Links to External Information

There are a huge number of websites devoted to Flight and Flight Simulator. This page contains links to sources of information and add-ons which will be of particular interest to Club members. The CIX VFR Club is not responsible for the content of these websites.
Members' suggestions for useful and interesting links will be gladly received. Please send any suggestions to the Webmaster - refer to Contacts for the address.
VATSIM Resources
Vatsim International	The main VATSIM web site. Worldwide event news, new developments, resources, statistics, forums and much more.
Vatsim UK Web Site	Keep up to date with what's happening on our patch of the planet
Vatsim UK Forum	Keep in touch with VATSIM life in the UK, outside the Club environs. Cix VFR Club members are welcome to air their views too of course, in their role as an individual or Club member, but please do not make statements on behalf of the Club without checking first with a Committee member.
VATAWARE	Flight tracking history for VATSIM. The software records and stores data from every registered member's VATSIM flights. Some statistics may be viewed without registering, but the full extent of your personal data can only obtained if you log in as a registered member of Vataware. Note that Vataware login is not the same as VATSIM membership login. Some features still being developed.
Training and help documentation on anything to do with flying with Flight Simulator and VATSIM.
Cix Indicator	Download our own Club Vatsim Indicator for use on the Club forum and Vatsim forums. Needs your Vatsim User ID and password to gain access to the file.
The History of VATSIM	A superb write-up by the Author of Squawkbox 2, Joe Jurecka, on the history of On-line flying.
Real World Aviation Source Material
CAA VFR Guide	The Civil Aviation Authority VFR Guide is mainly produced for pilots not familiar with UK airspace procedures, it has several sections which have been selected from the AIP, deemed pertinent to VFR flying. This link goes to the cover page which itself includes links to various sub-sections, some of which are listed separately below.
Airfield Diagrams	Part of the NATS - AIS site (see below). Once you have logged in, the index page is displayed. Select the aerodrome you want the information for and then select the individual file. Choose from Textual data, Airfield Diagram, or various Instrument Approach Procedures. Files are in pdf format.
Airfield Locations	Aerial views of UK airports and airfields. Makes use of google maps to display an area in the vicinity of any UK site, selected from a list, with latitude and longitude data. It covers disused sites as well as those which are still in use. You may have to drag the map around a bit to see what you're looking for.
Fly On Track	Said to improve on the some of the originals on the CAA On Track site, it includes pointers to the originals. Detailed flight planning information for some of the UK airspace where navigation can be tricky, and Controlled Airspace "busts" are not infrequent. These briefings are very well put together and well worth a look.
VFR Airspace Guide	In an effort to reduce the number of controlled airspace infringements NATS has issued a series of videos showing practical routes around the London TMA. The London TMA Video Guides are interesting to watch, and very informative. They cover a brief flight planning discussion and the actual flight over short sections of VFR routes around the London TMA. Details of VRPs and useful ground features are shown, and ATC communications are included.
Air Traffic Services Outside Controlled Airspace IFR - VFR	A CAA Safety Sense leaflet about services outside controlled airspace (CAS.) An overview of what to request, and what to expect. Another well written document that is well worth a look. This covers the changes to those services which were introduced 12th March 2009.
NATS - AIS	The new UK Aeronatical Information Service web site was launched in May 2008. This site does not require registration or login and is easier to navigate than the original UK AIS web site which has now been closed. All European countries will be providing their AIP data on the Eurocontrol European AIS Database (EAD) site at sometime in the not-too-distant future. (Registration & Login will be required)
Quarter Million Half Million	These two documents are the same legend as is appended at the bottom of the CAA UK 1:250,000 and 1:500,000 Aeronautical charts. Their value is that you don't have to fight with the chart to access the legend, having just folded it the way you want it for your trip.
Checklists	This is a wiki-type repository of checklists for many many different aircraft and aircraft systems. Because a lot of Flight-sim aircraft come with less than perfect checklists and performance data, this real world aviation site is extremely useful to us too.
Weather	Useful real world weather site to see what sort of conditions VATSIM is likely to present to for your on-line flights. Place your mouse over your nearest airport or destination on the displayed map of the British Isles and you can get a current weather report as well as wind history and predicted winds etc. You can also see an animated 24 hour weather forecast.
Aviation Weather Briefing Registration details	Various aviation weather situation and forecast details published by the UK Meteorological Office. Form 214 - UK Spot wind chart providing wind speed and direction and temperature for standard levels up to FL240, updated four times a day. Form 215 - UK low-level weather chart providing a graphical display of areas of different weather plus text relating to surface visibility, weather and cloud up to FL100, updated four times a day. The Forms 214 and 215 are the first documents pilots look at when deciding if to fly. Forms 414 and 415 provide similar information for Europe. This service is free but requires registration to use.
Weather Education	A really impressive guide to the weather and how it applies in the UK, how to read the charts, what's on them and why, how to spot trends etc. It is in the form of free education material aimed mainly at students at three different levels: primary, secondary, A-level and higher education.
The General Aviation Safety Council	Real world aviation organisation dedicated to flight safety. Their bulletins are always a good, and sometimes sobering read.
UKGA	Lots of very useful real world General Aviation information and onward links to other sources.
VOR Tracking	An educational tool which can help to understand and learn about using VOR navigation aids.
