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1. Overview
The Aviation Radiotelephony Simulator (ART SIM) is a web-based training tool for
PPL radio and ATC communication practice. An instructor creates a session, adds
aircraft, and shares individual cockpit links with students. Each student sees
a realistic instrument panel with aviation dials, a moving map, and radio controls — all updating
in real time.
Key features:
- Real-time multi-user simulation via WebSockets
- Canvas-rendered aviation instruments (ASI, DG, Altimeter, VSI, RPM, VOR CDI)
- Interactive Leaflet map with OpenAIP aviation overlay
- COM/NAV radio with frequency management
- Transponder (squawk) with IDENT
- Instructor-controlled engine failures, fire, and power reduction
- Save/load scenario presets
2. Logging In (Instructor)
1 Go to the home page and click INSTRUCTOR LOGIN.
2 Enter your instructor PIN (provided by the system administrator).
3 Click CREATE SESSION. You'll be taken to the instructor dashboard.
Tip: Your PIN is unique to you. If you forget it, contact your system administrator
to have it reset.
3. Adding Aircraft
Once on the instructor dashboard:
1 In the left panel, find the Users section.
2 Type a callsign (e.g. "G-ABCD") in the input field.
3 Click the + button (or press Enter) to add the aircraft.
The aircraft appears in the user list with controls for enable/disable,
SOLO, ENGINE toggle, ENGINE LOCK,
FIRE, and a settings (⚙) button.
Below each aircraft entry you'll see a shareable link — this is the URL you send to the student (see Section 7).
G-ABCD
ON
SOLO
ENG
🔒
FIRE
⚙
/fly/a1b2c3/xk9f7m2
AIRCRAFT CARD — as seen in the instructor's left panel
Repositioning Aircraft (Drag & Drop)
You can move any aircraft on the map by simply dragging its marker:
1 On the instructor dashboard map, find the aircraft marker you want to move.
2 Click and hold the marker, then drag it to the desired position.
3 Release — the aircraft's position updates immediately for all users.
Tip: This is the fastest way to position aircraft for a scenario. Combine with the
settings modal to set altitude, heading, and speed after positioning on the map.
4. Aircraft Settings
Click the ⚙ (settings) button on any aircraft card to open the settings modal. Here you can configure:
Flight Parameters
- Speed (kts) — Target indicated airspeed
- Heading (°) — Magnetic heading (0–360)
- Altitude (ft) — Altitude in feet above sea level
- V/Speed (fpm) — Vertical speed (climb/descend rate)
- QNH (hPa) — Altimeter pressure setting
- Squawk — Transponder code (4-digit octal)
Radio Frequencies
- COM1 Active / Standby — Communication radio frequencies
- NAV1 — Navigation (VOR) frequency
Engine Controls
- Engine ON/OFF — Toggle the engine state
- Engine Lock — When enabled, prevents the student from restarting the engine
- Power % — Reduce engine power output (affects both RPM and airspeed)
⚙ AIRCRAFT SETTINGS
Speed110kts
Heading270°
Altitude3000ft
V/Speed0fpm
QNH1013hPa
Squawk7000
COM1124.000
Power %100
ENGINE ON
ENGINE LOCK
APPLY
SETTINGS MODAL — opened by clicking ⚙ on the aircraft card
Click APPLY to save changes.
5. Setting Aircraft on Ground vs. in the Air
Starting on the Ground
1 Open aircraft ⚙ settings.
2 Set Altitude to the airfield elevation (e.g. 545 ft for Tatenhill).
3 Set Speed to 0.
4 Set V/Speed to 0.
5 Engine can be ON or OFF as needed for the exercise.
The aircraft will show as stationary on the map. The student's instruments will reflect ground state.
Starting in the Air
1 Open aircraft ⚙ settings.
2 Set Altitude well above ground level (e.g. 3000 ft).
3 Set Speed to a sensible cruise speed (e.g. 100 kts).
4 Set Heading as desired.
5 Ensure Engine is ON — this is critical!
Important: If you set an aircraft airborne with the engine OFF, it will immediately
enter a glide — airspeed will decay and the aircraft will descend. Always ensure the engine is ON
before setting an aircraft in the air, unless you specifically want to simulate engine failure from the start.
6. Saving & Loading Presets
Presets let you save an entire session setup (all aircraft, positions, settings) and reload it later.
