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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 Arkley 26
  • Adam Farquharson 17
  • Oliver Rhodes 16
  • 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
  • Will Jennings 2
  • Craig Stewart 1
  • Simon Irvine 1
  • Kye Taylor 1
  • Reece Buckley 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

Minor Changes to Heathrow Endorsements

Hello everyone, A couple of changes I wanted to bring to your attention regarding Heathrow endorsements.   Recency Requirements for Endorsement eligibility The reason behind the change to these requirements is to conform with division-wide recency for training places while also promoting Heathrow recency before progressing to the next endorsement stage.  To be eligible for a training place, you need to meet the following criteria. EGLL GMC Endorsement - At least 12
Fraser Cooper

Fraser Cooper in ATC Training

2
ATC Training

S2 Moodle Course Release

It’s finally here! After many years of anticipation and speculation (we’re not sure exactly when we started it, but we have found a reference to a new Moodle platform in some meeting minutes from October 2011), we finally have eLearning materials available on our Moodle platform for our S2 course! The course is divided into six sections - Introduction to ADC, Aerodrome Control Phraseology, Meteorology, Separation, VFR Traffic, and Aerodrome Operations - with a short quiz at the end of each
Daniel Crookes

Daniel Crookes in ATC Training

4
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

26
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

ATC Training 2022 Q4 + Year Review

There was generally some good feedback from publishing the quarterly stats when I did so last month. If this type of thing is something that you would like to see continue then please keep letting us know (by liking or commenting on this post or reaching out to me another way). Exams Incomplete exams are excluded for clarity: S1 - 26 exams, 23 passed, 3 failed. This is a 62% increase in the number of exams conducted and a 11% decrease in the pass rate. S2 - 5 exams, 5 passed, 0 failed
Adam Farquharson

Adam Farquharson in ATC Training

3
ATC Training

ATIS 101

Hi all, Whilst provision of an ATIS is principally the responsibility of the TWR controller, members on all positions - including DEL/GND - are permitted to operate a VATSIM ATIS at any time. Please note that ATIS use is governed by the Global Controller/ATIS Information Policy. The following tutorial shows how to set-up a basic ATIS using EuroScope: 1. Click on the runway icon on the EuroScope ribbon for the runway selection dialog; 2. Scroll down to find the aerodrome
Oliver Rhodes

Oliver Rhodes in ATC Training

5
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

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

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

Shifting Focus: Approach Training

Following on from the restructuring of our S2 syllabus, we are now in a position to release the first version of our restructured S3 syllabus. Thank you to everyone who commented and gave feedback on the request for comments thread. The key points of this re-thinking of our syllabus are as follows: A number of competencies have been designated as self-taught. In the past, these were included in practical mentoring reports, which led to some students assuming that the mentor would teac
Andy Ford

Andy Ford in ATC Training

6
ATC Training

Waiting List Changes

Currently, all ATC Training Waiting Lists are ordered by list join date. Members on a list do not need to remain eligible for a training place while on the list. This means members on a waiting list who leave the network for a long period of time are returning at the top of a waiting list ahead of the members who have remained active within the division. In order to make the waiting lists fair for all members, from 21st December 2022, all members on the S2, S3 and C1 waiting lists will have
Adam Farquharson

Adam Farquharson in ATC Training

3
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

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

24
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

Solo Enroute Validations (S3)

Effectively immediately, the division will be utilising Solo Enroute Validations (SEV's... or SCV's, if you prefer the American term). These will be granted to S3 rated members upon submission for their CTR exam, in order to have a several days to practice solo without the guidance of a mentor in preparation for the big night. The validations will be valid for a single parent enroute sector and may be used to open relevant splits and TMA positions where division policy permits. The val
Andy Ford

Andy Ford in ATC Training

5
ATC Training

Increasing Access To Moodle

We have completed the process of opening up our online learning (Moodle) courses to make them viewable by all members, regardless of rating or training status. To access a course, simply go to the course and self-enrol. By doing this, we are looking to give students and rated controllers alike the opportunity to read training material at any time and take control of their own learning. We will, however, be restricting access to the "final exam" part of each course to only the students that
Andy Ford

Andy Ford in ATC Training

2
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

7
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

[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

Changes to our OBS > S1 Process

Dear all, Since the beginning of my tenure, I have been discussing the OBS > S1 process with our New Controller Training Group leads in order to discuss potential improvement in that process. At present, we run a seminar roughly monthly - although these are typically delayed at times like summer and Christmas - in which we invite 30 people to join a seminar. Those 30 people are made up of batches of invitations that are sent out in groups to people at or near the top of the waiting list,
Adam Arkley

Adam Arkley in ATC Training

1
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

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