Still getting to grips

Support General Support
1

Hi all,

I am still fairly new to VATSIM and I am still very exited to be a member.

I am looking for some advice though. I am very dyslexic and struggling to retain information that is given to me via a controller. I understand what they are saying. But by the time the controller has finished giving me instructions I have forgotten the start of it. For example “Easy 266, Descend and maintain FL100 and turn left heading 220”. By the time I have heard the heading I have forgotten the flight level. I do try and write down the instruction but by the time I have heard “Easy 266” I don’t have time to grab a pen before the instructions are read.

I know I should always ask for clarification if I have missed anything. But I am always very concerned about distributing the controller and people around me.

Any advice would be much appreciated.

John

2

It’s okay to ask for clarification. “Turn left heading 220, and say again level?”

3

Thanks. Just always worried about asking too many times for clarification.

4

Also writing quickly instruction on a piece of paper helps me a lot

5

My sim isn’t open right now so I’m going by memory…

When you connect to VATSIM, you have the option to set your preferred send/receive modes. Perhaps voice TX and text RX might be your best option.

6

You could also put a note in your flight plan explaining your situation and ask controllers to confirm instructions by text.I’ve often heard controllers offering text as an option “I’ll send you a text” when pilots are struggling to remember a string of instructions. It then becomes just a case of reading the text back to the controller with your call sign at the end.