Vatsim UK - Zone Transit

This video is intended for new VFR pilots on Vatsim UK. I talk about the principles behind transits and you join me for one at Bournemouth.
Thank you James for agreeing to take part.
I'm not a real pilot. I'm not qualified to teach any flying or ATC material. I'm not endorsed by Vatsim. These videos are just a commentary on some of the 200 virtual VFR hours I have with Vatsim UK.

Video contents
0:00 - Intro
0:10 - Flight plan
1:20 - The charts & preparation
2:00 - Vatsim Flight Plan
2:25 - Unicom departure
3:20 - Review the charts
3:45 - Get the ATIS
4:00 - ATC TWR
6:45 - ATC leaving the zone
7:25 - Unicom arrival
8:25 - Another transit example

[philipbaker]

I’m really enjoying your vat sim videos, as a newbie (still not brave enough to give it a go) it’s a great explanation of how to do things properly. The visual text is really useful. Keep up the great work

[nploates]

Great information for those starting out in VATSIM. My first Zone Transit during my PPL training was from the Isle of Wight/Sandown back to Compton Abbas via Hengistbury Head. It was very similar to your flight!

[MatthewKiff]

Hi FlightSimFlyer. I’ve been doing VATSIM for a few months now and your videos were hugely important in helping me build the confidence to get on the network. I want to say a massive thank you to you for that.

I noticed that on first contact with Bournemouth you forgot the ATIS. I’ve coined a sort of checklist for making first contact with ATC which you may find useful, it’s the TIARA checklist (though it doesn’t involved wearing a crown!).

It stands for:
Type
Information (or local METAR where apt.)
Altitude (current QNH)
Ruleset (VFR/IFR)
Routing (to/from)
Routing (current position or nearest fix + approx. distance)
Request to ATC

Acknowledgement

On my notepad I’ll write the shorthand TIARRRRA and fill in the details on each line, that way I never forget anything. Hope you find that useful and thanks again!

[combatwombat]

I always remember the acronym CARPACT. Callsign. Aircraft. Route. Position. Altitude. Conditions (VFR etc.). Tracking to... That was drilled into me on my FRTOL course for radio use as a real life pilot. New subscriber, btw! I do enjoy MSFS.

[roloduarte]

Your videos are really good, keep up the good work.

[JethroBrink]

Thank you for sharing! I fly in this area quite often (in real life!) and can confirm that everything is very accurate. I have one minor critique, that more a point for ATC rather than you. Upon entering the class D airspace ATC would advise that you are under "Radar Control", meaning that whilst inside the Class D, you would have to follow any directions given by ATC, For Example: G-XX turn right heading 350, Descend 2000 feet. 

Upon entering the Class D, the following radio calls would be made:

G-XX: "G-XX Hengistbury head entering the zone"
ATC: G-XX "Radar control, not above 2500'"
G-XX: "Radar Control, G-XX"

So, once entering you would follow your route passed to ATC on your initial contact, however "Radar Control" gives you a heads up that ATC the authority to vector you whilst inside their Class D for traffic deconfliction etc...

I hope this helps!

[stevedunstercomposer]

I absolutely love your VATSIM UK VFR videos. They are all presented in a precise and measure way, easy to understand with subtitles on radio exchanges and cut-aways to charts and documents. They are short but full of information. Your presentations are my favourite VATSIM resource. Thank you. >> As an aside, is there ever a case where a VFR pilot may get disoriented and ask for directions to be vectored to somewhere? Would a IFR rated GA pilot ever start on VFR but due to deteriorating conditions might wish to change to an IFR service mid-flight? I realise that the answers to such questions are too long to be answered here but maybe they inspire another video or two. Please keep these videos coming. They are fantastically reassuring and confidence giving.

[dhallgate]

Great vid as always. In a future ATC presentation, would you consider showing us what your shorthand notes of your copied instructions look like? I think that might be very useful.

[JethroBrink]

I fly this are regularly in real life - Just curious as to why you are initially contacting Bournemouth Tower for a zone transit? Usually your initial contact would be Bournemouth Radar on 119.480. Is this a limitation of VATSIM where only Tower was available? On busy days you may be passed from Radar to TWR whilst inside the zone, and passed back to Radar on exit due to controller workload.