VFR position reporting

Yes, just as you surely realize that making position reports aids S&R
if you should happen to go down for any reason (if you have not
requested flight following from ATC). You do make position reports
when flying over long distances, don't you?

No.

Although many of us use "VFR Flight Following", which puts you in the
ATC system in a way that is similar to IFR flights. Since you're
identified on ATC radar with a discrete squawk code (that they assign
you, and that you dial into your transponder), they (in theory) know
where you are at all times.

The main purpose of flight following, from our end, is to receive
traffic reports, but it also (again, in theory) provides some search &
rescue advantages, should the need arise.

There is no requirement to use it, but (especially in busy airspace) we
use flight following religiously.
--
Jay Honeck
Iowa City, IA
Pathfinder N56993
www.AlexisParkInn.com
"Your Aviation Destination"

Somehow, I can't imagine the need to call for SAR while sitting in front of
my computer playing a game. Perhaps if I fell out of the chair and had a
head injury and became disoriented?

I also can't imagine making imaginary calls to ATC and having conversations
with the computer generated voices in MSFS- it reminds me of my son at the
age of four running around with a toy airplane making engine noises. It may
be normal for a child, but for an adult to talk to the computer and make
position reports.....?

On Mon, 20 Nov 2006 14:15:03 +0000, Viperdoc wrote:

it reminds me of
my son at the age of four running around with a toy airplane making engine
noises. It may be normal for a child

Uh oh.

I do this w/my four year old. That is, I also run around with a toy
airplane making engine noises.

That's bad?

Of course, he knows what a takeoff and landing look like from "outside".
He knows about touch and goes and stop and goes. He knows how an airplane
turns (ie. the banking) and why. He knows how to flare with flair. He
knows the difference between a tail dragger and a nose dragger. He knows
the difference between airplanes with the prop outside the engine and the
prop inside the engine (I've spared him a discussion of ramjets {8^).

He's been flying with me numerous times. But always going somewhere (even
if just to a park at some other airport). Except just a couple of days
ago, he said he wanted to join me for some T&Gs.

So I opine that an adult running around with a toy airplane making engine
noises can be a fine thing indeed.

Laugh

- Andrew

I agree completely- the picture I had was of an adult male sitting in front
of a computer "talking" and making position reports with a game, and then
getting upset and asking why he couldn't make out a road on the pixelated
and smoothed out imagery of MSFS. This image is a little more troubling.

I let my now ten year old dial frequency changes on the radios, and let him
take the stick and fly for a while as well. (referring now to flying a real
airplane, and not MSFS, which he finds boring) He enjoys the participation.

On Mon, 20 Nov 2006 16:28:31 +0000, Viperdoc wrote:

the picture I had was of an adult

That pretty much excludes the OP, if that's to whom you were referring.

male sitting in
front of a computer "talking" and making position reports with a game, and
then getting upset and asking why he couldn't make out a road on the
pixelated and smoothed out imagery of MSFS. This image is a little more
troubling.

Shrug There are a lot of people that seem to be involved in aviation
simulation. There's even this "network" of them where some play pilot
while others play controller. They actually do talk to one another.

Most of them are harmless. Some are going to become pilots; others will
remain forever pretenders. But I'm no better than a pretend cook, so who
am I to judge?

Unfortunately, one likes to post here as if he's an actual pilot.
Admittedly, that does seem disconnected from reality. But I'm sure a
qualified shrink would find my own disconnects w/o too much trouble, so...

I let my now ten year old dial frequency changes on the radios, and let
him take the stick and fly for a while as well. (referring now to
flying a real airplane, and not MSFS, which he finds boring) He enjoys
the participation.

Of course! I look forward to years of that "participation" as my own sons
age into the front seat (and then their own certificates, not that I'm
biased or anything {8^).

- Andrew

Andrew Gideon writes:

Shrug There are a lot of people that seem to be involved in aviation
simulation. There's even this "network" of them where some play pilot
while others play controller. They actually do talk to one another.

Most of them are harmless. Some are going to become pilots; others will
remain forever pretenders.

And many of them are already pilots. Simulation is dramatically
cheaper and simpler than actual flight, and most pilots can afford to
fly only a few hours per month (or year), unless they do it for a
living.

--
Transpose mxsmanic and gmail to reach me by e-mail.

"Mxsmanic" wrote in message
...
Andrew Gideon writes:

Shrug There are a lot of people that seem to be involved in aviation
simulation. There's even this "network" of them where some play pilot
while others play controller. They actually do talk to one another.

Most of them are harmless. Some are going to become pilots; others will
remain forever pretenders.

And many of them are already pilots. Simulation is dramatically
cheaper and simpler than actual flight, and most pilots can afford to
fly only a few hours per month (or year), unless they do it for a
living.


You are right there are many real pilots that use sim and that inhabit the
flight sim newsgroups. Why don't you head back over there and leave us
alone?

Viperdoc writes:

I also can't imagine making imaginary calls to ATC and having conversations
with the computer generated voices in MSFS ...

The AI ATC in MSFS does not support position reports (or flight
following), except for a few limited circumstances (such as during an
approach).

--
Transpose mxsmanic and gmail to reach me by e-mail.

Jay Honeck writes:

There is no requirement to use it, but (especially in busy airspace) we
use flight following religiously.

But isn't busy airspace more likely to turn you down?

--
Transpose mxsmanic and gmail to reach me by e-mail.

There is no requirement to use it, but (especially in busy airspace) we
use flight following religiously.

But isn't busy airspace more likely to turn you down?

Yes. Most of the time they don't, though.
--
Jay Honeck
Iowa City, IA
Pathfinder N56993
www.AlexisParkInn.com
"Your Aviation Destination"