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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
  • Adam Arkley 30
  • Samuel James 30
  • Adam Farquharson 17
  • Oliver Rhodes 16
  • Alex Beard 9
  • Will Jennings 4
  • George Wright 3
  • Fraser Cooper 3
  • Kieran Hardern 3
  • Nathan Donnelly 2
  • Sebastian Rekdal 2
  • Fergus Walsh 2
  • Chris Pawley 2
  • Jack Edwards 2
  • Craig Stewart 1
  • Simon Irvine 1
  • Kye Taylor 1
  • Reece Buckley 1

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Entries in this blog

ATC Training

CTS Theory Exam and Training Place Eligibility Changes

Hi everyone, As mentioned in my recruitment post, in the past couple of months I’ve been looking at what quick changes can be made in order to improve ATC Training. My main focus is maximising the use of mentors time - feedback from mentors suggests that they spend a lot of time teaching theory that is already available through other resources (Moodle, Syllabus, vMATS etc.). Explaining the practical application of theoretical concepts is an important part of the role of a mentor and we want
Adam Farquharson

Adam Farquharson in ATC Training

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ATC Training

Military PAR Course - Released

We are pleased to announce the release of our Military Precision Approach Radar (PAR) Online Moodle Course. This course is for those members that want to take their Military Approach controlling up a notch, offering pilots the opportunity to be talked all the way down the final approach (similar to a SRA), with vectors and glideslope information. A massive thank you to Trevor Hannant and Callum Presley for creating this course for us. The course is open for all members to view and self-enro
Andy Ford

Andy Ford in ATC Training

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ATC Training

ATC Training Q1 '25 Review

Well good morning! It’s been a while, hasn’t it? Q1 flashed by in a heartbeat and as I start to write this, I have just finished and submitted my quarterly report to the Region. The report commonly provides a foundation for the basis of my quarterly updates to you, but this time, we have rather a lot to talk about. Strap in, this will be a long ride. Regular Statistics As ever, a quick overview of progress within the division. We are, of course, aware of the recent changes in a numbe
Adam Arkley

Adam Arkley in ATC Training

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ATC Training

S2 and S3 Theory Questions: Revisited

Many of you who have taken your S2 and S3 theory exams recently may have noticed that quite a few of the questions weren't exactly relevant and some were, well, too easy. It turns out that some of our theory questions are very old, with some of the S3 questions dating back to the pre-GRP days when S2 didn't exist and S3 was in-part a TWR rating. You will all be glad to know (or maybe not, if you were hoping for an easy pass!) that we have removed a lot of questions and added new ones to ref
Andy Ford

Andy Ford in ATC Training

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ATC Training

S3 Moodle Course Release

Hi all, Following the launch of the S2 Moodle eLearning course in December, we’re very excited to announce the launch of our S3 Moodle eLearning course! The course guides students through 14 sections, starting with some fundamental Approach Control concepts (e.g. a high-level overview of the principles of separation) and moving on to Altimetry and Meteorology, Navigation, Approach Control Principles, Equipment and Systems, Identification, Validation, and Verification, Appreciation of A
Daniel Crookes

Daniel Crookes in ATC Training

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ATC Training

TG Tower Staff Changes

Hi all, Firstly I’d like to thank everyone for the kind messages following the announcement of my appointment as ATC Training Director. Having moved roles this left a space in the TWR team which a couple of people quickly expressed their interest in. Following a few discussions we have decided to appoint @Kye Taylor to the role.  Kye joined the Training Department 15 months ago as a New Controller TG Instructor. Having been involved in many projects including the development of th
Adam Farquharson

Adam Farquharson in ATC Training

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ATC Training

S1 Examinations

Hi all, In order to improve and standardise the quality of our S1 training, and in response to feedback which we have received from mentors, students, and controllers, we will shortly be introducing S1 practical examinations, in line with the process followed at S2, S3, and C1. This will not change the process of training, whereby members initially attend in introductory group session, complete eLearning courses, and receive one-to-one practical training. However, instead of being reco
Oliver Rhodes

Oliver Rhodes in ATC Training

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ATC Training

S1 Syllabus and Lesson Plans Release!

