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Introduction
This
will be a detailed walkthrough of how to conduct an
IFR flight on VATSIM from Fresno (KFAT) to San Francisco
(KSFO). |
Route:
FRES5.CZQ.MOD2
These charts can easily be obtained through MyAirplane.com
or AirNav.com
Charts:
Fresno
airport chart
FRES5
departure
MOD2
arrival
Quiet
Bridge 28L/R San
Francisco airport |
Ready
to roll
- Position
your aicraft on the ramp at Fresno THEN connect
to VATSIM.
- Send
your IFR flight plan, using the route FRES5.CZQ.MOD,
cruising at FL240.
- Obtain
your IFR clearance from ATC, take note of the runway
to expect, most likely 29R.
- Prepare
your navigation systems to minimize your workload
once airborne. Initial flight will be on runway
hdg, ATC will vector you to CZQ. Departing CZQ,
you'll be joining the 305 radial outbound to join
the MOD R-093 inbound.
- Set
the autopilot HDG to 290. Set the autopilot altitude
to 5000, your intial altitude from your IFR clearance.
Set NAV1 to CZQ (112.90). Set NAV2 to MOD (114.60),
set the NAV2 OBS to 273.
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Flying
the departure
- Taxi
to the active and obtain your takeoff clearance.
On the climbout, engage the autopilot HDG mode and
ALT mode. Take care not to exceed 250kts in the
climb until you are above 10,000ft
- Check
in with departure, remembering to give your current
altitude. You will most likely be given a right
turn, direct to CZQ, climbing to 12,000.
- Use
the HDG mode on the autopilot to execute the turn
towards CZQ, reset the ALT mode to read 12,000.
- Set
the NAV1 OBS such that the needle is centered with
a TO flag showing. Engage LNAV mode of autopilot
to track towards the CZQ VOR.
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Flying
the arrival
- Departing
CZQ, set the OBS to 305. The autopilot should track
the 305 radial for you. Approaching 12,000ft, Fresno
Departure will hand you off to Oakland Center, who
will send you up to your final altitude. Reset your
ALT mode to the assigned altitude.
- Around
45 miles past CZQ, set the autopilot hdg to 280
and switch to HDG mode. Switch to NAV2. Engage the
LNAV mode. As you approach 47 DME, the needle should
begin to center, and the aircraft will turn to join
the radial.
- You
are now tracking the MOD R-095 inbound. Expect Center
to issue an instruction to cross CEDES at 11,000
at 250kts. Set the autopilot ALT to 11,000 and engage
it when you're ready to start your descent. As you
begin your descent, inform Center that you're doing
so by saying "leaving FL240 for 11,000".
- Passing
over MOD, set autopilot HDG to 245 and engage the
HDG mode. Set the NAV2 OBS to 245 and engage the
LNAV autopilot mode to track the MOD R-245 outbound.
- Some
time before CEDES, Center will hand you off to Norcal
Approach. Approach will give you the runway and
approach to expect. For this example, let's assume
it's the Quiet Bridge Visual 28R approach (see the
charts above).
- Departing
CEDES, approach will say "fly hdg 240, d/m 6000,
join the Quiet Bridge visual approach course, report
the bridge in sight".
- Set
the autopilot to HDG to 240, engage the HDG mode.
Set the ALT to 6000 and engage the ALT mode. Adjust
your speed as required by ATC.
- Reviewing
the Quiet Bridge chart, the goal is to join the
SFO R-095 inbound. Set the NAV1 to SFO (115.80)
and set the OBS to 275. Engage the LNAV mode on
the autopilot. LNAV will be ARMED. As the NAV1 needle
begins to center, the autopilot will swap from HDG
mode to LNAV mode. You will be tracking the SFO
R-095 inbound.
- When
the field or bridge is in sight, let ATC know immediately.
You will hear "cleared quiet bridge visual 28R approach,
contact tower 120.50"
- Check
in with the tower, you'll be cleared to land. As
you come to a stop on the runway, ATC will tell
you which direction to exit and send you to SFO
ground frequency.
- Contact
ground, and follow their instrucitons, which are
likely to simply be "taxi to the gate". Make sure
you squawk standby as you clear the runway.
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