A few weeks prior to writing this two-part flight sim series, the work I had completed with my FlightSimCoach.com instructor was beginning to pay off. With a few instrument lessons under my belt, I felt confident to try a relatively straightforward flight under instrument conditions in the simulator using the VATSIM live air traffic control service. I conducted this flight with “real” ATC, staffed by human volunteers who are welcoming to rookies but expect that you’ve adequately prepared.
Using the ForeFlight Route Advisor, I found a route from Boston (KBOS) to Portland, Maine (KPWM), that seemed like a good match for my current instrument experience. Having recently reviewed how to call for a clearance, I filed my first IFR flight plan, received my clearance from the VATSIM controller, and soon I was following the Logan Four departure out of the Class Bravo and on my way.
If you're not already a subscriber, what are you waiting for? Subscribe today to get the issue as soon as it is released in either Print or Digital formats.
Subscribe Now
Using real-world weather and time settings in my sim, the late afternoon sun was mostly set, and there was a broken layer of clouds that I was flying through as I was cleared direct to Portland by Boston Center on VATSIM. Having checked the weather before my departure, I expected marginal VFR conditions at my destination with Microsoft Flight Simulator 2020 (MSFS2020) modeling the weather well enough to provide some lifelike views, such as virga beneath nearby cloud banks.
Fifty miles south of Portland at 5,000 feet, I was punching into the bottom of a large cloud mass. Expecting to fly through it within a few minutes, my Baron’s strobe lights were reflecting off the clouds, allowing me to see some frozen moisture developing on the windscreen. I double-checked my autopilot and looked down at my sim cockpit to verify the pitot heat was on. I flipped on my ice light to check the leading edge of the wing, then turned on the windshield deice and the anti-ice system for the wings and propellers. I knew if I started building up ice, I could call ATC and explore my options.
Still in the clouds, I returned my focus to my current position. I had prepped for an ILS to Runway 11 at KPWM as the wind from the METAR in-sim supported that decision. As I double-checked ForeFlight to load the approach plate on my iPad, which I had paired to the simulator cockpit, the radio crackled with the Boston Center VATSIM controller.
“Cape Air 73-31, you’re 40 miles south of Portland. Expect the Harbor Visual for Runway 29.”
I promptly replied in the affirmative and immediately felt the pressure to find the chart, brief the approach, and clearly understand what would be expected of me. I hadn’t expected a visual approach but the conditions at Portland were technically VFR.
Moments later ATC radioed.
“Cape Air 73-31, can you give me your best forward speed to the entrance of the Harbor Visual? I’ve got jet traffic behind you, and I’ll try to keep you in front of them.”
Again, I replied in the affirmative and brought my focus back into the cockpit to prep for the visual approach. Still in the clouds and pointing toward Portland at my max cruise speed, I felt totally immersed in the sim with just a little bit of pressure building, adding to the realism. My mind was fully in-flight and focused now, an addictive condition experienced when your home flight simulator is paired with live ATC and it’s running smoothly.
And if you like the coast of Maine, there’s nothing more iconic to try flying than the Harbor Visual for 29 at KPWM. Approaching from the south, no fewer than four lighthouses guide the pilot into a left turn into the narrow entrance of Portland Harbor, which you follow until you pick up the course of 290 degrees onto short final for Runway 29. Although the Harbor Visual is marked “NA for night,” I would be arriving into Portland just before nighttime officially began. It would be close but still permissible.
Out of the clouds and beginning my descent into the Portland Class Charlie airspace, I could see the city 20 miles ahead. From the air, I looked for the dark outlines of Cape Elizabeth, the feature of land that marks the southeastern part of the city. I wasn’t sure if MSFS2020 would model the lighthouses I was hoping to see from the air, even at this distance. After preparing for an ILS approach, getting the Harbor Visual was an unanticipated change of plans. I’ve learned that with instrument flying that you plan and prepare but have to be flexible, ready to adapt to the weather, other traffic, and controller requests.
Within a few minutes, I had briefed the visual approach and focused on aiming the aircraft correctly at the entrance to the Harbor Visual, a task made more challenging with dark land ahead, dark ocean to the east, and not many lights on the horizon. Portland was comparatively well lit, but I couldn’t aim directly for the city. Unfortunately, no in-sim lighthouses greeted me, but I could see how useful they must be to real-world pilots, given how dark it can be just after sunset in the winter.
Descending below 3,000 feet, I double-checked my location on the G1000 MFD and on ForeFlight and began skirting past land on my left and islands on my right. Making the left turn into Portland Harbor marked the start of the final descent, and it was a high workload affair until touchdown, but just the right mix of challenge and fun for my skill level. Although I could have asked for more time to get the Baron ready, I was able to safely slow it down once established on the approach. I had kept my speed up sufficiently to stay ahead of the jet traffic coming into Portland behind me. Having other real sim pilots flying in the airspace with you adds to the immersion factor.
Practicing IFR basics with my FlightSimCoach.com instructor gave me the confidence to try flying my first instrument flight with live ATC.
Getting a visual approach instead of the ILS that I had prepared for would probably be no issue for a current real-world instrument pilot, but it was the ideal challenge for a novice like me and an example of how dynamic the live flight sim environment can be.
In addition to helping me prepare for one of my first instrument flights in the sim, one of the most important benefits of FlightSimCoach.com instruction was to get my instrument learning back on track after a few months of not making progress. If you find that your learning in-sim has faltered, it is a service worth considering—even with the plethora of self-help content on YouTube. Working with a real-world flight instructor who is a full-time professional pilot with expert-level flight simulation knowledge was the ideal combination.
I look forward to sharing future instrument flying adventures with you from my home simulator. If you have questions about how to get started with flight simulation, email editorial@flyingmag.com, and I’ll be happy to help.
This column first appeared in the May Issue 958 of the FLYING print edition.
