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Downloads - Pilot Communication Software

Software required to connect to VATSIM and IVAO for Club Flights

Pilot Communication Software

This page contains links to all the software which you need to fly with the Club. Some are alternatives, some are not essential, but are either preferable to have installed, or simply useful to make life easier while flying with us. Please read the descriptions to help you decide which software you need and which is preferable or useful. The programs here are listed in an approximate order of importance.

Members' suggestions for useful and interesting links will be gladly received. Email suggestions to the Webmaster by clicking the following icon. @

The essential applications to enable pilots to connect to VATSIM or IVAO, receive Air Traffic Control and see other aircraft are described on this page. New and revised pilot client software was released in the latter part of 2019 for both VATSIM and IVAO.

The two oldest VATSIM pilot clients, Squawkbox and FSInn are no longer supported and may no longer even work. The well-established IvAp for FSX/P3D and XIvAp for XPlane still currently work.

The pilot client software required for each simulator and for each online service are set out in the following tables.

VATSIM

For Vatsim, there is a now choice of four pilot client applications. Two of these, xPilot for XPlane and XSquawkbox for X-Plane require a separate voice server application - there is no voice server integration with the connection application.

The fourth and newest application, Swift, is an all in one application, with voice transmit/receive included, and works across all current simulators. It does, however, require a lengthy and somewhat complex install process. The link provided below for Swift does walk you through the process. The voice server is programmed to emulate real world half-duplex radio operation with decreasing function with increasing distance from the transmitter.

VATSIM Communication Software
SIM LINK
FSX & FSX-SE vPilot
Prepar3D vPilot
X-Plane XSquawkbox
X-Plane XPilot
Audio for VATSIM Videos
FSX Family AND X-Plane Swift
Click the links to download

For a list of all VATSIM Approved Software, see https://www.vatsim.net/documents/approved-software

IVAO

For IVAO, the pilot client is IVAP or XIVAP and for these applications the internal interface remains.

IVAO Communication Software
SIM LINK
FSX and FSX-SE IvAp
P3D IvAp
X-Plane XIvAp
Click the links to download

IVAO's new pilot client software, "Altitude" is still in beta development. Like Swift, it is designed to work with all current simulators.  It currently still uses TeamSpeak2, which needs to be manually started, but an integrated voice server is being worked on, which is expected wil emulate an half-duplex radio similar to VATSIM's voice server. A preview of Altitude can be seen at http://new.ivao.aero/

The flightplanner is now web based, and is accessed via a link in the Attitude interface, (you can bookmark it for independent access). If accessed from within Atitude, it takes a few seconds to load so be patient. The previous internal interface is now external, and can run on another monitor or remote, and has been redesigned. The internal one is suppressed. You only need to load the new software, leaving the existing in place. This may change at a later date.

Other Important Connection Software

Teamspeak
(Freeware)

Version 3 of this voice over internet application is used by the club for internal chat during meetings and events. The TeamSpeak client is therefore an essential download for Club members. The login information may be found in the forum here (Club members only). The previous version, TeamSpeak 2, is used with IvAp2, and the latest version of IvAp2 will automatically install TeamSpeak 2. TeamSpeak 2 is included in the downloads of IVaP2 and X-IvAp, but it does not install automatically in xIvAp.

Plan-G
(Freeware)

This is an excellent (and probably the first free) VFR flight planning tool, written by Club member Tim Arnot.  The first version was launched in 2010, and it still being enhanced and updated. Based on an online Map and a database it builds from your Flight Simulator, it provides everything the Virtual pilot requires for flight planning and monitoring, including flight tracking, instrument panel and display of other aircraft. It is so useful it has become almost as essential for Club members as TeamSpeak. It was designed with the VFR pilot in mind so does not include IFR procedures or airways.

LittleNavmap
(Freeware)

This is a free open source flight planner, similar in concept to Plan-G in many ways, which was launched in September 2016 and is constantly being updated.  It works with FSX based sims and X-Plane. Designed for the majority of simmers, who fly big jets very high in the sky, it supports approach and departure procedures like SIDs and STARs, climb and descent profiling, automatic flight plan calculations and multiple export formats for Flight Management Systems (FMS) as well as drag and drop flight plan editing on the map. The program can read the PLN, FMS and FLP flight plan formats, and import and export CSV, X-Plane and Garmin files. ATS route descriptions can be from flight plans and vice versa. The database can be updated by the Navigraph FMS Data Manager. Import and export of CSV, X-Plane and Garmin files. In short, it is somewhat OTT for the simple VFR pilot, but it is free, so why not try it.

