About the VFR Radio Communication Simulator

Learning to fly can be a challening, yet rewarding experience. Many hours are spent learning the mechanics of flight as well as the rules and regulations of the skies. Pilots invest a great deal of flight hours during their training before they are granted a pilot's license. However, one area of flight that soon-to-be pilot's do not get enough exposure to is radio communication. The radio communication protocol can be very complex and challenging to the inexperienced pilot, yet pilot's get very little experience relative to the total amount of experience dedicated to actually flying an aircraft. For example, a two hour flight may yield only a few minutes of total radio communication. This means that a pilot must fly many hours before he or she can become fluent at it.

Screenshot of virtual radio.

Many programs and books exist today to assist pilots with radio communication. Some provide abstract scripts where a pilot can fill in their flight plan. Others play recordings of actual tower communications, and the pilot selects the appropriate response from a multiple choice selection. This can help familiarize a pilot with what to expect; however these methods fail to offer the true experience of communication. The VFR Radio Communication Simulator addresses this limitation. When learning a foreign language, the most effective approach is to learn through verbal interaction. This simulator follows that same approach. By utilizing voice recognition, this simulator is able to understand and respond to a pilot's transmission. By adding a graphical interface, the user can be prompted with visual hints without interfering with the realistic audible experience. Using this simulator, pilots can now gain authentic radio experience without leaving the ground.

Who Should Use This Simulator?

This simulator can be used by anyone who has an interest in flying an aircraft. It is primarily designed for beginner pilot's who may not be familiar with the communication protocol; however, experienced pilots will find it useful as well. Before the simulation begins, the protocol is explained in detail. The simulator uses different scenarios (currently, there is only one scenario available). Pilots are strongly encouraged to study each scenario's description before trying the simulation.

System Requirements

Opera voice setup.

The simulator uses the Opera browser on Microsoft Windows. You must have some voice input device such as a desktop microphone or headset. All further instructions refer specifically to the Opera browser.

Before your Opera browser will recognize speech, you must download and install the voice recognition package. To do this, select Tools > Preferences from the menu, and choose the Advanced tab. Select Voice in the list of options on the left. If you already have the voice package, you will see the screenshot to the right. If you do not, you will be prompted to download it. The download procedure is relatively easy. Follow all on-screen instructions, and the download and installation will be completed for you. To better simulate how a radio functions, it is recommended that you set your talk key mode to "Hold key while talking". This will cause the Opera speech recognition to operate in a push-to-talk manner, much like an actual aircraft radio.

You must also enable JavaScript. To ensure that JavaScript is enabled, select Tools > Preferences from the menu, and choose the Advanced tab. Select Content in the list of options on the left. You should see a checkbox that says "Enable JavaScript". Make sure this box is checked.

How to Use the Simulator

Each scenario will explain the communication protocol before actually starting the simulation. It is recommended that you follow this tutorial before actually trying the simulation. The following screenshot is an example of the simulator. Each labeled section will be explained below.

A) Scenario -- This is the scenario that you will assume while contacting air traffic control (ATC). Certain items are in bold to assist in your initial contact.

B) Reset -- You may click the Reset button at any time to start the same scenario over. Alternatively, you may refresh the browser, but doing this will generate a new scenario.

C) Help Messages -- Help messages will be displayed if there is something wrong with your transmission. If ATC gives a verbal response that they didn't understand you or they need you to repeat your last transmission, review this area for assistance.

D) Active Frequency -- This is the frequency that you are currently broadcasting on. Note, this frequency cannot be adjusted directly.

E) Standby Frequency -- This frequency can be freely adjusted without affecting the active frequency. To change frequencies, simply click on the digits.

F) Blackbox -- This is your aircraft's blackbox. It records all incoming and outgoing transmissions and their corresponding frequencies. The characters ">>>" represent an incoming transmission while "<<<" represent an outgoing transmission. The numbers in the square brackets "[ ]" represent the frequency of the transmission. You can use the blackbox to review what ATC has said and heard. Note, newer transmissions always appear at the top of the box, not the bottom.

G) Frequency Toggle -- This switch alternates the active and standby frequencies. Click this switch when you are ready to make the standby frequency active.

H) Help -- Click the "Help" button whenever you need it. You will be provided with the correct frequency and response to the current state you are in. By default, all help is hidden until you request it.

Continue to First Scenario >>