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Evan Reiter

Filing Flight Plans on VATSIM

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This post explains how flight plans can be filed on the VATSIM network. 

 

Introduction

 

Flight plans are required for all IFR flights, and optional for VFR flights. It should be noted that, within the United States, ATC will not receive flight plans filed by pilots. Only IFR flight plans are transmitted to ATC. 

 

Flight plans should be filed online Flightplan Prefile system. This uses the ICAO Flight Plan format that mirrors the flight planning form used in real-world aviation.

 

Once filed, the flight plan will automatically be registered when you connect to the network using a matching callsign. There is no need to re-file the flight plan when you connect to the network. If you have an existing flight plan filed when you first visit the page, you'll be asked whether you wish to edit this one or begin anew.

 

ICAO flight plans can be filed on the MyVATSIM website: https://my.vatsim.net/pilots/flightplan

 

Import FPL

 

If you use a flight planning program like PFPX or SimBrief that generates an ICAO flight plan, you can import the flight plan directly using the "Import ICAO FPL" button at the top right of the screen. Copy and paste the ICAO flight plan from your flight planner and click "Process". 

 

Filing the Flight Plan

 

The flight plan form has several fillable fields, with required fields denoted by an asterisk (*). A brief description for each of the fields is included in the sections below. 

 

Flight Details

  • Callsign: The callsign you will connect to the network with. (For more information on using correct callsigns, visit our Airline Codes page.)
  • Flight Rules: The flight plan allows you to file IFR or VFR. Other types of flight plans (composite, DVFR, SVFR) are not supported. Special VFR is available from ATC upon pilot request. 
  • Aircraft TypeThe approved (ICAO) Aircraft Type Designator for your aircraft. This will typically be between 2-4 characters, and most commonly exactly 4 characters. To look up your aircraft type, visit our Aircraft Type Abbreviations page.
  • Wake Category: The ICAO Wake Turbulence Category for your aircraft, based on the maximum certificated takeoff weight of the aircraft. You can find this information by using the search on our Aircraft Type Abbreviations page.
  • Equipment: List the equipment capabilities of your aircraft, including all operable equipment, even if you do not plan to use a particular capability on this flight. Equipment capabilities are indicated with letters that correspond to a specific capability. For example, including the letter "D" means your aircraft has DME. As this information is not transmitted to U.S. ATC on VATSIM, the exact information you include is currently not all that important. Some common equipment entries are provided below. The full list of equipment options may be found in FAA AIM Table 5-1-4.
    • Modern airliners, private jets, etc.: enter "SDE3GILORVW" in the "Equipment" field.
    • General aviation (with GPS/FMS-based RNAV capability): enter "SDG" in the "Equipment" field.
    • General aviation (no GPS): enter "S" in the "Equipment" field.
  • Transponder: Enter one of the following characters (note: despite what you file, VATSIM currently only has the ability to simulate Mode C transponders):
    • C - Mode C (altitude reporting only)
    • S - Mode S (altitude and aircraft identification capability)
    • L - Mode S, plus ABS-B and enhanced surveillance capability 
  • Departure: The ICAO code of the departure airport. 
  • Off Block UTC (HHMM): The proposed time for you to remove the parking brake and begin to push or taxi, in Zulu (UTC).
  • Altitude: The altitude in feet (enter "35000", "4000", etc.).
  • Airspeed (knots): The planned true airspeed at cruise (in knots).
  • Arrival: The ICAO code of the arrival airport.
  • Alternate: The ICAO code of an alternate airport, if required.
  • Enroute Time (HHMM): The planned time for your flight, in hours and minutes.
  • Fuel Endurance (HHMM): The amount of time your aircraft will be able to fly at its "endurance" profile, based on the amount of fuel boarded at departure.

Route Details

  • Use this box to enter the proposed route of flight.
  • On ICAO flight plans, consecutive fixes, NAVAIDS, and waypoints should be separated by the characters "DCT", meaning direct (example: "FLACK DCT IRW").
  • You can find preferred routes using our Route Finder. These routes are displayed in FAA format and will not include "DCT" between waypoints. 

Other Details

 

This section populates the "Remarks" section of the flight plan (for example: "DOF/210106". Below, we only list the fields that would be relevant/helpful for VATSIM flight plan filing purposes. When a section is not listed below, we recommend leaving it blank. For more information on sections not listed below, reference FAA AIM 5-1-9 and other real-world sources. 

  • PBN: Indication of RNAV and/or RNP capabilities. For VATSIM purposes, enter the following:
    • "B2B3B4B5C1D1S2" for most VATSIM airliners.
    • "B2B3B4B5C1D1S1T1" if you wish to simulate/fly RNP AR approaches using RF.
  • DOF: The date of the flight's departure, based in Zulu time.
  • REG: The civil registration of the aircraft, if different from the callsign (normally used if you are flying with an airline callsign).
  • SEL: SELCAL code (really only applicable to oceanic flying).
  • OPR: The three-letter airline designator of the operator, if not used in the callsign. 
  • RALT: ICAO indicators for enroute alternate(s).
  • TALT: ICAO indicator for takeoff alternate.
  • RMK: Any other plain language remarks when relevant. BVA recommends including "CALLSIGN XXXXXX" whenever you are flying with a callsign that you feel may not be immediately familiar to ATC within the region you are operating. Several airlines file this with every flight plan.
  • Voice Rules: indication of your VATSIM voice capability (all BVA member pilots are requested to select and use voice to communicate with ATC). 

What ATC Receives

 

No matter what type of flight plan you file, U.S. ATC on VATSIM will only receive the following information: 

  • Flight rules
  • Equipment capability, as expressed by an FAA Equipment Suffix
  • Departure
  • Altitude
  • Arrival
  • Alternate
  • Route
  • Remarks (populated by information you enter in the "Other Details" section of the flight plan)
  • Voice Rules

The callsign and aircraft type code transmitted to ATC are based on how you connect to the network. Although other ICAO flight plan information may be stored on the network, it is not readily available to ATC. 

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Evan Reiter

Community Director
Administration Team

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