Did my first live ATC flight!

[JBaymore]

I just did my first live ATC flight online tonight on the WSPilots server.  Up until this time I have been doing all "free flight" VFR type stuff online.

The group session was set up for IFR from KMIA (Miami) to KJAX (Jacksonville).  Yup...... we did this in live update every 15 minutes realtime hurricane weather.  Which was not really so bad in the sim.

(The live update weather leaves something to be desired  :P)

But it was raining heavlily and windy and gusting and so on at takeoff at KMIA.  I was at fl290 for the main part of the roughly 50 minute flight...... and was mostly above the bad weather.  It was clear and gusty windy at KJAX.

I literally blew a right tire on the landing as a gust hit me just before touchdown (good model BaE 146-200) and slammed the right main gear wheel down hard. (Had the aricraft with maximum payload weight.)

But I managed to skid it off the runway more or less intact without the full crash effects kicking in.  ;)  So we were just a little "lopsided" and stuck out on the grass a long way from the FEDEX terminal (cargo flight).  

Guess FEDEX won't be using my services again.

Gotta' say that the ATC person did a STELLAR job of handling all the various flights and the issues that came up.  Very professional and clear......yet patient and helpful.  And the separations were excellent even though we were flying a wide variety of aircraft with greatly varying approach and landing speeds.


best,

.....................john

[Privatepilot1219]

try to do it on with West coast ATC. there Real control in real life.

[Scottler]

WestCoast's controllers are NOT all real controllers in real life.  Where'd you hear that?

They are, however, fantastic.

[JBaymore]

Thanks for the suggestion abt WestCoast.... I signed up as a member the other day.  Still haven't flown there yet though.  

I did another live IFR ATC flight tonight from MWCR (Cayman Islands) to KMIA (Miami) in real time weather on the WSP flight server.  Stiff winds and turbulence..... requested FL changes twice.  

Then on final I had a malfunction of my autopilot.  A real malfunction.  For some reason the Goflight nav 1 radio unit was not updating the ILS frequency on the BAe146-200's panel correctly.  It showed on the nav 1 radio in the radio stack...... and on the glflight unit...... but not on the additional ILS display associated with the MCP on the glareshield.

Have to figure that one out.

So aftrer being vectored into alignment by Miami Approach, on final I couldn't establish the localizer and glideslope.... and had to declare a go around.  Took me another try to put it on the center line.

I have to say that flying with live ATC and a group of other real pilots around you is a LOT more fun than flying with computer generated AI.  

This online stuff could get addicting.

best,

.....................john