IFR Series Commenced 

11th March 2024!

What is it?

A 10 week specialised course tailored for flight simulation enthusiasts aiming to elevate their skills in Air Traffic Control (ATC) communication while flying under Instrument Flight Rules (IFR).

 

Whether you're a newcomer or an experienced pilot seeking to sharpen your ATC proficiency, this course offers targeted instruction to enhance your virtual flying experience.

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As a community we will all learn together, in a safe and relaxed environment.

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When is it?

We are excited to commence the course on Monday 11th March 2024 at 19.00z live on Twitch and YouTube. Don't worry if you miss any of the episodes, we will record & edit each lesson and provide it for free on the TwoToneMurphy YouTube channel as well as make it known centrally here on this site.

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What do I need to get started?

Check back here often! More details and information will appear right here on the course, so be sure to check back soon as this site will be continually updated.

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While the final touches are being made on the series plan and courseware, there are a few things you can do to prepare in order to gain as beneficial an experience as possible!
 

1 - If you are not already, be sure to join the TwoToneMurphy Discord Channel (link here). This is important, as we will be communicating within our community using Discord throughout the series. Worth making sure you have tested your mic setup so you can be heard clearly.

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2 - You should be registered here on the TwoToneMurphy website. Don't worry, this is free, quick and easy and allows us to provide you with a better and more secure experience with all course content being behind a login. Visit the top menu bar of this page and click "Login" to login or register if you have not already.

 

3 - Have a pen and paper ready. You will be receiving instructions and will definitely need to write them down

 

4 - Be adequately comfortable in your aircraft of choice. Murph will be using a range of different aircraft including the Boeing 737, Airbus A320 and a host of General Aviation aircraft. Regardless of what you fly, a good knowledge of competently operating the aircraft is required. Get practising now :-)

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5 - Just be you! Have fun! Have an open mindset! Your input, contribution and involvement is what this series is all about! Don't be afraid to speak up, ask questions and get involved. We will help each other achieve our goal of flying IFR on VATSim!

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6 - Microsoft Flight Simulator. While ATC spans across all the sims, we will be using MSFS exclusively for this series. You are of course welcome to follow along if you use other platforms with the potential inability to see other aircraft until the latter part of the series when we use the VATSim network.

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7 - How much does it cost? What's the catch? Yes, we hear you - usually nothing is for free. But this is! There is no catch, no hidden charges, no stings in the tail. We just want you on board as part of our community! Whilst having an active subscription to Navigraph is highly recommended, there are free options for chart access too.

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8 - Be prepared to have fun! Yes ATC is on the more serious side on our sim hobby, but we intend to have fun & laughter while learning! Think of it as your phone voice - very posh and professional when talking to ATC, but a joker inside who don't take ourselves too seriously otherwise. That's us!

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Ready to take part? What do I need to do? 

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Head on over to the registration page, to sign up and we will look forward to you joining us! By registering, we will know how many to expect, but it will also help the smooth running of the lesson by issuing a call-sign and block time to each pilot. Don't worry about that stuff for the moment - all will be explained in the course itself! Once you are registered that's the main thing for now! We look forward to seeing you on Monday 11th March 2024 at 20.00z live on Twitch and YouTube!

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Must have's:

• A flight simulator platform, such as Microsoft Flight Simulator or X-Plane.

• A VATSIM account for all participants (Xbox Pilots can still avail of all the additional learning materials available on VATSIM)

• A Discord account for seamless voice communication during training sessions (mandatory for all participants). Join our Discord server www.discord.gg/twotonemurphy

• A microphone and speakers (I recommend a headset with a microphone if possible)

• Ability to use PTT (push to talk) when on Discord.

• Access to charts. I recommend a Navigraph Charts subscription which will give you all the information you need. Moving maps, weather information, ATC frequencies, flight planning - it is the complete package. 

 

Course Overview:

Our initial focus will be based on flying in Ireland under ICAO standards. There are a few differences from region to region but this course will act as the entry point to equip you with the knowledge and skills needed to be able to fly with ATC for your IFR flights.

We will be covering a range of topics during this course. From an introduction to IFR ATC communication, a refresher of some IFR procedures, flight planning, clearances, ground operations, SID's and STAR's, en-route, approach and landings. 

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Throughout the course, we'll explore a variety of aircraft types to accommodate different preferences and skill levels, including:

• Boeing 737

• Airbus A320

• General aviation aircraft

 

Course Logistics:

• Duration: 10-week program

• Schedule: Monday nights, 20:00z to 23:00z

• Livestreamed on Twitch and YouTube

• Access to a comprehensive course manual covering theory, practical exercises, and step-by-step scripts for ATC communication.

• Culmination: Conclude the course with a check ride event conducted on both platforms (VATSIM for PC Pilots and the TTM Discord Server for Xbox Pilots), providing an opportunity for participants to demonstrate their newfound skills and receive feedback from instructors.

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Optional:

1. If you are not already, be prepared to need to join VATSIM (link is vatsim.net) to firstly sign-up, but more importantly pass a straightforward test that you understand the basics & standards expected, before you can fly on the VATSIM network. Don't worry this is optional until we get to the latter part of the series were we fly on the VATSim network, and this will be well covered and discussed during the series itself. However if you wanted to get a head-start, that would be useful to have behind you.

 

2. Spread the word! The more the merrier! We would love your help in getting the word out there to others that we are doing this series which is open to all! There is a handy flyer below (downloadable here) and it would be great if you could help us out by sharing as far an wide on all the platforms as much as possible!

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3. Should you have time on your hands, it would be beneficial and worthwhile to view the VFR ATC series completed last year (link here). Many of the concepts and topics were covered in that series, which will be beneficial to be familiar with coming into this series. Even to serve as a refresher it is worthwhile to revisit this series as a lot of the detail in that series will be more briefly mentioned rather than repeated in this new IFR Series.

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We can't wait to get started on the 11th March and have you join us!

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Keep watching here for news and details - its only a matter of days away!