Hi all, Marking the end of a year-long project for the New Controller TG, including six months of trials with groups of students and mentors, we’re pleased to announce the introduction of a series of structured lesson plans for S1 students. The practical component (part two) of the S1 training programme will now consist of a series of four sessions, which students will move through sequentially to apply the knowledge obtained from the programme’s theoretical component (part one) to sce
Daniel Crookes

Daniel Crookes in ATC Training

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ATC Training

E duobus unum: Merging Waiting Lists

Hi all, At the beginning of 2017, in the delightfully entitled post ‘Exitus Acta Probat’ (Latin for ‘the end justifies the means’, from the poetry of Ovid, if you’re interested), Sam announced the merger of the old RTSs into the Training Groups (TGs). One of the main reasons for doing so was to reduce the discrepancies in waiting times between the RTSs. In the same spirit, and following discussions with students, mentors, and staff, we have now merged the S2 and S3 waiting lists for TG
Oliver Rhodes

Oliver Rhodes in ATC Training

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ATC Training

S1 AFISO/AG Validation: Additional Airfields

Now that things have had time to settle, we're adding some additional aerodromes to the list of those that S1 rated members holding the AFISO/AG validation may control. They are as follows: Barra (EGPR) Bodmin (EGLA) - airfield information sufficient to VATSIM needs is available on the airfields website - Bodmin does not feature in the AIP. Wolverhampton / Halfpenny Green (EGBO) We decided not to add Barrow/Walney Island (EGNL) at this time, due to instrument approach an
Andy Ford

Andy Ford in ATC Training

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ATC Training

New CT S1 Training Programme Launched!

Hey folks, I'm pleased to announce the launch of our new CT S1 course. Main points: Comprehensive e-Learning/Moodle courses All S1 training completed within the New Controller Training Group All practical S1 training sessions conducted using London Gatwick   *Once process/event is complete, send a ticket to ATC Training to continue the process   I've just joined the New Controller Training Group (TG) - How do I join a Group session? You
Samuel James

Samuel James in ATC Training

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ATC Training

S3 Training at Heathrow

With the appropriate staff and support now in place, we are pleased to announce the resumption of Approach Radar (S2->S3) training for UK Students at Heathrow. Heathrow will draw from the existing waiting lists of TG1 and TG2. When a training place becomes available, it will be offered to the first eligible student on one of the lists. Completion of training will result in the awarding of an S3 rating and the Heathrow APP Major Endorsement. Solo Approach Validations (SAV's) will be handl
Andy Ford

Andy Ford in ATC Training

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ATC Training

Area Training requirements

Dear all, This post is to clarify two basic requirements for S3 students who want to start their C1 training. These requirements have been in place for many years (but haven't always been followed and it seems they've been forgotten). In order to be eligible to begin training on any CTR position with us you must comply with both of the following requirements: Must have controlled at least 12 hours on any APP position in the UK in the last 3 months. This is to ensure you are actively p
George Wright

George Wright in ATC Training

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ATC Training

Get Involved: CT S3 Moodle Course

All, The ATC Training Department is looking for contributors to the ongoing development of our online self-learning moodle courses. The ultimate goal behind these courses is to shift the responsibility of learning towards the student, reducing the amount of theory that has to be explicitly taught in mentoring sessions. In turn, this will reduce the amount of mentoring sessions required to obtain a rating or endorsement by better preparing students for the situations that they will encounter
Andy Ford

Andy Ford in ATC Training

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ATC Training

ATC Mentor Feedback Form

We have now introduced a feedback form for ATC Mentors. It is available here. What this form is: An opportunity for students to provide constructive feedback to their mentors, regarding how they conducted a particular mentoring session. A place for mentors to help each other, by providing constructive feedback. For example, another mentor who is controlling adjacent to the mentoring session may wish to feedback on the way a particular situation was handled by the mentor.
Andy Ford

Andy Ford in ATC Training

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ATC Training

Introducing Training Tuesdays

Dear all, In conjunction with the Pilot Training team, I am very pleased to announce the introduction of Training Tuesdays. One of the biggest difficulties that the ATC Training Department face is generating enough traffic to make training viable on the live network, which in turn leads to mentors attempting to use Sweatbox more to generate traffic to train students. The vicious circle develops itself by pilots then seeing a lack of air traffic online in the UK and instead flying e
Adam Arkley