Commercial Flight Simulator Resources
RealAir Simulations	This company specialises in producing aircraft with fine detail work and highly realistic flight characteristics. Their C172, Spitfire XIV and Saia Marchetti SF260 areregularly seen at Club meets, are extremely highly regarded. New additions include the Citabria Decathlon and Scout.
PC Aviator	On-line Flight Simulator shop - this site is a great source of hardware, books, videos and software etc. This collection is all commercial payware. Orders to the UK are shipped from the USA
RC Simulations The UK Flight Sim Shop	The UKs own Flight Simulator shop based in Bristol, but also on line. Theirs is another of those apochryphal businesses started in the proprietor's garage! Everything and anything you need for Flight Sim can be had from them. If you are also into Train Simulator, this is your site!
SimFlight	On-line Flight Simulator shop - this site conatins a mixture of free and commercial products; hardware, books, videos and software etc.
UK2000 Airports for FSX	UK2000 VFR Airfields for Microsoft FSX Simulator is a new product that brings you UK Airfields and airports to a new level of excellence.
UK2000 Airports	Highly detailed scenery of most airfields in England and Wales for FS9, published in 8 areas. Includes buildings, structures, signs, lighting, fencing etc., as accurate to the real world as is possible in FS. This scenery is highly recommended, particularly the areas which include our operating bases, which is almost essential to get the best out of Club activities.
VFR Scenery UK	This scenery allows accurate VFR navigation by recognition of ground features as they exist in the real world , and is therefore virtually essential for club flights. Published in 4 areas, a discount is available for the whole set.
VFR Terrain Mesh	A complementary package to the UK VFR Terrain Scenery, also available from Visual Flight. Improves the accuracy of the scontours of hills and valleys.
Visual Flight	This is where to find the VFR photographic scenery which the Club relies on for its out-of-the-cockpit-window enjoyment of the delights of The Sceptred Isle - and for navigation of course!
Free Flight Simulator Resources
AVSIM	On-line Flight Simulator download site and shop - this site conatins a mixture of free and commercial products; hardware, books, videos and software etc. Almost every aircraft, utility or scenery package you could ever want for FS is very likely to be here. See also FLIGHTSIM above. There are many other repositories, but we have found this to be the best. Downloads include freeware, shareware and commercial packages. Hosts a lively forum too.
MSFS Gateway	By Tony Smith. Links to over 500 MSFS sites offering a wide range of aircraft, scenery and other add-ons and downloads. It is regularly maintained and updated.
SImAir 2000	Mainly aircraft, and mainly commrcial passenger jets, but the site includes some interesting and unusual aircraft which members may enjoy.
Simviation	Site contains many interesting aircraft - with a bias towards military types.
Tony Meredith	He has to be the most well known of the freeware FSX scenery designers, and his output is prolific and excellent, with currently 50 airfields modelled. Anyone flying FSX in the UK without his scenery is truly flying blind.
Horizon	For those with Generation X scenery for FSX, here is an ongoing list of FSX designed scenery sorted by Airdfield ICAO code. This site includes many of Tony Meredith's airfields.
UK Sceneries	A very well organised site comprising almost only dozens of links to useful download site. Airport scenery is listed in alphabetical order. Scenery for FS2004 and FSX, some free, some payware. The site also contains links to charts and other aviation material.
VFRAddons	This link fails now, but is left hre in case it ever resurrected. It is a great pity, as this site contained a large number of scenery and other files..
Chris's Flightsim Pages	This site lists a lot of links to VFR add-ons, many of them non-airport scenery. Unfortunately a lot of the links point to the apparantly defunct VFRAddons site, but there are plenty of others which might be of interest to members.
Mixed Commercial and Free Resources
AVSIM	Flight Simulator site with news, downloads and on-line shop - a mixture of free and commercial products. Downloads include freeware, shareware and commercial packages, aircraft, utilities, scenery, books, videos etc. Hosts a lively forum too. There are many other repositories, but overall, by a small margin, we have found this to be the best.
Flightsim	Flight Simulator site with news, downloads and on-line shop - a mixture of free and commercial products. Downloads include freeware, shareware and commercial packages, aircraft, utilities, scenery, books, videos etc. Also has a lively forum.
Surclaro	Less well known, but excellent Flight Simulator download site and shop. Downloads include freeware, shareware and commercial packages, aircraft, utilities, scenery, books videos etc. Also has a forum which has a slight bias towards learning from real world aviation practice.
Discussion Forums
AVSIM : VFRAddons : VATSIM-UK : Cix VFR Club : FlightSim : Australian Simulation : FSInn : Squawkbox : Simviation : Surclaro
Commercial Magazines
Computer Pilot	A monthly magazine all about Flight Simulators. Published in Australia and printed and distributed from the USA, this is a truly international publication. One club member has been privileged to write a number of features for the magazine on VFR flying and related subjects. Most easily obtained from RC Simulations.
PC Pilot	the UK's own Flight Simulator magazine, with as formidable a content and reputation as its competitors.
General Flight Simulator Information
Bones Aviation Page	A fantastic source of flight and Flight Sim information. Particularly valuable are the technical articles on how and why things are done the way they are done.
The History of Flight Simulator	Quite a nice resumé of the history of the worlds most sold software application, plus a lot about a less known but excellent sim - ATP.