Online Flying

Standard Operating Procedures for Online Flying

NZ Virtual Aviation supports both servers VATSIM and our division VATNZ. When online you are representing our Airline, courtesy to other pilots and ATC along with a professional manner is paramount. Any abuse, obscene or defamatory remarks to other pilots or ATC will result in notification to the CEO and appropriate disciplinary action as deemed necessary. Notification to Vatsim may also result in suspension of the pilot on their servers. All pilots connecting online must conform to the Vatsim codes of conduct.

1.0 GENERAL

  1. Do not connect unless you intend to complete the flight, with exemptions to 2.4.
  2. Do not connect online whilst in flight.
  3. Connect online at the Gate only!! Not on the runways or taxiways.
  4. Pilots must follow and read back all ATC instructions.
  5. All Pilots flying in uncontrolled airspace or on the ground without control must be squawking 2000, transmitting via text as primary and voice as secondary and stating your intensions to all other pilots on Frequency 122.80 Unicom Channel.
  6. Pilots that leave the flight deck must advise ATC and call on their return. All pilots must not leave the flight deck for more than 20 minutes. If for some reason you can no longer be at the controls for over the 20 minutes, and there is a lot of traffic and ATC on, you are advised to disconnect after communicating your position and intentions with your current controller.
  7. Any long Haul flight that exceeds 4 hours of flight time, pilots may disconnect off line after 4 hours and then resume the flight at a later time or date providing they check to see if that airspace is being controlled and that there will be no traffic conflict. If ATC is controlling, before connecting make sure the aircraft is not paused. After connecting squawk 2000 indent mode Charlie and contact ATC at the first instance.
  8. Pilots must file a correct flight plan for the particular flight they are intending to fly. Any deviation in direction or cruise altitude must be requested from ATC or if in uncontrolled airspace, the Pilot should revise and send a new flight plan.
  9. To read and comply with any updated NOTAMS in relation to online flying procedures.
  10. Be courteous and polite to other pilots and ATC when flying online. Blatant disregard for other Pilots, ATC and our Representing Aircraft whilst flying online will result in notification to the CEO.

2.0 CALLSIGNS ONLINE

When filing your flight plan, these are the preferred comments to be entered into the comments box below the flight planned route box, depending on which type of flying you are interpreting.

1. Online flying P1 - EMULATING Real World OPS

Pilots wanting to emulate real world flights will log on using the real flight number ANZ2886 and their comments box will show OPR/NZVA-xxx (xxx=your ID) providing it fits with all of the following conditions:

  1. You are flying at or within 45 minutes (being delay time) of the actual time of the real world flight
  2. The real world flight flies that day (i.e. you are emulating the actual physical real world flight that is flying at the same time wherever in the world it is) at the correct UTC time clock, not your simulator clock
  3. You are flying the same airframe as the real world flight

2. Online flying P2 - NOT EMULATING Real World OPS

All pilots not emulating the real world flights conditions but are still flying a specified route and have altered there simulator clock will log on as their pilot ID and have the following comments OPR/NVZA-NZ2886 (NZ2886 being the flight number) in the comments box

3. Online flying P3 - TRAINING/TYPE RATING

All pilots that want to do what ever they wish and still use their ID (such as training exercises) when logging on, can enter OPR/NZVA-Training or OPR/NZVA-TR for Type Rating, into the comments box or alternatively you could use the aircraft registration eg ZK-xxx (Pilot's discretion)

4. Online flying P4 - NEWBIE

All new pilots that wish to connect online but do not feel confident initially, may wish to enter Newbie NZVA - xxx (xxx =your ID) into the comments box. A Newbie may connect online without flying, provided they are squawking standby and have advised the Tower ATC that they are observing. Provided this is done purely to gain the knowledge and experience for future flying on Vatsim. Please refrain from being online for more than 30 minutes at a time.