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United Kingdom

New Deputy Division Director

All,   I'm pleased to announce that @Nick Marinov has accepted my offer for the position of VATSIM UK Deputy Division Director. Nick has served as Assistant to the Vice President - EMEA for the past four and a half years; prior to this role he has also served as a Training Group Manager and Community Manager within the Division. Those of you who know Nick will understand that his return to the UK will bring a wealth of knowledge, and I am certain that he will be a great asset to the Di
Ben Wright

Ben Wright in United Kingdom

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United Kingdom

Discord General Chat Changes

Last Sunday we announced the removal of the ‘general-chat’ channel within Discord. Clearly this was an emotive subject for many of our members, and we pledged to thoroughly review this decision before committing to making changes. It was pointed out by many, and evident on review, that the brevity of the announcement and lack of clear explanation for this action was a mistake, and I would like to apologise for the confusion this has caused. The purpose of this post is to update you all on our pl
Ben Wright

Ben Wright in United Kingdom

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Operations

Operations Staff Changes

I regret to inform that @Kye Taylor, one of our two Aerodrome Operations Coordinators has resigned his position in the department. Kye joined my team in August 2023, filling a long vacant gap. From there I've worked with Kye (along with Adam and Archie) through the 8.33 trial, 2 Cross the Ponds, the TC Midlands Implementation and the closure of Doncaster - to name just a few of our projects - alongside keeping our core and supported documents up to date. Most recently Kye has been coordinat
Kieran Hardern

Kieran Hardern in Staff Changes

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United Kingdom

VATSIM UK Live! Announcement

We are pleased to announce the 2024 edition of VATSIM UK Live! will take place on the weekend of 10th and 11th August 2024 at Conference Aston in Birmingham, UK.  VATSIM UK Live! is the annual in-person event where pilots and controllers can spend two full days flying and controlling besides one another in the same room. This brings another level of immersion to the VATSIM experience, as you get behind the scenes insights on the other side of the scope, control side by side or meet and chat
Chris Pawley

Chris Pawley in United Kingdom

5
ATC Training

S3 Syllabus

In our quest to create a holistic ATC Training Syllabus and overhaul documentation associated with ATC Training, I am pleased to announce the next training syllabi as now been released - the S3 Syllabus. The new S3 Syllabus has been formatted similarly to the recent S2 Syllabus and is detailed below: Block 1 - Fundamental Approach/Radar Competencies: Block 1 aims to take students from zero experience to a solid understanding of S3 fundamental competencies. This includes Euroscope
Will Jennings

Will Jennings in ATC Training

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ATC Training

Resignation - John Batten

Dear all, It's with some regret that I announce that @John Battenis standing down from his post as Training Group Instructor within our New Controller training group. John was appointed in March 2022 and in the 27 months that he's been in post, he's been instrumental in the success of TGNC, leading the delivery of quality training to new members of our community whilst also juggling his tenure as Member Services Director. In recent times, the training group has seen record numbers of e
Adam Arkley

Adam Arkley in ATC Training

7
United Kingdom

Marketing Department Management

Good evening all,   Those of you who read my April update will be aware that we were unable to fill the position of Marketing Director in February. In the time since, I have continued to ‘caretake’ the role while temporary solutions were  discussed within the DSG.  Effective immediately, the responsibilities of the Marketing Director role will be split between Kieran Hardern and myself, with Kieran assuming responsibility of events and the Events Team. Thomas Hallam, who has done
Ben Wright

Ben Wright in United Kingdom

0
Pilot Training

Quarterly Review: Q1 2024

A look back on 2023 The 2023 calendar year saw some major changes to Pilot Training across the network, notably the introduction of the P5 and P6 ratings. In addition, the VATSIM UK ATO was audited for the first time in 2 years – a new experience for everyone involved due to the new audit structure and scope. One thing that didn’t happen much last year was regular updates from our department. The lack of the usual quarterly reports is something I let slide while life got busy, and th
Darren Hill

Darren Hill in Pilot Training

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Member Services

Simulator Adventures Review and VATSIM UK Discount

We have teamed up with Simulator Adventures to provide an exciting discount in their immersive A320 motion simulator, based at Salford Quays, Manchester. They have kindly offered VATSIM UK Home Members 20% off their experience, so if you are a Home Member and you wish to take advantage of this discount, please submit a ticket to Member Services requesting a discount code. A unique, one-time code will be issued to you, and you will be able to use this on their website.   Below is a
William Shaw

William Shaw in Member Services

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United Kingdom

Shanwick Oceanic Currency Changes

After discussion amongst the DSG, it has been decided that UK Visiting Controllers who are only permitted to control Shanwick positions will be exempted from quarterly activity requirements effective immediately. Practically speaking, this means that Shanwick only visitors will not fall inactive on our controller roster. If you believe you meet this requirement and have been erroneously marked as inactive, please get in touch with the Member Services Department via the Helpdesk who will be able
Ben Wright

Ben Wright in United Kingdom

0
United Kingdom

Pilot Quality and Network Enjoyment

The quality of many pilots on the network is the subject of much discussion across VATSIM UK and other vACCs, Divisions and Regions. For as far back as I can remember, the topic has been present on a daily basis across VATSIM and I have dealt with my own fair share of well meaning but very new members of the VATSIM network that disrupt my ability to enjoy the network. As a direct result, I have been encouraging people for some time to make better use of the .wallop command whilst controlling, pa
Adam Arkley

