1.  Where to fly to?
2.  Preparation
3.  Positioning of your aircraft
4.  IP for the Vatsim server nearest to you
5.  Finding a route
6.  Finding the necessary charts
7.  Filing a flightplan
8.  Connecting to Vatsim
9.  Contacting a Controller

You need to have successfully installed Squawkbox, FSUIPC 3.0 or higher (and SBrelay if you use FS2004) and optionally AVC (advanced Voice Client) before proceeding.

1.  Where to fly to?
Since you will be flying online, I´m sure you wish to have Air Traffic Control (ATC). You can view in real time who´s online on the Vatsim Website. Now that you know where ATC is online you can select a route from our Flight Schedule to a destination of your choice.

For a visual representation of all pilots and ATC online on a world map + several other options, we recommend you to download and install Servinfo. You can download it here: Servinfo Home page .

2.  Preparation
Preparation is part of flying. Before you start, you should have all the materials you need for the flight (charts/approach plates/etc.) easily at hand. Visit the website of the ATC sector or sectors you’ll be flying. There is a wealth of information on airspace rules, preferred routes, sector boundaries and much more available on these websites. While many controllers will be happy to help you with procedures when traffic is slack, do not rely on this. Start your flight with a quick visit to the websites of the ATC sectors and you’ll be on your way to a much more enjoyable flight!
Also view section #5 and #6 on finding a route and the charts.

3.  Positioning of your aircraft: BEFORE connecting to Vatsim
Connect with your aircraft positioned on a ramp or parking/gate area only. When connecting, a pilot should never be on a taxiway, or on a runway. If there is an aircraft on short final for the runway and suddenly another aircraft pops up on the same runway, a landing pilot will be quite displeased because they will be asked to go around.

4.  IP for the Vatsim server nearest to you
Go to Vatsim.net, click on servers or on resources to see the IP address of a Vatsim server near you and enter it in the textbox when prompted upon connecting. (You will only need to look this up once).
Additionaly Servinfo enables you to ping these servers and lets you view the IP addresses.

5.  Finding a route
Before you can file a flightplan you obviously need to find a route first. Unlike when flying offline on MSFS it is essential to file a preferred route. This will facilitate the flow of traffic during busier times of the day.
You can find flightplans by selecting 'Flight Planning' in the AFA navigation bar or by going directly to the VATUSA flight planning website. We will briefly discuss the IFR route and how to fly it in Step 3 of this tutorial.

6.  Finding the necessary charts
There are several ways to obtain charts: or you know a real world pilot and you can obtain his old charts or you can buy new Japessen charts.
But easier and less expensive (for free actually) and excellent for FS use is to download the charts you need from Myairplane.com .

7.  Filing a flightplan
Always file a flightplan even when you are VFR. Primarily, a flight plan lets the controller know what your plans are. Secondly, it assists the controller in selecting your aircraft on his screen.

8.  Connecting to Vatsim
Right Click in the SB menu and click on connect. Select the server you want to connect to (for IP addresses see #3) and enter all other necessary information such as name and callsign, ie AFA1900. Also select use RW if you wish to use voice communications as this will automatically start AVC and connect you to a voice channel. In case you need more help I would like to redirect you to the SB manuals, a link can be found on the previous page.

When connected select 'resend flightplan' from the SB menu this will put the flightplan you created offline on the Vatsim Servers. In case you haven´t created a flightplan yet it really gets time to do so now.
In the Remarks section of your flightplan enter /v/ if you use voice or /t/ if you will use text communications, furthermore you can enter in the flightplan remarks section 'American Flight Airways' and or 'newbie' if this is your first flight.

9.  Contacting a Controller
You should now be online, with your plane sitting at a gate, a flightplan filed, your charts ready. Your flight computer or GPS programmed and the passengers boarded.

Who to contact? Start with Clearance Delivery (xxx_DEL) at your airport and tune to their frequency (to tune in on a frequency and verify he/she is online, right mouse click in the SB menu, then select ATC directory and double click the controller whom you want to contact). If delivery is not online, look for ATC staffing in this order:

DELIVERY (xxx_DEL)
GROUND (xxx_GND)
TOWER (xxx_TWR)
DEPARTURE (xxx_DEP)
APPROACH (xxx_APP)
CENTER (xxx_CTR)

**Note: You sometimes may see xxx_v_app the _v_ indicates this controller has voice capability. You may also see for example den_w_app or atl_n_app etc, this means this is the west or north controller of this section. In case only one for example approach controller is online than he covers the entire approach airspace even if his callsign denotes atl_n_app.

Step 3: Example of a Flight Online 

 Questions or comments? Contact Thomas Snoeck or Kenric Smith.