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ATC Training

A group blog by ATC Training in Division Updates

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Contributors to this blog

  • Daniel Crookes 35
  • Andy Ford 33
  • Samuel James 30
  • Adam Farquharson 17
  • Oliver Rhodes 16
  • Adam Arkley 9
  • Alex Beard 9
  • George Wright 3
  • Fraser Cooper 3
  • Kieran Hardern 3
  • Nathan Donnelly 2
  • Sebastian Rekdal 2
  • Fergus Walsh 2
  • Chris Pawley 2
  • Jack Edwards 2
  • Simon Irvine 1
  • Craig Stewart 1
  • Kye Taylor 1
  • Reece Buckley 1
  • Will Jennings 1

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Entries in this blog

ATC Training

And Now For Something Completely Different: AFIS and Air/Ground

We are pleased to announce the release of our AFIS and Air/Ground Moodle course. This course is designed for members that want to try their hand at something a little different from your average aerodrome. These aerodromes are a hotspot for light and VFR traffic and often aren't large enough (to the relief of many) for the big tin. A big thank you to Callum Presley and Alex Hodgkinson for creating the course and also to Sebastian Wheeler and Ollie Latham for reviewing and adding the exam questio
Andy Ford

Andy Ford in ATC Training

54
ATC Training

Have Your Say: ATC Training

All, The purpose of this post is a general consultation of the membership regarding their opinions of the ATC Training Department and where its priorities should be over the next 12 months. Now I should start by saying that the department does have a vision for what it would like to achieve in the near future. This includes working towards reducing training times, mentor retention and also further developing our online learning resources - more consultations and opportunities to come i
Andy Ford

Andy Ford in ATC Training

41
ATC Training

Meeting Minutes: Multi Airfield Mentoring

Hi all, The ATC Training department recently held a meeting to discuss a proposal from our TGIs regarding how we might implement S2 -> S3 mentoring across multiple airfields, as part of the wider project of Central Training. At this time, no final decisions have been made. However, productive discussions were held and the proposal is now being refined to take into account points raised. The minutes for the meeting are available here. If anybody has any questions or wishes
Andy Ford

Andy Ford in ATC Training

34
ATC Training

And it's goodbye from me

Good afternoon all, There comes a time when everyone has to take a moment to sit back and look what what's going on. That time for me, as far as VATSIM is concerned, came fairly recently. I'll explain more about my decision in a moment, however last week I wrote to Simon and explained that after the implementation of Phase 1 of the Central Training project, I intended to resign my post as ATC Training Director in VATSIM UK. Following a protracted discussion, which I think was hard for both
Adam Arkley

Adam Arkley in ATC Training

32
ATC Training

OBS and London Gatwick S1 Changes

Hello one and all, This post announces upcoming changes to OBS Training in TG New Controller and also changes to restrictions regarding S1 rated controllers at London Gatwick. These changes will go live at 0000z on Monday 8th January 2017. London Gatwick Over the recent months, we have been monitoring feedback from pilots, controllers and mentors alike regarding the recent surge in Gatwick controllers. For historical context to this, prior to 2016, an endorsement was required
Andy Ford

Andy Ford in ATC Training

28
ATC Training

Time to say goodbye

Dear all,   It is with regret that I will be leaving my role as ATC Administrative Manager, with immediate effect.   For the most part, I have thoroughly enjoyed my time within the department. During my time, we have seen a huge improvement which has only been possible with the immense effort put in by each and every person within the department, both past and present. It also wouldn't have been possible without the mentoring team dedicating their time, and students showing a wil
Alex Beard

Alex Beard in ATC Training

25
ATC Training

[STAFF CHANGES] Tower TG Staff Changes

Hi all, In light of the recent interviews that have been conducted for a new Tower TGI, I am delighted to announce that @Matthew Dean will be joining the training team in this position. Matthew is extremely keen to continue our venture towards a structured initial training plan, and shared some great ideas with the team during his interview. With him, Matthew brings a wealth of real-world experience including currently undergoing training in the real-world ATC environment which, as we
Daniel Crookes

Daniel Crookes in ATC Training

17
ATC Training

CTS Phase 1 Preparation - Exitus acta probat!

