Flying VFR on-line with Air Traffic Control

Overview
When you fly in the airways, you fly under Instrument Flight Rules and ATC will take
responsibility for making sure you stay a prescribed distance away from other aircraft and the
ground.
VFR stands for Visual Flight Rules. This means flying by visual reference as opposed to using
instruments. The technique boils down to “see and avoid” - look out of the window all the time,
scan the sky all around and be prepared to steer clear of any other traffic – remember they are not
AI aircraft, they will have a pilot who is also a real person looking out for you! In this scenario, Air
Traffic Control is completely different – the responsibility for separation is all yours even if you are
talking to ATC.
I have outlined below the details of a VFR trip from Gloucestershire airport (EGBJ) to Kemble
(EGBP) for a touch and go and back again using a Cessna 172 GMIKE as an example.

Booking out
Before starting a flight on-line, the air traffic controller will need to know your details. In real life
this is done by giving the information to an assistant at the 'C' sign at the airfield or by phone. In our
Group, we simulate this by giving the information on Teamspeak. There is no formal phraseology
for this but the following items are needed by ATC:
● callsign
● Aircraft type
● Destination (or detail such as “circuits”, local flight etc.)
● Aircraft identification (if different from callsign) – such as GMIKE
● Estimated duration of flight
● Fuel endurance
● Number of persons on board (POB)
The last 3 are for the “Alerting Service” where search and rescue will be activated if you fail to
arrive at your destination within 30 minutes of your estimate. This is not relevant for our simulation
but can be included for realism.
The air traffic controller will use this information to create a flight progress strip (FPS) to track your
flight. The strip sits in a pending bay on the controller's desk until your initial call on the radio...

Automatic Terminal Information Service

You can get the details of the airfield such as runway in use, the latest weather report and any
special notices by tuning to the ATIS. At Gloucestershire airport, this is on frequency 127.475 and
we simulate this by using the built in function of FS to display the weather information by text
when the radio is tuned to that frequency. This broadcast includes an identifier (a letter from A to Z
pronounced using the phonetic alphabet). Note this information down.

Calling for Taxi

When ready to start, prepare the aircraft and start the engine. With all the after-start checks
complete, tune Gloster Tower on frequency 122.9 and call for taxi...(Pilot ATC)
 ● Gloster Tower, GMIKE with information L, request taxi. (L was the ATIS identifier)
For all initial calls, give the called station first followed by your callsign. The controller
picks up your FPS from the pending bay and has your details immediately to hand so can respond
straight away...
● GKE, taxi holding point C1 crossing runways 36 and 04. QNH 1013. Report ready for
departure.
● Taxi holding point C1 crossing runways 36 and 04, QNH 1013, report ready for departure,
GKE.
For a read-back, repeat the instruction and end with your callsign. Once the controller has
abbreviated it, you should do the same using the first and last two characters (in the UK). ATC and
all others on frequency will be waiting for you to read-back before transmitting anything else
Set the altimeter subscale to the QNH. If you have an American cockpit, you will have to convert
this to inches of mercury using tables such as the one in Pooley's Guide. Follow any taxi route given
until you reach the “clearance limit”, in this case C1. There you should turn the aircraft into wind
and complete your before-take-off checks. Meanwhile GMOOR is following the same sequence
with ATC and taxying out. When you're all set to go...
● GKE, ready for departure.
● GKE, right turn VFR, surface wind 090 at 15 knots, runway 09, clear for take off.
● Clear for take off, GKE.
We're outside Controlled Airspace so there is no ATC clearance as such; just a general turn
instruction, once you leave the ATZ (2 nm radius) you're on your own. Meanwhile the next one
reports ready...
● GOR, ready for departure.
ATC cannot clear you for take off immediately because of the departing traffic ahead but in the
meantime, if there are no arrivals, you can line up on the runway.
● GOR, line up and wait runway 09.
● Line up and wait runway 09, GOR
Position on the runway (confirm for yourself visually that it is safe) and await further instructions.
● GOR, right turn VFR. Traffic ahead is also departing to the South VFR. Surface wind 090 at
15 knots, clear for take off.
● Clear for take off, GOR.
Now, GKE is clear of the ATZ and the controller, who is working Approach and Tower combined,
offers a Flight Information Service. This consists of local pressure settings and weather information,
often enhanced with reported traffic information.
● GKE, Flight Information Service, Cotswold Pressure Setting, 1013. Report field in sight at
Kemble.
● 1013, wilco, GKE (Any altimeter setting must be read back)
In real life, you would be asked to “free call Kemble Information on frequency 118.9” once clear of
the Gloucester area. This means ATC have not coordinated anything and Kemble do not know your
details. The callsign indicates that this is an Aerodrome Flight Information Service (AFIS); but that
is for another day.
● GKE, field in sight, Kemble.
● GKE, frequency change approved.
You can now change to any frequency you wish (or none at all). See you on the way back!

