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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 24
  • 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

About this blog

Entries in this blog

Heathrow TGI Resignation

Hi everyone, I have taken the unfortunate decision to leave my role as Heathrow TGI. I have loved people part of the VATSIM UK team for the past few years and will hopefully try it out again in the future, but with my limited amount of time currently and slight burn out from VATSIM, I feel that it would be selfish for me to hold on to the role, so therefore I am passing TGI on to someone with new and fresh ideas that can benefit the division. I joined the staff team in February 2019 (crazy
Fergus Walsh

Fergus Walsh

7
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

4
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

1
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

4
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

3
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
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

2
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

1
Staff Changes

Tower TGI Resignation

Hello all, Unfortunately, I have decided to step down from my role as Tower TGI. Joining the training team nearly two years ago, as TGNC's TGI, I have had the fortunate opportunity to meet some lovely people within the staff and mentoring team. With @Fergus Walsh at TGNC, we made it a mission to progress students through the OBS->S1 stage and during covid, we did just that!  With the TG TWR change, It was very difficult. Shortly after my appointment, I was soloing the training group
Kye Taylor

Kye Taylor in Staff Changes

10
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

5
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

3
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

4
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
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

0
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

3
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

1
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
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
ATC Training

ATC Instructor Policy

Dear all, To make the Instructor processes and expectations more transparent amongst the Division I have decided to publicly publish our ATC Instructor Policy, available here. This lays down what is expected of an Instructor, how they are appointed and what their particular roles entail. Main highlights / changes: Instructor roles streamlined to 3 positions: Division Instructor (DI) - I1 rating - Responsible for UK-wide TWR and APP training and standards. Trai
Samuel James

Samuel James in ATC Training

2
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

6
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

4
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

2
ATC Training

OBS - S1 Training Projects!

Good afternoon! Training Airport Expansion I am pleased to announce that over the coming months we will be expanding the location of our OBS - S1 training airports to include East Midlands (EGNX) and London Stansted (EGSS). Why the expansion? Since the introduction of our OBS - S1 exams we have noticed an increase in the number of session students are having before they are submitted for their exam. This is resulting in the sweatbox positions for Manchester (EGCC) and Edinbur
Daniel Crookes

Daniel Crookes in ATC Training

0
ATC Training

Example Theory Questions

We have published a selection of example theory questions for all levels of ATC examination in the UK. These questions are intended to give exam candidates an idea of the sort of things that they might be asked by the examiner after completing the practical aspect of the exam and the level of detail they need to read into. These questions are provided without answers. It is intended that students will do the necessary reading in their own time to understand the subject matter and become con
Andy Ford

Andy Ford in ATC Training

0
ATC Training

Leon Grant

Dear all, As per Barrie's post on 3 January, Leon has now left his role as TG2 TGM with the transfer of role now complete with James Edwards. I'm sure many of you are aware of the hard work Leon has put in during his time in his role, helping both students, the Department and the membership. On behalf of the ATC Training Department, I would like to thank Leon for his continued commitment and enthusiasm, and wish him luck with his new role as a Community Manager. Many thanks Alex  
Alex Beard

Alex Beard in ATC Training

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