Hi folks, In preparation for CT, myself and the Web Services team will be in the next 3 weeks merging all Training RTSs into the 2 new Training Groups (TG1 and TG2). As a student you may begin to notice small cosmetic changes to the CTS, however you should still be able to request mentoring provided you are listed as an active student with a mentoring place. For those members who are not currently training or are currently in a waiting list for training you will most likely receive an email
Samuel James

Samuel James in ATC Training

15
ATC Training

ATC Update, Winter 2018

Hi all, As the year draws to a close, we wanted to give you all an update on what ATC Training has achieved over the past 12 months, and look forward to the next! Over the past year, we have: Issued 115 S1s (up by 51.3% from last year); Issued 58 S2s (up by 123% from last year); Issued 19 S3s (up by 46.2% from last year); Issued 4 C1s (down by 25.0% from last year, but the sample size is low - the absolute difference is by one); Inducted 90 visitors an
Oliver Rhodes

Oliver Rhodes in ATC Training

15
ATC Training

Nova sanguinem - Welcome to...

Following on with the Latin theme... I'm pleased to welcome the following to the ATC Training Department staff team: Gregg Donohoe - TG Instructor for TG1 Gregg is a long standing member of the Division having previously held various roles including SCONI RTSI - It's a real honour to have him back and brings a bucket load of experience, enthusiasm and knowledge to the role Charlie Watson - TG Instructor for TG2 Charlie has been heavily involved with the UK Division for the past co
Samuel James

Samuel James in ATC Training

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ATC Training

Training Staff Changes (ATC)

Bon Soir! After a few discussions over the past couple of days, @Luke Collister is stepping down from his role of TGI for TG2 due to his availability and other commitments. With that being said, @Lee Roberts will move into the role of TGI for TG2 whilst retaining his current role as TGM - TWR for a short period.  Please join me in thanking Luke for his time as TGI and in wishing Lee Roberts good luck in his new role. Dan ✈️
Daniel Crookes

Daniel Crookes in ATC Training

14
ATC Training

New Phonetic Alphabet

Hi all, In order to keep-up with changing worldwide trends, we are today introducing a new phonetic alphabet to be used throughout the UK, effective immediately. Please could all controllers and pilots ensure that they are familiar with the following: Alpachino Bread Cucumber DIVISION! CLEAR THE LOBBY! Entropy Floxinoxinihilipilification Gnome Hexokinase Ionotropic Junior minister Kymograph Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrob
Oliver Rhodes

Oliver Rhodes in ATC Training

14
ATC Training

Military Radar (APC) Moodle course RELEASED

A massive thanks to @Callum Presley and colleagues for their hard work developing and testing the new Military Radar (APC) course on our moodle platform. I'm delighted to announce that it is now available for S3s to enrol and complete. Once you have passed the Final Exam, simply submit a ticket to the Military RTS and we'll get the endorsement processed. It'll be great to see some more of our Military APP positions manned in the future. Enjoy!
Samuel James

Samuel James in ATC Training

13
ATC Training

Self Study Exercises For Radar Students

To coincide with the impending release of the new S3 syllabus, the department has created a number of simulator scenarios for EuroScope. The purpose of these scenarios is to allow radar students to practice specific competencies on their own, with a few tips and aspects to consider provided - thus avoiding the distractions of trying to learn many things at once and also imperfect pilots. These are more directed towards the practical aspects of Approach Radar such as vectoring, rather than h
Andy Ford

Andy Ford in ATC Training

13
ATC Training

British Summer Time (BST) begins Sunday 31st March at 01:00

"There is nothing stable in the world; uproar's your only music." - John Keats At 1am on Sunday 31st March the clocks will advance one hour. This means that 1am shall immediately become 2am, thieving us all of an hour of our day, and @George Wright will spend the next six months dancing 'the funky chicken' whilst dressed as Bob the Builder. For those of you in other timezones: as you were. For those of us in the UK, we must now engage in intellectual gymnastics every time we use t
Oliver Rhodes

