General
Before you fly...
Welcome to Münster/Osnabrück! This small airport primarily hosts airline flights from or to holiday destinations but features some short haul domestic flights to other German airports as well. Among VFR pilots, it is a favorite due to its relatively simple airspace structure and airport layout and is frequently used for training flights. Additionally, it has two uncontrolled grass runways directly parallel to the hard surface runway, as well as a rescue helicopter stationed at a helipad just South of the field, creating a very dynamic environment.
Although the airport has a relatively simple layout and low traffic levels on VATSIM, you should still prepare yourself thoroughly to keep it fun for everyone and avoid mistakes which might lead to delays for yourself and other users.
If you are new to VATSIM, Münster/Osnabrück is a perfect airport to get started on the network. Controllers will almost always have enough spare capacity to answer questions or quickly explain a procedure to you. It rarely gets very busy, so making smaller mistakes will usually not have a negative impact on anybody else's experience on the network. However, you should be prepared for some more unusual situations when there is glider and/or rescue helicopter traffic.
Parking position
Please make sure you choose an appropriate stand for your aircraft type.
Passenger flights park at positions 9 thru 14, with flights to non-Schengen destinations generally using positions 12 thru 14.
Heavy aircraft can only park at stands 21 and 24 facing North towards the runway.
Business jets park at positions 18A thru 19E.
General aviation aircraft park positions 101 thru 406, with stands 301 thru 303 being limited to max. 20m wingspan, and stands 401 thru 406 to max. 12m wingspan.
All stands are taxi-out positions. However, on stands 9 thru 14, pushback is mandatory for aircraft with a wingspan of 36m or more and ATC may require any other aircraft on these stands to do a pushback depending on the traffic situation.
As aircraft deicing is conducted on positions 24 and 25, we ask all pilots to only use these stands for parking when absolutely necessary, especially during colder temperatures.
Handoffs
When instructed to contact another controller, do so as soon as possible. This will avoid you having to stop moving or level off. Please do not hold your position to switch the frequency, keep moving on the ground!
Be aware that some frequencies in use might not be shown in the controller list of your pilot client, so it is important that you listen carefully to what ATC says.
Auto-handoff
Münster/Osnabrück utilizes an auto-handoff procedure for IFR departures where Tower will not hand off outbounds to the approach controller. The current airborne frequency will always be noted in the ATIS.
Contact the airborne frequency immediately when airborne unless explicitly told to remain on Tower frequency.