VRC Documentation

Working With the Command Line

When working with aircraft, almost every function is performed via the Command Line. The Command Line is found at the bottom of the Primary Display. The Command Line is also used to send textual radio messages to aircraft. It is also used for many miscellaneous functions within VRC via the various dot commands. (See the Command Reference for a complete list.) Here's a screenshot of the Command Line with a command being typed in by the user:

In this screenshot, the currently selected aircraft is EAL210, and the user is typing the command .QQ 110. This is dot command used for assigning a temporary altitude to an aircraft. Once the user presses enter, the temporary altitude of FL110 will be assigned to EAL210.

The VRC Command Line works like most text boxes in the Windows environment. You can use all the same shortcut key combinations in order to do various things like selecting text, moving the cursor to the beginning or end of the line, etc. You can also use CTRL+C and CTRL+V to copy and paste text in the Command Line. Here are some additional keyboard functions that work with the VRC Command Line:

• Esc - Clears the contents of the Command Line or unselects the currently selected aircraft if the Command Line is already empty.
• Up Arrow - Retrieves the last-entered command by scrolling backward in the command history.
• Down Arrow - Scrolls forward in the command history.

Sending Text Radio Messages

The Command Line is also used for sending radio messages to pilots via text. You may need to do this if you have a problem with voice communications or if you need to work with a text-only pilot. To send a text radio message to a pilot, simply type the message on the Command Line and press Enter while you have the aircraft selected. The message will be sent with the aircraft's callsign prepended to the message. This will cause a sound to be played for the pilot when he receives the message. Note that if you do not have any aircraft selected when you send a text radio message, the sound will not be played for any pilot, but the message will still go out over the text frequency.

Note that any text radio message that you send will go out on not only your primary frequency, but also on any secondary frequencies that you have selected for transmit on the Communications Panel.

Using Aliases

VRC provides the ability to use aliases to help save you from always having to type out messages that you commonly send to pilots, such as IFR clearances and common instructions. Aliases are defined in your alias file (See "Configuring VRC") which you can get from the training staff in the area where you will be controlling. See "Communicating with Pilots" for details on using aliases.

Sending ATC Messages

ATC messages are like text radio messages, except they go to all controllers and observers within your range, instead of going out on a text radio frequency. To send an ATC message, prefix the message with a forward slash (/) in the command line, such as "/Boston Center online, 134.7".

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