Adam Arkley in United Kingdom

25
Technology

Technology Team Appointment

I am delighted to welcome @Max Brokman to the Technology Team. Max brings a wealth of professional experience within development teams and I am excited to benefit from that knowledge as we continue maintaining, enhancing (and occasionally fixing...) the various services that we run.
VATSIM UK Web Services

VATSIM UK Web Services in Web Services

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ATC Training

GCAP Update 3: Effect of Change

Good morning all, Yesterday, we processed the first roster update since GCAP went live on the 1st March. On the 1st March, we retained on the roster anyone who had controlled at all within the preceding 12 months, from the 1st March 2023 to the 1st March 2024. Thereafter, currency requirements dictate that to remain on the roster, a controller must control three hours within every fixed quarter; three hours between the 1st Jan and the 1st April, three hours between the 1st April and the 1st
Adam Arkley

Adam Arkley in ATC Training

3
United Kingdom

April 2024 Update

Good Evening Everyone,   I hope you have all enjoyed your long weekend. I can assure you this is not a late April Fools joke, but simply another opportunity to update our members on what has been going on ‘behind the scenes’ since my previous post. Beginning with recent staff appointments, @Archie Middlefell and @Alice Ford were appointed as an Aerodrome Operations Coordinator and Operations Assistant respectively. Last month we also welcomed @Dylan Parkes into the Member Services
Ben Wright

Ben Wright in United Kingdom

0
United Kingdom

TVCP Update 1: Visiting/Transferring Eligibility, Restrictions and Training

As some of you may be aware, an updated version of the Transferring and Visiting Controller Policy (TVCP) was recently published. This will be implemented worldwide between now and 01 June 2024 and, although the majority of the changes have been made to align TVCP with GCAP, there have been other changes which will affect Visiting and Transferring Controllers across the Network.  You may view the full policy via the link here. We will endeavour to provide further details on how the Transfer
Ben Wright

Ben Wright in United Kingdom

0
Member Services

Member Services Team Addition

Hi All, I am pleased to announce that @Dylan Parkes will be joining the Member Services team. Dylan joined VATSIM in 2015 and brings a wealth of experience from both the network and the division. They will undoubtedly be a great asset!
William Shaw

William Shaw in Staff Changes

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ATC Training

S2 Syllabus and Lesson Plans

Over the last few months in tenure, @Adam Arkley and myself have worked with TG Staff to create a holistic syllabus for all ATC training undertaken in VATSIM UK. Individual Syllabi for each rating will comprehensively detail all theoretical and practical training covered during mentoring sessions. The content of the syllabi gives mentors clear direction and focus in their sessions and ensures students understand what is expected of them; also key competencies will be cemented that will make tran
Will Jennings

Will Jennings in ATC Training

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ATC Training

GCAP Changes to Heathrow Training

Hello everyone, To comply with the introduction of the Global Controller Administration Policy (GCAP), we have made some changes to the way training is conducted within the Heathrow TG. Heathrow is now categorised as a Tier 1 airfield. For more information regarding GCAP, please see the VATSIM.net policy here.   Introduction of Heathrow GMP/GMC endorsements for S1 members With the implementation of GCAP, members who hold an S1 rating are now able to apply with Heathrow T
Fraser Cooper

Fraser Cooper in ATC Training

0
United Kingdom

GCAP Update 2: Technology and Endorsement Changes

As the 1st March rapidly approaches, Mr. Jennings and I caught up with the Tech team this evening in order to review the progress of our technology solutions that will enable us to meet the requirements laid out in GCAP. I am pleased to say that things are progressing well and that there should be no impediment to us going live with new and enhanced functionality on the 1st March. Details of the pending technology changes are outlined later in this blog post. Before we explore anyt
Adam Arkley

Adam Arkley in United Kingdom

19
United Kingdom

[Vacancy] Marketing Director

Vacancy - Marketing Director Role Description The Marketing Department is responsible for all public-facing media and the planning of events in our Division. The Marketing Director is a position appointed to the Division Staff Group, with the primary responsibility of providing strategic direction to the Marketing Department. As this position frequently serves as the first point of contact with Divisions and Subdivisions across the world, excellent interpersonal skills and a good stand
Ben Wright

Ben Wright in United Kingdom

0
ATC Training

An Insight into Demand

When I was appointed to this post, I committed to being transparent with you all about all manner of different things. Specifically, I've committed to give everybody a view on the demand that ATC training is facing, at all ratings. Thanks to my colleagues in our Tech team, I have some data now that I can share with you. However, before we dive into any detail, it's worth saying that we can only work with the data that we have. We might draw many inferences from that data, but we'll never have a
Adam Arkley

Adam Arkley in ATC Training

13
Operations

Operations - January Staff Appointments

I am pleased to announce some new staff and some ongoing recruitment to the Operations Department since the January Vacancies post. Archie Middlefell has been appointed as an Aerodrome Operations Coordinator, a job shared between him and Kye. In addition, Alice Ford has been appointed as an Operations Assistant - with her focus being to support the Aerodrome documentation series. Our Aerodrome arm has been a significant focus of the last two years and I am pleased at how far we've come. Hop
Kieran Hardern

Kieran Hardern in Staff Changes

0
United Kingdom

New Member Services Director

Hello All,   I'm pleased to announce that @William Shaw will be joining the DSG as our new Member Services Director. Will has been an active staff member within the Member Services Department for almost 2 years and many of you will have already interacted with Will through this capacity before. He brings a number of new ideas to the Department, and will be working closely alongside the ATC Training Department in particular as we embrace GCAP and look to open Visiting and Transferring f
Ben Wright

Ben Wright in United Kingdom

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