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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 20
  • 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

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
Staff Changes

Training Group Manager

The application period for the position of Training Group Manager has now concluded. I would like to say a big thank you to those who took time to apply, we had a strong pool of applications this round. We are pleased to announce that Lee Roberts has been appointed as a Training Group Manager. Lee will be working closely with Nick and Alex as we look to change up the way that we manage our training groups. Instead of our traditional TG1/TG2 structure, the TGM's will be split by level -
Andy Ford

Andy Ford in Staff Changes

19
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
Staff Changes

Heathrow Training Group Instructor

We are pleased to announce that James Yuen has been appointed as the Training Group Instructor for TG Heathrow. James will be working closely with Oliver and myself to re-ignite the S2->S3 training program at Heathrow, details of which will be announced over the next week. Good luck, James!
Andy Ford

Andy Ford in Staff Changes

26
ATC Training

ATC Rating Progression: The Story So Far

Hi Folks, We're now well into the second half of the year and I've taken this opportunity to have a look at the statistics and let you know how we're doing. The good news is, we're way way up on exam passes, compared to where we were this time last year! To this day in 2017, we had a total of 16 exam passes: 8 TWR 6 APP 2 CTR So far this year, we've had a total of 41 exam passes: 29 TWR 11 APP 1 CTR As well as the above, we currently ha
Andy Ford

Andy Ford in ATC Training

0
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

Shifting Focus: Enroute Training

Having restructured the Tower and Radar training schemes, we are now in a position to take the final step, release of the first version of our restructured C1 syllabus. Thank you to everyone who commented and gave feedback. 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 teach them. N
Andy Ford

Andy Ford in ATC Training

0
Staff Changes

James Edwards

Dear all, It is with regret that James Edwards has resigned from his role of TG2 Training Group Manager this afternoon, effective immediately. James has been maintaining the administrative operation (mainly behind the scenes) for TG2 for the past 6 months, ensuring that training runs smoothly for all involved. Please join me in thanking James for dedicating his time to the division. Alex
Alex Beard

Alex Beard in Staff Changes

11
ATC Training

Training Aerodrome Preferences

Under the old RTS' System and also under the early days of the new system, we took students aerodrome preference into account during the early stages of training and only offered the student a place when their chosen aerodrome came up. This sometimes led to students becoming disappointed in the waiting times if the student in front of them took longer to pass and thus held up a training place at their chosen aerodrome whilst their friends at other aerodromes passed before them. Under a new
Andy Ford

Andy Ford in ATC Training

0
ATC Training

Reciprocating Effort

The re-drafting of the training syllabus has brought with it an encouragement for students to learn on their own, by designating significant portions as self-taught. That is, the student is expected to read the material on their own and bring any questions to sessions, not expect to have it spoon-fed to them by mentors. Most of you have risen to the challenge with enthusiasm. Of course, there are still one or two who aren't reciprocating the effort that their mentors are putting in to train
Andy Ford

Andy Ford in ATC Training

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ATC Training

Returning Mentors: An Exercise In Trust

Effectively immediately, we are going to be trialling out a new policy for mentors returning to us after a break from the network. In the past, returning mentors were usually subject to the same training regime as new mentors, which was often discouraging. We're still quite unsure about this one - with some good arguments both supporting and refuting the idea. So, we thought the best thing to do was give it a go and see how it pans out. The trial process as follows: If a mentor has been "s
Andy Ford

Andy Ford in ATC Training

0
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

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

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
Staff Changes

TG New Controller TGMs

Dear all, Please join me in welcoming Josh Howker and Tom Szczypinski to the role of Training Group Manager in TG New Controller. Both bring their own unique set of skills to the table, and I look forward to working with both in greater depth. They will be working alongside Fraser and Oliver to help develop TGNC and the OBS process. Alex
Alex Beard

Alex Beard in Staff Changes

11
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

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

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

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

2
ATC Training

Shifting Focus: Tower Training

Following feedback received during and following the ATC Training Consultation, the department has been hard at work. One of the points raised during the consultation, that many of you have added your voices to since, is that as a division, we spend a lot of time in our training doing theory. Often, teaching the same thing multiple times and on topics that students should be able to learn for themselves. Some have gone as far as to say that some people expect to be spoon-fed information, like a
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

ATC Training Place Policy

Dear all, The ATC Training Department has put together a policy regarding Training Places. The aim of the policy is to offer some clarification of the requirements whilst holding a training place, making the process of training as clear as possible. The document can be downloaded from our website. If there are any questions or concerns, please contact the department via the helpdesk. Many thanks Alex
Alex Beard

Alex Beard in ATC Training

0
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
Staff Changes

TG2 TGI

Hi All, We are pleased to announce that Jonas Hey has joined the staff team as Training Group Instructor for Training Group 2. Jonas has a wealth of controlling and mentoring experience and we look forward to what he can bring to the table in TG2. Good luck in the new role!
Andy Ford

Andy Ford in Staff Changes

18
ATC Training

S1 Gatwick Endorsements - Hours Checker

Hi all, From listening to the feedback we’ve had over the past few weeks about the recently introduced Gatwick endorsement scheme, we’ve realised that the requirements to start training for the endorsement could be made clearer.  From today, thanks to some fantastic work by the Web team, we’re introducing a new system to guide you through the process of gaining your Gatwick endorsement. If you are currently an S1-rated controller, you can go to this page to use the new system. If
Oliver Rhodes

Oliver Rhodes in ATC Training

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