The VFR Club
Flight Training
Learn to Fly Flight Simulator : Essential Information
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The Basics of On-line Flight Training
The Club can assist in Flight Training in the following five areas, depending on the needs of the pilot:-
  • Flying under Visual Flight Rules (VFR)
  • Starting on-line Flying with VATSIM
  • Flight Planning and Navigation
  • Talking to Air Traffic Control
  • Basic Instrument Flight

The first two (darker coloured) items below are considered essential learning material for club members.

For further information, please email the Club's Chief Flying Instructor (CFI).

Essential VFR Flight Training Documents
The Cix VFR Club Flight Training Manual Real world flight training includes a significant amount of theory learning - "Ground School" as it is called.  The Club Flight Training Manual is a comprehensive series of Flight Training tutorials. They are based on the real world UK CAA flight training syllabus, and cover every aspect of learning to fly a light aircraft on Flight Simulator. For anyone starting at the beginning these documents are essential reading.  Some are still in course of preparation
Radiotelephony Manual for use on VATSIM The use of voice communications adds a great deal of realism to the Flightsim world. Pilots feel the same pressure to perfiorm properly as do real world pilots To help members, we have produced a tutorial, based on real world practice, but adapted for use on VATSIM. The Airborne Flight Plan is the most frequently used piece of ATC dialogue, and needs to be learned and well rehearsed.
Other Tutorials The Club web site also contains downloadable tutorials on a number of other flying and flight Simulator related subjects. These tutorials move the reader beyond the basic stages of learning to fly on line.
Starting On-line Flying
Help! Assistance can be provided for those new to on-line flying, be it: -
  • Help with setting up,
  • Connecting to VATSIM, seeing other aircraft, or
  • ATC "patter".

Help on all these subjects is available, either simple text-based guidance via the Forum, voice via our TeamSpeak server, or using FSNet (for FS2002 & FS2004) and FSX to sit alongside the trainee in the aircraft.

The most useful exercise for new pilots to VATSIM is to park on the Apron at one of our five operational locations on club nights, connect and just listen and watch.
1) Setting up Getting started with VATSIM requires installation of a special application to connect the pilot to the VATSIM servers via Flight Simulator's inbuilt multiplayer function.  There are two programmes available - "Squawkbox" and "FSInn".  Which one to use boils down to personal preference.  Installation and connecting to VATSIM is not difficult if the instructions are followed carefully.  The links on the right lead to two documents which describe the set up procedures for flying with the Club and VATSIM. Using Squawkbox 3

Using FSInn 1.0

In a recent survey 50% of Club members said they used each application.

2) How to fly on VATSIM What VATSIM is and how it works.  How you the pilot interact with other pilots and Air Traffic Control (ATC), carry out instructions, know where you can go and what you can do, without interfering with other members' enjoyment. The source of all this knowledge is VATSIM's own Pilot Resource Centre. Go there before you fly anywhere on line. VATSIM Pilot Resource Centre
VATSIM New Pilots Nights On the first Tuesday of each month, VATSIM UK holds New Pilot Nights.  These are held alternately at Biggin Hill and Southend Airports.  Full details are available on the VATSIM Forum.

06/05/08 Biggin Hill
03/06/08 Southend
02/07/08 Southend
05/08/08 Biggin Hill

Flying the "
Big Tin"		 We have been unable to locate a specific course of training for pilots wishing to fly "heavy" aircraft (e.g. passenger jets) under IFR. The VATSIM Pilot Resource Centre has some information on the subject. Instrument Flight Rules (IFR) training is outside the club's sphere of activity. 
Page updated 26/06/08