Flight Plan Converter
(Freeware)

Having spent effort in creating a route-plan (using PlanG, LittleNavMap, SkyDeamon, etc) this programme will extract the required information to create a VATSIM flight-plan that can then be loaded and used by VPilot, XPilot or Swift. It will also produce and place on your computer's clipboard the text required to paste into the "ICAO FPL" pop-up window on the "MyVATSIM" flight planning web page (blue button in the top right corner on that page).

It can also be used to create route plans in the correct format of the other major route-planning applications so they can be easily shared with your friends.

It does this by firstly extracting the relevant information from a route plan, then uses a set of "blueprint" files to insert that information in the correct format for the flight-plans or other route-planning applications (hence the "plethora" of text files included in this programme's download folder!)

Radio Tuner
(Freeware)

A small programme to assist tuning our radios to the new 8.33 kHz spacing. It creates the ".com" command (used by the pilot client message box to re-tune the radio via VATSIM) and copies it to the clipboard ready to paste into the pilot client. For full instructions, see the PDF included in the download.

FSUIPC4
(Base version is Shareware - full-featured version is payware.)

FSUIPC by Peter Dowson, now on Version 4 is an interface tool for FSX, FSX-Steam and Prepar3D (including v4) which allows all the flight parameters to be imported and exported to other software. The freeware version has less functionality that the shareware version, and most serious simmers will pay and register to use the shareware version.

WideFS
(Shareware)

WideFS by Peter Dowson is the essential tool for using two (or more) networked PCs for Flight Simulator and ancillaries. WideFS will not work without FSUIPC. If you buy both together, there is a substantial discount. Be careful to follow the install

XPUIPC
(Shareware)

XPUIPC is an interface tool for X-Plane which allows all the flight parameters to be imported and exported to other software. It is not nearly as comprehensive as FSUIPC, as it has almost no other function. It is needed to connect X-Plane to Plan-G, for example.

JoinFS
(Shareware)

JoinFS is arguably the most useful Flight Simulator Addon application since Plan-G. It creates a networked environment in which FSX (boxed version), FSX (Steam Version), Prepar3D X-Plane pilots can all fly together and see each other. Because it is a peer-to-peer system, no host player is necessaary, so if anyone leaves, the system maintains its integrity. It includes facilities for accurate model matching and it eliminates entirely the lag endemic on VATSIM or IVAO which rely on a host server. It was created by our member Peter Memmott originally to improve our 2-4-CIX aerobatics teams experience, enabling close formation flight or aerobatics without any lag or aircraft "jumping about", but it has quickly become popular with many Flightsim groups and is indeed a world-class application. It also includes recording and playback facilities including "dubbing" yourself into a recording, thus adding your aircraft to the formation (which itself can be recorded) so that multiple aircraft can be added to a formation or group flight recording.

ESJFS
(Freeware)

ESJFS stands for EuroScope JoinFS and is an ATC radar tool, to display Flight Simulator (or JoinFS) traffic on the EuroScope & VRC radar scopes. It thus enables controllers taking part in flight operations using JoinFS to use Euroscope to provide ATC instead of having to connect via a Flight Simulator.

Traffic Following Apps

VAT-Spy
(Freeware)

VAT-Spy is a simple application that allows you to view current ATC staffing and traffic levels on VATSIM. It is modelled after, and is in effect a replacement for now retired ServInfo. The link takes you to more detailed information, and pointers to download the software.

VATTASTIC

Vattatsic is a completely Web-based application which shows the current status of ATC staffing and traffic levels on the VATSIM network, with a few social-networking features thrown in. It provides approximately the same functionality as some downloadable software does such as VatSPY, ServInfo, QuteScoop (for MAC and Linux), and Dolomynum.

IVAO WEBEYE

For IVAO, WEBEYE is a Web-based application which shows the current status of ATC staffing and traffic levels on the IVAO network.