Our controllers read the latest weather (real world) unless you specify that you have received the weather (either by use of an ATIS code, or by the use of "have numbers."). The PE client does not attempt to set weather in the sim. You can set the weather any way you see fit, either hardcoding it to specific conditions, or by setting it to 'real weather'.This looks really interesting and I'm almost certain to try it but I wanted to know:
How is weather handled?
About the only noticeable side effects of this are:
1) you might set your own IMC weather, but there will still be VFR traffic flying around, not talking to anyone and squawking VFR.
2) you might be assigned an approach (a visual, perhaps) that you wouldn't expect given the weather that you've set in your sim.
These aren't insurmountable issues, but they're good to keep in mind.
You need to start up on a ramp or other non-movement area as a matter of courtesy in this multiplayer environment. An exception to this might be a sleepy non-towered field which you've verified (through the online map) as being deserted. Feel free to start on the runway to get yourself in the air quickly if needed.How is initial aircraft location on the airport handled? (FSX will put you right on the runway at a selected airport if requested)
X-Plane often doesn't have ramp positions defined in the default airport database. In that case, drag the aircraft on the local map to the ramp, or simply taxi there by hand prior to connecting to the network.
We're thrilled to have a rusty pilot who's trying to get back in the saddle. Regarding experience levels and pilots flying beyond their current skill set, we're ok with pilots making mistakes so long as they're relatively plausible mistakes. Use your judgment. If you're going to push the envelope, do it in baby steps so that the mistakes you're likely to make are few/minor. If you push yourself WAY beyond what you're capable of doing, you're likely to get way behind the airplane and things will generally proceed downhill from there. The end result will be that you're not likely to learn very much from the experience, either.How much tolerance do the controllers have for novices. I'm a reasonably experienced current PPL and did IFR training several years ago and would immediately try flying IFR on a sim. That means botched clearances, missed approaches and generally sloppy flying at first. How do you intermix serious and experienced simmers and rusty pilots pushing envelopes like me?
The one saving grace here is that due to the frequency usage and sectorization, fewer pilots will hear your interactions than you might think.
There's a sliding scale of errors. Some of them are barely noticeable and are not a big deal. Sometimes you might need an instruction or clearance repeated once or twice....not a problem, and still well within the bounds of realism, not likely to cause other listeners to twitch when they hear the interactions (or the controller portion, at least, referencing the paragraph above). Then at the 'not cool' end of the spectrum we have the errors which are completely unrealistic (someone picking up an IFR clearance who literally has zero knowledge or experience about IFR procedures). Those are the ones we need to avoid, otherwise we run the risk of ruining the level of immersion of other participants on the network. We have to set the bar somewhere...and that's pretty much the point.
If you blow through an airway and the controller vectors you to rejoin, and you are able to do it...no worries. Blow through an airway and, when queried by ATC, your response is "what's an airway??" then it's a problem.
Push the envelope, but only a little at a time.
Also, if you're interested, we have a pilot training program, too. This is a series of 3 VFR flights and 11 IFR flights (9 of which are publicly viewable) that will step you through a series of increasingly complex (but still highly relevant) scenarios. There's no written tests, you simply read the material (includes support articles, transcripts, and videos) then fly on the network under the watch of a controller.
As for keeping out people who are here for the wrong reasons to start with, the cover charge has more or less handled that so far. If it doesn't, we'll take swift action to ensure that the presence of each individual doesn't markedly detract from the experience of our other customers. This is a fairly unique service in that regard.How do you keep the [interesting pilots] out? A 13 year old with an FSX 747 and a juvenile attitude can ruin the sim aspects of something like this pretty quick.
If you're a responsible individual who can handle an airplane, navigate reasonably well, you already understand the basics of working with ATC, and you understand the various types of airspace, then this is right place for you (with the caveat that you don't continuously fly well beyond your abilities).
Otherwise, it's best to fly elsewhere for a while, or spend some time bolstering your knowledge through some online study of the areas listed above.
We help out as much as possible (with the training program, for example), but we can't work with pilots (yet) who don't already have most of the fundamentals worked out ahead of time.