Oliver Rhodes in ATC Training

13
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
ATC Training

S1 Examinations - from March 31st

Hi all, We announced in November that we would shortly be introducing S1 examinations. Since then, members have been working to produce an S1 syllabus which was published to OBS mentors and ATC examiners two weeks ago, and the web team have worked their usual magic to set-up S1 examinations on the CT System. S1 examinations will be introduced at 23:59z on Tuesday 31st March. Until then, students will continue to progress through the current system, receiving a rating upgrade once
Oliver Rhodes

Oliver Rhodes in ATC Training

12
ATC Training

Training Group Restructure

Hi all, Around 300 million years ago, the movements of the Earth's tectonic plates saw the continents combine to form the Pangaean supercontinent. It lasted for roughly 100 million years, before fragmenting to form the continents and oceans we see today. The plates keep moving; approximately 250 million years from now, it's likely that the continents will once again coalesce to form a new supercontinent - Pangaea Ultima. In January 2017, our division's Regional Training Schemes - RTSs
Daniel Crookes

Daniel Crookes in ATC Training

11
ATC Training

Samuel James

All, Unfortunately, Sam will be taking some time away from VATSIM due to ill health in the family.  George Wright has kindly agreed to look after the ATC Training Department in Sam's absence. Any ATC Training Management matters can be directed to George during this time, via the helpdesk.  
Nathan Donnelly

Nathan Donnelly in ATC Training

9
ATC Training

ATC Training Consultation: Response

As many of you are aware, we recently held a consultation of the membership regarding the direction of the ATC Training Department and what you want out of your division. Nearly 40 of you replied and, well, we listened. In the downloads section of the website (direct download link) you can find our response. This addresses some of the questions raised, gives action points for the future and also highlights changes that we have already made. For a number of the points raised, I will be appro
Andy Ford

Andy Ford in ATC Training

9
ATC Training

C1 Waiting List

Hi all, It seems there's been a range of information flying around on how the C1 Waiting List works. To clarify, in order to be eligible for a C1 place, you must have: Reached the top of the C1 waiting list; 12 hours on UK ATC positions in the three months prior to a place being offered; At least 10 hours post-S3 on each of the main APP positions in the sector on which you wish to train: LON_S - LL, KK, THAMES, SOLENT; LON_C - ESSEX, BB, NX;
Oliver Rhodes

Oliver Rhodes in ATC Training

9
ATC Training

CTS Controller Booking Etiquette

Hi all, Following a couple of queries and concerns raised over the last couple of days, I wanted to post a reminder of booking etiquette, particularly for new members who've joined fairly recently and might not be aware of the conventions. The website regulates that "booking shall not be excessive in duration", which is deliberately a rather vague rule (perhaps the main source of confusion). "Excessive" is a difficult term to define, as what may be considered excessive in one case may
Oliver Rhodes

Oliver Rhodes in ATC Training

8
ATC Training

Military ACC Course - Released

We are pleased to announce the release of our Military Area Radar Moodle Course and the re-introduction of Military ACC endorsements. A massive thank you to Callum Presley and Lee Roberts for creating this course for us. The course is open to view to all members. Members holding a permanent controller rating of C1 or C3 and also a Military APC endorsement are invited to take the exam (please submit a ticket to the helpdesk to have the exam enabled) at the end of the course to gain their Mil
Andy Ford

Andy Ford in ATC Training

7
ATC Training

Changes to the Manchester Familiarisation Sessions and Gatwick Endorsement

Hi all, Over the past couple of months, me and Josh have spoken to mentors and students to see what could be improved in regards to S1 continuation training. The most common things that cropped up were that the Manchester Familiarisation Sessions weren't getting used to their full and proper potential, and that the Gatwick Endorsement was not properly training people. Here are the changes that we have made;Manchester Familiarisation: As some of you may be aware, TG New Controller, along with the
Fergus Walsh

Fergus Walsh in ATC Training

7
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