Notes from the cockpit
VATSIM flying, MSFS 2024 EFB pain points, A320 dispatch performance, and the operational thinking behind the product.
Performance12 minWhy V1 exists: the stop or go decision before takeoff
Fail an engine at any speed on a short runway and see what V1, VR and V2 are for, with interactive demos.
Weather15 minCold front vs warm front: weather fronts explained for flight simmers
What a cold front and a warm front are, where their cloud and rain come from, and how to read occlusions and troughs on a real satellite image.
Weather6 minHow to brief weather for a flight sim flight
A weather briefing in five steps: start from your SimBrief OFP, read the conclusion first, check the vertical profile, look at the map, then decide.
Weather7 minThunderstorms in the sim: see them and plan around them
Storm cells from satellite, cloud tops, lightning within 25 NM of your track, and how to plan a way around a thunderstorm before you push back.
Weather6 minTurbulence forecasts for sim pilots: what the numbers mean
Clear air turbulence, the Ellrod index behind the forecast, how moderate and severe show on your route, and how to pick a smoother cruise level.
Weather5 minIcing for flight simmers: where it matters and how to read it
When airframe ice forms, why it is mostly a climb and descent hazard, how the icing forecast is made, and when to switch the anti-ice on.
Weather6 minThe TAF at your ETA: is the forecast good enough to land?
How to read a TAF for your arrival time, why TEMPO and PROB groups count, the CAT I, CAT II and alternate minima, and what to do when it is amber.
Performance9 minWhy takeoff calculators disagree
SimBrief, your add-on EFB and SkyNexus give different FLEX and V-speeds. Engine, ceo or neo, FLEX caps, runway data, wet rules and weight explain why.
Performance8 minWhat is FLEX temperature (assumed temperature)?
FLEX, or assumed temperature, lets an Airbus or Boeing take off with less than full thrust. How the number is found, its limits and when you cannot use it.
Planning and EFBs7 minHow to read a SimBrief OFP, block by block
A walk through a SimBrief OFP in the order real crews read it: header, fuel, weights, route, navlog, alternates, weather and NOTAMs.
Planning and EFBs5 minWhat is new in SkyNexus since June
A tour of what shipped since June: obstacle-aware takeoffs, the QRH tab, the A320neo, A321, A321neo, 777-300ER and A380-800, and landing distances.
Planning and EFBs6 minVATSIM-native, not VATSIM-feature: how to actually choose a sim EFB
Every sim EFB now says VATSIM on the box. The distinction that still tells you something, and the depth test that separates EFBs once coverage is equal.
Planning and EFBs6 minWhy I stopped using the MSFS 2024 in-sim EFB for VATSIM flights
The in-sim EFB is built for casual flying. For VATSIM, the right move is to stop fighting it and run your briefing somewhere else.
Performance5 minPredicting your runway exit before you land
How SkyNexus turns your SimBrief weight, the live METAR, and runway geometry into a recommended vacate exit before you even start the approach brief.
Performance7 minThe most-flown airliner in the sim, and the dispatch math behind it
The Fenix A320 is the most-used addon in MSFS. What real A320 takeoff and landing performance involves, and how SkyNexus does it without scraping the FCOM.