Inbound initial call

After your touch and go at Kemble you return to Gloucestershire. Tune 127.475 and check the ATIS
again – the identifier is now M. At some point at least 5 minutes flying time from the EGBJ ATZ
boundary you can call Gloster again for the all important joining instructions. The default method of
joining the circuit to land, taught to most pilots to start with, is known as a “standard overhead
join”. If you want to join directly onto a later part of the circuit pattern you should request this with
ATC and it may or may not be approved depending on the traffic situation in the ATZ at the time. At
larger airports, busy with commercial jet traffic and protected by Controlled Airspace, standard
overhead joins are not normally allowed because they would cause delays.
● Gloster Tower, GMIKE
(full callsign because this a first contact again. ATC will need to create a new FPS)
● GKE, pass your message
● GKE is a Cessna 172 from Kemble inbound Gloster VFR 12 miles South of the field at
altitude 2400ft on 1013. Information M received. Request joining instructions.
(Full position report – whenever you report an altitude always include the altimeter setting)
● GKE, Runway 09 in use, left hand circuit, make a standard overhead join height 2000ft,
QFE 1009. Report field in sight.
● Standard overhead join height 2000ft on 1009 runway 09 left-hand circuit. Report field in
sight, GKE
When the altimeter sub-scale is set to Gloster's QFE, the altimeter will read zero when on the
ground at Gloster. Vertical levels are then referred to as heights instead of altitudes. A standard
overhead join is 2000ft above the airport. Meanwhile GMOOR is also inbound..
● Gloster Tower, GMOOR
● GOR, pass your message
● GOR is a Cessna 172 from Kemble inbound Gloster VFR East abeam Stroud at altitude
2100ft on 1013. Information M received. Request joining instructions.
● GOR, Runway 09 in use, left hand circuit, make a standard overhead join height 2000ft,
QFE 1009. Report field in sight.
● Standard overhead join height 2000ft on 1009 runway 09 left-hand circuit. We have the field
in sight, GOR
● GOR, Report overhead. Traffic is a Cessna 172 inbound VFR reported 12 miles South of the
field 3 minutes ago.
● Wilco. Looking, GOR
● GKE, traffic is a Cessna 172 inbound VFR just reported abeam Stroud 2100ft
● Copied, GKE

Set the altimeter and keep a look out for the traffic and the airfield and aim to be at height 2000ft
when overhead.
● GKE, field in sight
● GKE, roger, report overhead.
 ● Report overhead, GKE
It's a left-hand circuit so keep the airfield on the left as you approach and make all turns to the left.
Stay at 2000ft as you fly over the airfield with the centre of it on your left.
● GKE, overhead
● GKE, descend on the dead side, report downwind left hand.
● Descend on the dead side, report downwind, GKE
Turn left back over the west side of the airfield still at 2000ft. Once south of the field again you are
on the “dead side” and you can descend to circuit height – in most cases, 1000ft. Stay well within
the ATZ, maintain a good rate of descent and cross the upwind threshold at circuit height. Turn left
again onto your downwind leg.
● GKE, downwind
● GKE report final
GMOOR is now overhead and waits for the previous instruction to be read back before calling.
● Report final, GKE
● GOR, overhead
● GOR descend on the dead side, report downwind.
● Descend on the dead side, report downwind, GOR
Left is the default circuit direction. If it is not stated, left-hand is assumed.
● GKE, Final
● GKE, surface wind 090 at 15 knots, runway 09 cleared to land.
● Cleared to land, GKE.
● GOR downwind
● GOR, report final number 2 follow the Cessna 172 on final.
● Report final number 2 following the Cessna 172, GOR
This is what makes on-line flying so exciting and challenging. You are not alone, you must arrange
your flight path to take account of others you are sharing the virtual sky with. You may have to
extend a bit further downwind than you would normally in order to keep nicely separated from the
one ahead when you turn onto final.
● Final, GOR
● GOR, continue approach.
● Continue approach,GOR
GKE is still on the runway so no landing clearance yet.
● GKE, vacated
● GOR, surface wind 090 at 15 knots, runway 09 cleared to land.
● Cleared to land, GOR
● GKE, taxi to the main apron.
● Taxi to main apron, GKE
Welcome back! Monitor the ATC frequency until shut down but no further calls are needed.