How much fuel should you really be loading in the sim?

This week we’re talking about fuel planning -- not just the numbers, but the judgement behind them. Why do airlines carry extra fuel? What does “statistical contingency" actually mean? And why doesn’t adding extra automatically make a flight safer?

We’ll look at how fuel buys you time, how weight affects performance, and why the real skill isn’t memorising the rules -- it’s making conscious, defensible decisions.

There’s also a quick reflection on a recent runway/taxiway incident and what it reminds us about how confident, experienced pilots can still find themselves in the wrong place.

If you’ve ever ticked “unlimited fuel,” added five tonnes “just in case,” or wondered whether SimBrief’s number is enough -- this episode’s for you.

When ATC says “direct to the final approach fix”, what are you actually cleared to do?

In this episode of Handling The Virtual Jets, we look at one of the most common -- and most dangerous -- assumptions made by pilots on VATSIM: believing a clearance has been given when it hasn’t.

Starting with a question from a VATSIM pilot, we unpack why approach clearances are never implied, why “direct to” only ever means what it says, and why good pilots don’t press on in to uncertainty -- they stop and clarify.

Along the way, we look at a recent UK Civil Aviation Authority occurrence report that highlights how small deviations from standard phraseology can lead to big misunderstandings, even between experienced pilots and controllers. It’s a timely reminder that aviation isn’t about blame -- it’s about understanding how human factors, expectation, and workload interact.

This episode also includes:

• A practical breakdown of Transition Altitude vs Transition Level, one of the most persistent sources of confusion amongst sim pilots
• A real-world Overheard on the Frequency moment that sounds like it could have come straight from VATSIM
• A Captain’s Challenge focused on sharpening your radio work by sticking to standard phraseology and keeping transmissions clear and concise

Whether you’re new to online flying or looking to bring a more professional, real-world mindset to your sim flying, this episode is for you!

“How do I talk to ATC?” is one of the most common questions new pilots ask when flying online -- but it’s rarely the real problem.

In this first episode of Handling the Virtual Jets, we step back from phraseology and scripts and look at the bigger picture: how the aviation system actually works, what pilots are responsible for, what air traffic control really does, and how those roles fit together.

We start with a recent aviation news story about a geomagnetic storm and why events like this highlight how professional pilots think about systems, reliability, and assumptions. From there, we unpack why understanding IFR (and VFR) flying, having a plan, and managing your own workload matters far more than “sounding right” on the radio.

Along the way, there’s a line training anecdote about “saving time” that doesn’t exist, a light-hearted moment overheard on the frequency, and a practical challenge you can take into your very next flight.

This episode isn’t about memorising what to say. It’s about understanding the system you’re flying in -- and why, once that clicks, talking to ATC becomes much easier.