Hey ho! To give you an answer to your questions:
Wasn’t sure if I could change my time of day and fly day-time VFR when it’s night IRL
You can absolutely do that on VATSIM. Controllers doesn’t care about what time of day, or even cloud conditions you are flying with.
Not a lot of controllers online when I can play that I saw
Well, that obviously depends on when you are able to fly. On a usual afternoon Europe-time VATSIM is filled with controllers in Europe, and the coverage slowly shifts over to the U.S. in their peak hours. But overall there are a lot of controllers.
Frequencies and I think airspaces do not match real life (?)
This is the same on VATSIM, for a number of reasons.
- VATSIM has, contrary to IVAO, deliberately chosen not to implement 8.33kHz spaced frequencies. This is because the majority of simulators don’t yet support this, and will create a world of havoc of some people managing to use the frequency and some don’t. We have technically already implemented the functionality, and will absolutely transfer when the market is ready for it.
- The airspace are mostly correct, but VATSIM uses a “top-down principle” to increase the coverage available. This means that if there is an approach controller online on an airport, but no one on tower or below, the approach controller will also cover tower, ground and delivery. This is also done in real life, but to a lesser extent (duuh, they get paid.
)
Setup and usage was confusing for me
VATSIM setup is incredible simple. Register for an account, complete the mandatory ~30-minute introduction course made to introduce you to the basic principles of VATSIM, ensuring you get the best experience possible on the network. Then download the vPilot client, input your credentials and hit connect. Boom.
I have to be able to leave the game in the middle of a flight
For how long? VATSIM generally looks down on unattended connections, but we do realize that people have real-world obligations and commitments from time to time. Therefore you are allowed to leave the cockpit for up to 30 minutes In uncontrolled airspace. You are not allowed to leave the cockpit in controlled airspace without the express permission from the controller. This is important, otherwise you would have a network where nobody really is at their controls, and providing ATC coverage would be a waste of time.
If you are interested, apply for an account at https://vatsim.net. It’s a very valuable experience! 