VATSIM for practice with ATC

I tried out VATSIM for the first time today - it is a multiplayer Flight Sim setup that puts sim pilots in touch with real people acting as sim ATC (and vice-versa).

The first flight I did was with text-only comms. It went ok, but flying the airplane on final, simulated or not, while trying to type a reply to ATC was a bit awkward.

My second flight, later in the day, was voice-based and was much easier. I need to move my push-to-talk button to the yoke, but other than that it was much more enjoyable.

I've wanted to get on VATSIM for a long time now and I'm glad I finally did it. The learning curve seemed a bit steep at first, but there was really little to it - 2 software installs and a little learning about how to use Squawkbox and the general operating procedures.

It was worth the time investment and should serve as a handy way to practice ATC comms.

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