The first step to a successful virtual airline flight is setting up your virtual airline flight's callsign. Once you have your aircraft set up in flight simulator, choose your departure airport (KBOS) and select a gate or parking spot (not on the “Active Runway”) when given the choice. Now you have to submit your flightplan, you are ready to make your first contact with an Air Traffic
Controller. Your virtual airline flight should still be parked at this point, with your engines off. Contact
whichever controller is appropriate now – this could be BOS_CTR or
BOS_TWR or BOS_APP. Remember, if there is a Boston
Center online, you would contact them if no other positions were staffed. For this
example, we’ll assume BOS_CTR is open.
About Clearance Delivery for your virtual airline flight.
“Boston Clearance Delivery (or “Boston
Tower”, “Boston Approach”, etc.), Singapore 843
Heavy request IFR clearance to Kennedy”. An aircraft larger than a Boeing 757 is
denoted with the postfix “HEAVY”. “Singapore 843 Heavy, Boston Clearance
Delivery. Cleared to the Kennedy Airport via
the Logan 4 Departure, radar vectors BOSOX
then as filed. Maintain five thousand, expect
flight level one-eight-zero one-zero minutes
after departure. Departure frequency is
133.00, squawk 5134.” Pilots must level off at 5,000’ (or
whichever altitude is initially assigned)
unless a specific climb instruction to climb
higher has been given. “Cleared to Kennedy; Logan4, BOSOX, then as filed. Climbing five
thousand, and we’ll expect flight-level one-eight-zero ten minutes
after departure. Departure is 133.00, squawk 5132, Singapore 843
Heavy.” “Singapore 843 Heavy, readback is correct. Advise ready to taxi”. The response you get from controllers will differ depending on whether they are covering a
position below or actually running that position themselves. The next step is to listen to the current Automatic Terminal Information Service (ATIS).
Sometimes it will be posted in the chat box; if not, use frequency 135.00 for BOSTON’s
ATIS. When you’re ready to push (or to taxi, if you’re not parked at a gate), you’ll advise
whichever controller you’re talking to, and will once again get a different response
depending on which positions are online. Whichever
controller you’re talking to, the exchange will still sound
similar: “Boston (Tower), Singapore 843 Heavy ready to push, information
Uniform.” “Singapore 843 Heavy, give way to Delta traffic crossing left-to-right behind, then push your discretion.
Advise ready to taxi”. Pushback (use Ctrl + P, and the buttons 1 or 2 to push left
or right) at your discretion, and when your engines are
started call the controller covering ground for your taxi
instructions.