SAVE PRESET
LOAD PRESET
PAUSE SIMULATION
END SESSION
LEFT PANEL BUTTONS — save/load presets and session controls
Saving a Preset
1 Set up all aircraft as desired (callsigns, positions, frequencies, etc.).
2 Click SAVE PRESET in the left panel.
3 A JSON file downloads to your computer (e.g. art_sim_preset_2026-03-21.json).
Loading a Preset
1 Click LOAD PRESET in the left panel.
2 Select the previously saved JSON file.
3 All aircraft from the preset are recreated with their saved positions, speeds, frequencies, and settings.
Tip: Create presets for common training scenarios — e.g. "Circuit at Tatenhill",
"Cross-country to Oxford", "Three aircraft in the pattern". This saves setup time at the start of each lesson.
7. Sharing Links with Students
Each aircraft has its own unique URL that gives a student access to that specific cockpit.
1 After adding an aircraft, look below the aircraft card in the user list.
2 You'll see a link like: /fly/abc123/token456
3 Copy this link and send it to the respective student (via email, chat, etc.).
4 The student opens the link in their browser — no login required. They see their cockpit immediately.
Important: Each link is unique to one aircraft. Send the correct link to the correct student!
If you have 3 students (G-ABCD, G-EFGH, G-IJKL), each gets their own specific link.
Tip: Students only need a modern web browser — no installation required. Works on desktop,
tablet, and mobile devices.
8. Student Flight Instruments
The student's cockpit (/fly/...) shows six canvas-rendered aviation dials and radio controls:
INSTRUMENT PANEL — six aviation dials with adjustment buttons below each
Airspeed Indicator (ASI)
- Shows indicated airspeed in knots
- Color arcs: white (flap range), green (normal), yellow (caution), red line (VNE)
- Target speed bug (yellow triangle)
- Buttons: −10, −1, +1, +10 to adjust target speed
Heading Indicator (DG)
- Rotating compass card with cardinal points (N, E, S, W)
- Heading bug shown on the card
- Buttons: −10, −1, +1, +10 to change heading
Altimeter
- Two-needle display: short needle = thousands, long needle = hundreds
- Kollsman window shows current QNH setting
- Buttons: −500, −100, +100, +500 to adjust target altitude
- QNH adjustment: − / + buttons change pressure setting
Vertical Speed Indicator (VSI)
- Shows rate of climb/descent in feet per minute
- Range: ±2000 fpm, with zero at 9 o'clock position
- Buttons: −100, +100 to adjust target V/S
RPM Gauge
- Shows engine RPM with smooth needle lag (like a real gauge)
- Green arc (normal range), red line (max RPM)
- Responds to engine state and power percentage set by instructor
VOR / CDI (Course Deviation Indicator)
- Rotating compass rose controlled by OBS (Omni Bearing Selector)
- CDI needle shows lateral deviation from selected radial
- TO/FROM indicator triangles
- OFF flag when no VOR is tuned or out of range
- OBS buttons: −10, −1, +1, +10 to rotate the course selector
Radios
COM1
124.000
⇄
118.500
XPDR
7000
IDENT
NAV1
113.60
⇄
108.00
RADIO ROW — COM, transponder, and NAV units
- COM1 — Active and standby frequencies, swap with ⇄ button
- XPDR — Squawk code with digit adjust buttons, IDENT button for identification
- NAV1 — VOR frequency, swap active/standby with ⇄ button
9. Triggering Scenarios (Engine Failure, Fire, Power Loss)
The instructor can simulate various in-flight emergencies to test student reactions and radio procedures.
All scenario controls are on the instructor dashboard.
G-ABCD
ON
SOLO
ENG OFF
🔒
FIRE
⚙
▲ Engine OFF + Locked + Fire active
CONTROLS MONITOR
Power: 50% −5 +5
RPM: 1350
Speed: 85 kts
SCENARIO CONTROLS — engine off + locked + fire (left), power reduction in controls monitor (right)
🔧 Engine Failure (Complete Loss)
1 On the aircraft card, click the ENGINE button to toggle the engine OFF.
2 The student's aircraft immediately enters a glide:
- FPM (vertical speed) resets to 0 instantly
- Airspeed begins decaying due to drag
- The student can only control pitch (via FPM setting) — this is their only control
- Best glide speed is approximately 73 kts
- RPM drops to zero
3 To prevent the student from restarting the engine, click the 🔒 (lock) button next to the engine toggle.
Tip: The engine lock is essential for realistic EFATO (Engine Failure After Take-Off)
and forced landing exercises. Without it, the student can simply restart the engine.
