to import real weather.
This program allows as it says above for you to fly online with pilots from all over the world. There are also live humans doing the air traffic control as well. This was something I could not resist trying.
I was a bit hesitant to try this at first. I mean I fly out of KATL (Atlanta designation for the FAA) and it is one of the busiest in the world. But I joined, put my newbie tag on and went out to fly.
FS2004 is ultra realistic, if you want immersion this is the sim for you. While at the gate you have to ensure you have your whole load on before you power up and push away from the gate. Yes, you heard me push away from the gate. Once you are ready you call the tower for taxi directions and you have to move your aircraft out and away from the gate, and taxi short of the runway you are selected to leave on. Now don’t worry this is helped by taxi assist. I had to use it; I kept getting lost.
Once you are stopped short of the runway, you call the ATC (air traffic controller) and he will tell you when it is safe move out for preparation for take off. Once more you call and you will get a message to this effect.
“American Pacific 2592 cleared for take off straight away to 4,000.”
That’s your ticket to ride. Pop the brake, full throttle and down the runway you go. Climbing to 4,000 feet and holding the heading of the runway. Once you’re up you’ll be handed off to other ATC that will vector you out of the airport and eventually they will release you to your own navigation. This will take you to your destination.
Now, while you’re in the air there is also other flights in the air too. You will meet them, be vectored around them and be able to talk to them.
That is what I feel makes this so much more than your average civilian simulations. VATSIM has opened up a whole new world for airline flying. I know for me, I am enjoying this new experience. I have now logged over 33 hours as an airline pilot, recently promoted to Captain and cleared to fly eight different aircraft and many of the longer flights.
If you enjoy flying this is the sim for you. It offers a wide depth and expansion for the platform is very good. Many mods are out there and I will be brining information and reviews on them in the weeks to come. Until then this is AFA2592 signing off.
