by tdammers » Mon Feb 10, 2020 10:41 am
VATSIM doesn't require navigation data. You are expected to possess the procedure data and charts for the flight plans you file though, and the vast majority of pilots on the network will use an FMC to fly them.
But you're free to fly VFR or file "NO RNAV, NO SID/STAR", and a VOR-to-VOR route, especially when flying into and out of smaller fields. If you fly into a large airport during peak hours, and request vectors for the approach, then the controller may put you in a hold, or even ask you to divert, but they will try their best to accommodate you.
Most local chapters also publish charts, or link to freely available charts, and while that doesn't give you nav data you can readily load up into your FMC, it does tell you which procedures to expect, and if you're really hardcode, you can hand-fly them or execute them using traditional VOR/DME/NDB navigation techniques. You can also enter most RNAV routes manually based on the charts, though FG doesn't always have all the fixes you need, so it can be a challenge, and you need to anticipate, because you won't be able to change your arrival on a whim if the controller asks you to fly a different one.