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VATSim

VATSIM (Virtual Air Traffic Simulation Network) is the world's largest online aviation network for virtual flight simulation with realistic air traffic and air traffic control.

What is VATSIM?

VATSIM offers pilots and air traffic controllers the opportunity to fly and work in a realistic environment. The network simulates real air traffic operations with:

  • Realistic flight plans
  • Live air traffic controllers
  • Weather data
  • Air traffic rules

Getting Started

To begin with VATSIM:

  1. VATSIM Account — register at vatsim.net
  2. VATSIM Client — download a compatible client (e.g., xPilot for X-Plane, vPilot for MSFS)
  3. Flight Plan — create a realistic flight plan
  4. Training — visit the Pilot Learning Center for basics

ATC Flight Planner

The ATC Flight Planner is a webapp that finds VATSIM flight routes with maximum ATC coverage. It continuously collects controller bookings, event schedules, and live traffic data from VATSIM, then calculates which departure/arrival combinations offer the best controller coverage for a given time window and aircraft type.

How It Works

The app pre-calculates ATC coverage time slots for airports worldwide based on booked controller sessions. When planning a flight, it correlates these slots with aircraft performance data (cruise speed, range) to determine which routes are realistically flyable and fully covered by active controllers. The result is a ranked list of origin-destination pairs — sorted by combined ATC coverage score.

Planning a Flight

  1. Set aircraft and time — choose aircraft type and preferred departure window
  2. Browse routes — the app ranks airports by ATC availability, optionally filtered by coverage score, live traffic density, or runway length
  3. Explore the map — airports are color-coded by coverage quality for visual route discovery
  4. Check ATC timeline — a 7-day controller booking schedule shows exactly when coverage is available at each airport
  5. Dispatch to SimBrief — one click generates a SimBrief flight plan with pre-filled origin, destination, aircraft, airline, and callsign

Guided Workflows

The app includes built-in workflow guides (top right, next to the help button) that walk through different use cases step by step — from quick dispatch to event flying to livery-first planning.

Optimal Routes — the fastest path to a flight plan

The "Optimal Routes" workflow generates a fully populated SimBrief flight plan with 100% ATC coverage in just a few clicks: enter departure date/time, set maximum acceptable delay and desired flight duration range, then hit "Find Routes." The system automatically finds the top departure airports with ATC, searches the best destination for each, and shifts departure in 15-minute steps to maximize combined ATC coverage. The results are ranked by combined score (0–9) — one click on the best match dispatches everything to SimBrief.

Additional Features

  • Event integration — browse upcoming VATSIM events and find matching departure or arrival airports within the event time window
  • Livery selection — filter airline liveries by country and push them directly into the flight plan
  • Live traffic view — see which airports currently have the most active pilots for a realistic traffic environment

Aircraft and livery configuration

The pre-configured aircraft types and liveries focus on ToLiss and X-Plane. All aircraft performance data (cruise speed, range, flight phase durations) can be individually adjusted to match any aircraft type.

Further Reading

Topic Page Focus
Clearance Clearance IFR clearance procedures and CPDLC
Pushback & Taxi Pushback & Taxi Ground movement procedures
En Route En Route Center control and frequency changes
Approach Approach Approach and radar vectors
Weather Briefing Weather Briefing Weather preparation for online flights