Civil / Airliner60 min lesson

VATSIM IFR Clearance & Departure

You will request, copy, and read back an IFR clearance correctly, then fly the SID as cleared — the full departure flow that separates confident VATSIM pilots from nervous ones.

About this lesson

IFR clearance is where most new VATSIM pilots stall out. Your tutor walks you through the CRAFT format, coaches your readback in private, and stays with you through ground, tower, and departure handoffs.

Why a human tutor? Clearances come fast and dense. A tutor in your ear gives you the confidence to read back correctly instead of freezing up.

What you'll learn

✓CRAFT format — Clearance, Route, Altitude, Frequency, Transponder
✓Reading back a clearance without stumbling
✓Handling amendments and "hold for release"
✓Ground and tower communications for taxi and departure
✓Flying the SID with correct altitude and speed restrictions

Prerequisites

•VATSIM account and client installed
•A flight plan filed
•Basic radio phraseology (or completed First VATSIM Flight lesson)

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Prep material

Read these guides before your lesson — you'll get more out of the session.