Glide behaviour: With the engine off, the student's FPM setting controls pitch. Setting
FPM to a negative value (nose down) will increase speed but increase descent rate. Setting FPM positive
(nose up) will decrease speed but may lead to a stall if speed drops below 45 kts. Best range is
achieved at approximately 73 kts with a moderate descent rate.
🔥 Engine Fire
1 On the aircraft card, click the FIRE button (it turns red when active).
2 The student sees a FIRE warning indicator on their instrument panel.
3 The student should execute the appropriate emergency radio calls and procedures.
4 Click FIRE again to clear the fire warning.
Note: Fire does not automatically affect engine or flight parameters — it's a visual
alert for radio procedure training. Combine with engine shutdown for a realistic scenario.
⚡ Partial Power Loss (Power Reduction)
1 In the controls monitor (right panel), find the aircraft's power control.
2 Use the −5 / +5 buttons next to the power percentage to reduce power.
3 Alternatively, open ⚙ settings and set Power % directly.
Effects of reducing power:
- RPM decreases proportionally (e.g. 50% power ≈ 1350 RPM)
- Maximum achievable airspeed decreases — the aircraft will slow down to the speed achievable at the reduced power
- At very low power, the aircraft may not maintain altitude
Realistic scenario: For a partial power failure, reduce power to 60-70%.
The aircraft will slow down and struggle to maintain altitude, forcing the student to make decisions
and communicate appropriately.
Combined Scenarios
For maximum realism, combine multiple triggers:
- EFATO: Set aircraft airborne at low altitude (800–1000 ft), then turn engine OFF + LOCK
- Engine fire in cruise: Activate FIRE, then reduce power to 0% or turn engine OFF
- Partial failure: Reduce power to 50%, observe student's handling and radio calls
- Forced landing: Engine OFF + LOCK at 3000 ft, student must manage glide and communicate
10. Solo & Observer Mode
Solo mode lets the instructor focus the entire session on one student's cockpit. When activated,
all other students silently observe the soloed student's instruments.
G-ABCD
ON
SOLO
ENG
🔒
FIRE
⚙
★ This user is soloed — all others observe
Other students see:
G-EFGH Showing: G-ABCD
Controls locked — viewing solo user's instruments
SOLO MODE — soloed aircraft (left) and what other students see in their status bar (right)
1 On the aircraft card, click the SOLO button (turns amber when active).
2 The soloed student continues flying normally — they see no change.
3 All other students now see the soloed student's instruments on their screens:
- All six gauges show the solo student's values
- Radio frequencies and squawk match the solo student
- Their controls are locked — clicking buttons has no effect
- Their status bar shows "Showing: [callsign]" to indicate whose cockpit they're viewing
4 Click SOLO again to deactivate — all students return to their own cockpits.
Use case: Solo mode is ideal for demonstrating correct radio procedures. The instructor
can have one student perform a radio call while all others watch the same instruments, then discuss
as a group.
11. VOR / NAV Radio
The simulator includes a working VOR navigation system with approximately 40 UK VOR stations.
Tuning a VOR
1 In the NAV1 radio section, set the standby frequency to the desired VOR (e.g. 113.60 for Daventry DTY).
2 Press the ⇄ swap button to make it the active frequency.
3 The VOR CDI dial will activate — the OFF flag disappears.
Using the CDI
- Use the OBS buttons (−10, −1, +1, +10) to rotate the compass rose and select a radial.
- The CDI needle shows deviation from the selected radial (each dot = 2°).
- TO triangle (▲ top) means flying toward the VOR on the selected course.
- FROM triangle (▼ bottom) means flying away from the VOR on the selected radial.
- Center the needle with a TO indication to track inbound; with FROM to track outbound.
VOR Readouts
Below the CDI dial, you'll see:
- Station ident and name (e.g. "DTY — Daventry")
- Radial — your current radial FROM the station
- DME — distance to the station in nautical miles (if the VOR has DME)
ART SIM — Aviation Radiotelephony Simulator
For support, contact your system administrator.