nathanw
New Member
I don't know why I didn't think of this, but there is a way for anyone interested to learn some phraseology by actually controlling live traffic. There is a network called VATSIM (Virtual Air Traffic Simulation network) where people with MS flight simulator connect and talk to ATC over the internet. You can either fly a plane or be one of the controllers. It's divided up by country, and in the US, by ARTCC.
Each virtual ARTCC does all the center, approach and tower controlling. I signed up with Seattle ARTCC and am currently qualified to work up to advanced tower level, which means any tower in the seattle artcc area. There's a few programs to download to control (I never even bothered installing flight sim, I only did the controller side).
I would recommend signing up with LA Center, they have the most people online and the best training system.
Anyway, It's pretty realistic, IMHO. Except you don't have a tower to look out of, but there is a pretty easy way to couple the controlling software (called VRC) to flight sim and see actual traffic both on radar and through flight sim.
VATSIM
VATUSA (US Region of VATSIM)
LA virtual ARTCC
Each virtual ARTCC does all the center, approach and tower controlling. I signed up with Seattle ARTCC and am currently qualified to work up to advanced tower level, which means any tower in the seattle artcc area. There's a few programs to download to control (I never even bothered installing flight sim, I only did the controller side).
I would recommend signing up with LA Center, they have the most people online and the best training system.
Anyway, It's pretty realistic, IMHO. Except you don't have a tower to look out of, but there is a pretty easy way to couple the controlling software (called VRC) to flight sim and see actual traffic both on radar and through flight sim.
VATSIM
VATUSA (US Region of VATSIM)
LA virtual ARTCC