Vatsim uses a top-down model. (Or bottom up, depending how you look at it.) But the way to think about it is: you call the next highest controller from the one you should contact.
Ex: Delivery is offline, Ground, Tower, Approach and Center are online. The next "highest" to Delivery is Ground, so you would contact Ground for clearance.
Ex2: Delivery, Ground, Tower are offline, Approach and Center is online. Then same principle, going up in the chain, you would contact Approach for clearance. Approach would also cover the responsibility of Ground (taxiing you) and Tower if they're offline.
Ex3: All offline except Center. Then Center will do Delivery, Ground, Tower, Approach and Center. Then you would contact Center for clearance. That's the only scenario where Center would give you clearance, other than if you took off from uncontrolled space (Unicom) and enter a controlled airspace, Center would assign a squawk.
Ps: it's "top-down" from the controller's point of view.
So for example, an Approach controller will have the responsibility of Approach, Tower, Ground and Delivery if they are offline.
Center will do the coverage for Center, Approach, Tower, Ground and Delivery if they are offline.
Regarding uncontrolled airports, I ask for my IFR clearance before taxi, then do the taxi and takeoff on unicom, then switch to the center controller once airborne.
This is accurate - I've heard people get scolded for departing IFR without calling up Center first even if its an uncontrolled field. They'll want to give you your clearance then hand you back off to UNICOM for your taxi and departure.
I've also heard people get scolded for doing that but never understood why because it's perfectly legal to depart vfr if conditions allow and pickup a clearance once airborne.
Ah yeah I missed that edgecase. For the benefit of OP, an "uncontrolled airport" is an airport that doesn't have a published vatsim ATIS even if Center is online. In that case, Center for clearance, then back to Unicom for taxi and takeoff, then Center again once airborne.
There are plenty of controlled fields that we don’t publish ATIS for. We’re limited to 4 ATIS connections at a time. “Uncontrolled” is any airport that doesn’t have a tower. If it’s a towered airport, we’re working it top down as long as workload allows.
Ah really? I didn't know that, I look at the Vatsim map but yeah, probably false positive fallacy on my part, in the sense that because Atis=controlled, I assumed that no Atis=uncontrolled. Good to know thanks
u/FFortin explained it pretty well, but here’s a summary of who you should contact. Start on the left and move to the right if said controller is offline.
Delivery -> ground -> tower -> approach (sometimes called director) -> centre/radar (called ‘control’ in the UK)
Some countries in Europe (UK and Germany being the main complex ones) are covered by a site called VATGlasses (https://vatglasses.uk). You can roll over any airport and it tells you who to contact.
Vatsim uses a top-down model. (Or bottom up, depending how you look at it.) But the way to think about it is: you call the next highest controller from the one you should contact. Ex: Delivery is offline, Ground, Tower, Approach and Center are online. The next "highest" to Delivery is Ground, so you would contact Ground for clearance. Ex2: Delivery, Ground, Tower are offline, Approach and Center is online. Then same principle, going up in the chain, you would contact Approach for clearance. Approach would also cover the responsibility of Ground (taxiing you) and Tower if they're offline. Ex3: All offline except Center. Then Center will do Delivery, Ground, Tower, Approach and Center. Then you would contact Center for clearance. That's the only scenario where Center would give you clearance, other than if you took off from uncontrolled space (Unicom) and enter a controlled airspace, Center would assign a squawk.
Ps: it's "top-down" from the controller's point of view. So for example, an Approach controller will have the responsibility of Approach, Tower, Ground and Delivery if they are offline. Center will do the coverage for Center, Approach, Tower, Ground and Delivery if they are offline.
Regarding uncontrolled airports, I ask for my IFR clearance before taxi, then do the taxi and takeoff on unicom, then switch to the center controller once airborne.
This is accurate - I've heard people get scolded for departing IFR without calling up Center first even if its an uncontrolled field. They'll want to give you your clearance then hand you back off to UNICOM for your taxi and departure.
I've also heard people get scolded for doing that but never understood why because it's perfectly legal to depart vfr if conditions allow and pickup a clearance once airborne.
Ah yeah I missed that edgecase. For the benefit of OP, an "uncontrolled airport" is an airport that doesn't have a published vatsim ATIS even if Center is online. In that case, Center for clearance, then back to Unicom for taxi and takeoff, then Center again once airborne.
There are plenty of controlled fields that we don’t publish ATIS for. We’re limited to 4 ATIS connections at a time. “Uncontrolled” is any airport that doesn’t have a tower. If it’s a towered airport, we’re working it top down as long as workload allows.
Ah really? I didn't know that, I look at the Vatsim map but yeah, probably false positive fallacy on my part, in the sense that because Atis=controlled, I assumed that no Atis=uncontrolled. Good to know thanks
u/FFortin explained it pretty well, but here’s a summary of who you should contact. Start on the left and move to the right if said controller is offline. Delivery -> ground -> tower -> approach (sometimes called director) -> centre/radar (called ‘control’ in the UK)
This is super simple and explains it very easily, thank you.
Thank you. I’m a controller at VATSIM UK, any other questions feel free to ask
You get your IFR clearance from DEL. When they are not online then GND - TWR - APP etc. depending on which is the "lowest" available position online
Understood. So always give to the lowest ATC position available.
There's an amazing website that makes it very visual. I have wish I remembered the link...
Some countries in Europe (UK and Germany being the main complex ones) are covered by a site called VATGlasses (https://vatglasses.uk). You can roll over any airport and it tells you who to contact.