Adam Arkley in ATC Training

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ATC Training

British Summer Time (BST) begins Sunday 29th March at 01:00

“I wish it need not have happened in my time," said Frodo. "So do I," said Gandalf, "and so do all who live to see such times. But that is not for them to decide. All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given us.” - J.R.R. Tolkien, The Fellowship of the Ring At 1am on Sunday 29th March the clocks will advance one hour. This means that 1am will immediately become 2am, cruelly stealing from us an hour of our day. <insert traditional joke here> For those of you
Oliver Rhodes

Oliver Rhodes in ATC Training

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ATC Training

More aerodromes for S1 AFISOs/AG operators

Hi all, By popular demand, we're adding another four aerodromes to the list of those which validated S1s may control: EGAD Newtownards EGCJ Sherburn-in-Elmet EGSQ Clacton EGHJ Bembridge Documentation for all four of these aerodromes - and many more - is available on the CIX VFR Club website.
Oliver Rhodes

Oliver Rhodes in ATC Training

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ATC Training

S2s and Sweatbox

To resolve any confusion between who can and cannot run Sweatboxes as an S2 across the Division and to prepare ourselves for the onset of Central Training, from now onwards, S2 Mentors are permitted to run Sweatboxes without restriction. Naturally, as with all Sweatbox mentors regardless of rating, we would encourage those who are not particularly confident with its’ features to attend a ‘Introduction to Sweatbox’ seminar which will be regularly held and details of these will be promulgated on t
Samuel James

Samuel James in ATC Training

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ATC Training

S1 Aerodrome Familiarisation Sessions

Hi folks, We are excited to announce a new training opportunity for S1 members. Any member within VATSIM UK who holds an S1 rating will now be able to request Ground and Delivery aerodrome familiarisation sessions.  These sessions are run by our ‘experienced’ S1 members. These members have been trained to offer mentoring sessions both on Ground and Delivery. We are now offering further training for both EGKK - London Gatwick and EGCC – Manchester. What will the mentoring sessions includ
Samuel James

Samuel James in ATC Training

1
Vacancy

New Controller Training Group Instructor

Hi all! We are looking for a member of the community to join the New Controller Training Group team as an Instructor. This exciting role is fundamental to VATSIM UK's training programme and is a great opportunity to join the UK staff team. What will the role entail? The following responsibilities are relevant to the New Controller Training Group: Have overall responsibility for training within their designated group; Select and train new mentors; Review ATC feed
Daniel Crookes

Daniel Crookes in Vacancy

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ATC Training

Tower Syllabus Updated

Version 1.1 of the S2 (TWR) Syllabus is now available for download. The document has been updated based on member feedback to clarify a number of points and to add some extra reading material. We have also introduced a section for attitude towards self-learning. The progress sheets will be updated in due course to incorporate the new criterion.
Andy Ford

Andy Ford in ATC Training

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ATC Training

[POLICY] ATC Training Handbook

Hi all, Back in September of 2018 when the ATC and Pilot Training Departments merged into one - I was adamant that the ATC Training side of things needed an Operations Manual similar to the manual we are required to have as past of our ATO for Pilot Training. The purpose being to provide anyone who operates within the Training Department with guidance, advice, and direction on how we operate so that everyone is singing from the same hymn sheet. When we started making this manual we sud
Daniel Crookes

Daniel Crookes in ATC Training

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ATC Training

New ATC Training Documentation

Good morning, I'm pleased to finally be able to announce the publication of new documentation for the department. These documents have both been arduous work, solidifying over a year of changes to how we run training within VATSIM UK whilst also ensuring that our policies and procedures are GCAP compliant. The documents have seen rounds of iterative feedback, both within my teams and within the DSG. We started working on these documents in late Spring last year, reviewing what existed, writ
Adam Arkley

Adam Arkley in ATC Training

2
ATC Training

Heathrow TGI Appointment

I'm happy to announce that @Fraser Cooperhas been appointed as the Heathrow TGI. Fraser brings with him a wealth of experience of multiple ATC Training roles (and other staff positions) both in the UK and throughout other divisions on the network. Over the last few days Fraser has been picking things up from Nathaniel and he will soon be up to speed with Heathrow. I'm excited to see what changes Fraser's appointment will bring to Heathrow. Welcome to the team Fraser!  
Adam Farquharson

Adam Farquharson in ATC Training

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