finally reached grade 3 roughly a few minutes ago. I’m glad at the time of this post I have not yet incurred any violations at all. I know ES is a place where vios can be given out easily if I’m not careful.
I read the ATC Communication guide hoping to familiarise myself back when I was flying in training server.
Now my dilemma is whether I should fly in a way that is ‘scripted’ to ensure that I get to keep my record clean, or just be natural and learn as much as I can but risk having violations recorded in my stats page.
Flying ‘scripted’ for me means that I follow a very precise flight plan that does not put me at risk or place me in risky situations,
like for example waiting for 80% of the traffic to depart during a busy live event and ensuring that I do not arrive into the controlled airspace when traffic flow is at its peak or when a traffic pattern has yet to be established by ATC.
In a nutshell, my flying would be more geared to ensure that I will not incur any level 2 or 3 violations (lvl 1 violations are just brain dead and easy to avoid imo.)
But then in that case I feel that im sort of defeating the whole purpose of the sim which is to learn as much as possible given the resources we have access to for 9.99 per month (or whichever subscription plan you’re on.)
any thoughts or what do u guys think about violations in general and the desire to keep a ‘clean’ record.
ALWAYS follow ATC instructions NO MATTER WHAT. Us, IFATC Controllers, try to make the best out of controlling, just let us lead the way. Try to make the most realistic flight plans, use charts if possible, and, that’s it! Welcome.
I recently got grade 3 about a month ago and eventually flew in too extremely busy airspace. I was having a lot more fun doing that but you have to be extremely aware of the current situation and also people are doing around you. Summed up, Listen to ATC!
I agree ! ATC should be respected as much as possible. I tend to fly very conservatively and try to avoid risky situations in general but when I get vectored for an approach i will try to follow along. its fun tbh because u get to go for a little ride before landing :)
that’s why the best way is to plan a good flight time. say if I have 4 hours of free time I could get on a flight for 2-3 hours. VNAV shouldn’t be armed at all because it’s like a commitment to ur aircraft that u will be there during descent. So if I’m likely unable to do so I won’t activate but usually I don’t in general cuz I’m quite cautious.(and scared cuz after reading how u get vios u tend to avoid it at all costs.)
It is not necessary to wait for traffic to subside when operating on the expert server of Infinite Flight. Many pilots routinely fly into and out of busy airports without encountering any issues, as long as they comply with ATC instructions and guidelines.
When flying into or out of a busy airport during peak times, following instructions from ATC is paramount. IFATC controllers typically issue warnings before reporting any violations and provide sufficient time for pilots to correct their actions. In addition, the ATC community on the expert server is known to be very friendly and approachable.
To better understand the rules and procedures of flying on the expert server, we recommend that pilots thoroughly review the user guide provided by Infinite Flight.
Simply use common sense. Be respectful of rules and the other users. Have fun, don’t let some people make you think you need to fly like a professional pilot every time. Have fun!
Mistakes happen! It’s a part of life. Even when I gained access to the expert server many years ago, I wouldn’t ever consider myself an expert until after spending maybe a full year on it. It takes time to adjust. Sometimes the best way to adjust is to throw yourself into the deep end!
It’s worth considering also that, as with irl, pilots and atc have a reciprocal relationship. They each are accountable to the other. Because after all, it’s all about air safety. So if someone pulls onto the runway when you were given “clear to land.” Obviously, you ignore the command. Of course, with the standards of ATC in IF that will be a rare occurrence. The main thing is, be in command of yourself is really the operating rule. And that’s how you’re able to follow the ATC side of the responsibility, being in command of oneself with rules, planning ahead etc. as others have mentioned.
But your question about risk is good. You do have to take on some more risk if you’re flying in more crowded airspace with ATC. You can help reduce the risk with preparation and disciplined flying to the best of your ability of course, but you can’t eliminate it.
So, yes take measured risks I would say, as part of leaning.
Also, I don’t file a flight plan on ES, if say, I’m flying a short hop on the outskirts of town and various other situations, especially when outside of ATC.
Honestly, keeping 0 Level 1 violations is pretty difficult. It’s not impossible but if you fly enough eventually something will happen.
Keeping 0 Level 2 or 3 violations (ATC reports) though, is very possible. Remember that most ATC also fly regularly, so they know what being a pilot is like. They’re not out to get you. In a busier airport, they’re probably not even likely to notice if you do something that could be reportable (ie clip wings with someone, taxi on the grass a little). ATC instructions tend to be pretty simple to follow and honestly as long as you maintain some sense and double check your surroundings I don’t see this being a problem. I’ve been flying for 5 years and I don’t have a single Level 2 or 3 violation.
If you’re looking for practical advice in the matter beyond the “know ATC commands” and “have common sense”, I would say that a busy tower airspace without approach is the worst nightmare for keeping your violation count clean. Anything with approach is easy because you just follow the vectors exactly and all you need to do is intercept properly which is not hard. In a busy tower airspace without approach, you might get sequenced to number 5 or greater, and if the airspace is messy or not well managed it can be a little hard to count where you fit in.
Definetily not impossible. If you know what you are doing and follow ATC instructions you’ll be more than fine, also 250kts below 10,000 feet is a violations many people get so if you remember that you’ll be clean
I think it’s more common to forget that you also have a speed limit above 10000ft. You turn on the autopilot and set at a random speed then go away, only to find out you get kicked out of the game because apparently you’ve been speeding.