Jump to content

United Kingdom

  • entries
    147
  • comments
    794
  • views
    409099

Contributors to this blog

  • Chris Pawley 44
  • Simon Irvine 37
  • Daniel Crookes 27
  • Ben Wright 22
  • VATSIM UK 7
  • Nathan Donnelly 5
  • Kris Thomson 2
  • VATSIM UK Web Services 2
  • Andy Ford 2
  • Oliver Rhodes 2
  • Adam Arkley 2
  • Gdpr Removed 1
  • Loui Ringer 1
  • Adam Farquharson 1
  • Kieran Hardern 1

About this blog

Entries in this blog

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year

On behalf of everyone in VATSIM UK, let me wish all of our community a happy and healthy Christmas and prosperous and enjoyable 2022! As 2021 draws to a close, we reflect on another turbulent and challenging year outside of the network. While many of us had a return towards normality in the summer and autumn, we have seen widespread distruption for many celebrating with friends and family this week. Additionally, we have the prospect of a new year which is likely to bring new restrictions a

Chris Pawley

Chris Pawley in United Kingdom

Member Support Department

Over the past few months, you may have heard some rumours about a new department in the Division (known to some as Department X ?).  I am pleased to say that I can give some more information on our plans. Since we disbanded the Community Department we have been looking at ways we can best serve you, if you are looking for help and support in the Division. The new department will deal with most of the administration that we deal with in the Division allowing the other departments to concentr

Simon Irvine

Simon Irvine in United Kingdom

Member Services Director Appointment

I am delighted to announce that Tom Earl will be joining the DSG as the new (and first ever) Member Services Director. Tom's real-world experience and enthusiasm for the network made him the perfect candidate for the role.  As this is a brand new department, Tom will take the next few weeks setting things up. Congratulations Tom!!  

Simon Irvine

Simon Irvine in Staff Changes

Member Services Director

This is notification of the beginning of the application process for the position of Member Services Director. Application Closing Date: 7th December 2019 2359z. Details about the role and how to apply are in the attached PDF. memberservices.pdf

Simon Irvine

Simon Irvine in Vacancy

Member Services Director

The recruitment process announced here is now concluded and this vacancy has been filled. The DSG has chosen to appoint Harry Downton to the vacancy and he has agreed to join the team as the next Member Services Director. The entire DSG thanks Tom Earl for his dedication and efforts in establishing the member services team. We are additionally appreciative of the instigation of projects relating to new members, helpdesk reorganisation and review of the visiting and transferring control

Chris Pawley

Chris Pawley in Staff Changes

Marketing Manager

Folks Marketing and Community have always worked closely, and with the introduction to changes in the Community department this will continue at pace.   I have decided to merge the Marketing and Community departments.  This new department will be lead by Barrie Joplin. To maintain the focus on the day to day running of marketing and events I have appointed James Brierley to the role of Marketing Manager.  James will work into Barrie he will be in charge of all our social media out

Simon Irvine

Simon Irvine in Staff Changes

Marketing End of Year Message 2020

Hello everyone, please see below the end of year statement from the marketing department.   I can’t believe we’re at the end of 2020 already, where has the year gone? Before I break down different areas of the department, I would like to take a moment to share my appreciation towards every person which makes the clock tick in marketing, the Graphics, Livestreaming and Rostering teams all make this possible, so it is now time to follow in the footsteps of training and take a break

Loui Ringer

Loui Ringer in United Kingdom

Marketing Director (VATUK4)

This is notification of the beginning of the application process for the position of Marketing Director (VATUK4). Application Closing Date: Sunday 26th August at 2259z The Marketing Director shall: Sit on the Division Staff Group; Have oversight for all marketing within the division; Manage and direct marketing strategy; Be responsible for the Events Manager and Social Media Manager; Be responsible for the planning and execution of division events;

Nathan Donnelly

Nathan Donnelly in Vacancy

Marketing Director

This is notification of the beginning of the application process for the position of Marketing Director (VATUK4). Application Closing Date: Thursday 10th January 2259z The Marketing Director shall: Sit on the Division Staff Group; Have oversight for all marketing within the division; Manage and direct marketing strategy; Be responsible for the Events Manager and Social Media Manager; Be responsible for the planning and execution of division events; Be resp

Simon Irvine

Simon Irvine in Vacancy

Marketing Department Management

Good evening all,   Those of you who read my April update will be aware that we were unable to fill the position of Marketing Director in February. In the time since, I have continued to ‘caretake’ the role while temporary solutions were  discussed within the DSG.  Effective immediately, the responsibilities of the Marketing Director role will be split between Kieran Hardern and myself, with Kieran assuming responsibility of events and the Events Team. Thomas Hallam, who has done

Ben Wright

Ben Wright in United Kingdom

Marketing Department Changes

I am regretfully informing you that due to a change in personal circumstances I have received the resignation of Loui Ringer as Marketing Director. Loui has contributed substantially to the division’s events and marketing for many years and has become part of the furniture. The entire DSG thanks Loui for his extensive contributions which have had a visible impact on the division and its members. We wish him well for the next stages of his training.   Due to the widespread staff changes

Chris Pawley

Chris Pawley in United Kingdom

January 2025 Update

Good Evening and a Happy New Year!   An update is once again long overdue and as the beginning of a new year is always a great time for both reflection and looking to the future, I can think of no better time than now. Starting in somewhat standard fashion with staff changes, in November 2024 we welcomed @Jack Edwards into the role of Operations Director. Jack agreed to take this position to enact a number of internal changes in the Department, with one of the primary focuses being to

Ben Wright

Ben Wright in United Kingdom

January 2024 Update

Good Evening All,   The days seem to be moving incredibly quickly, owing to time off during the Christmas break and, in my case, a subsequent week on holiday. It seems hard to believe I am now over a month into this new role, but nevertheless, your staff team have been hard at work, and I would like to provide a quick update on our progress over the last month. Firstly, we have seen a number of recruitments to our staff team. @Adam Arkley's appointment as ATC Training Director and

Ben Wright

Ben Wright in United Kingdom

It's not the end of the world, but you can see it from here.

Hi All,   It is with great sadness that I must inform you all of my decision to step down from the role of ATC Training Director and away from VATSIM for the foreseeable future. This has not been an easy decision to make, but I believe that it is in the best interests of both myself and the division.   For all you conspiracy theorists out there, I know we all love a good scandal on VATSIM and we love to speculate who got hacked off or which part of collective responsibility got v

Andy Ford

Andy Ford in United Kingdom

Introducing Town Hall Sessions

During the last DSG Meeting and following feedback from our members, we discussed at length the lack of interaction between the DSG and our membership. We understand that this is not a new issue, and for many years there has been a growing feeling of disconnect between members, staff and DSG. We are keen to hear your thoughts and suggestions on matters concerning VATSIM UK as a whole, as we are conscious that many of our pilots and controllers can provide insight into problems which may not be a

Ben Wright

Ben Wright in United Kingdom

Gunnar Lindahl - Q&A - Sunday 30th September 1900z

I am delighted to announce that the VATSIM President, Gunnar Lindahl will be holding a Q&A on Sunday 30th September from 8pm local.  This will take place in the VATSIM UK teamspeak. You will have the chance to ask Gunnar a question on the night, or if you can't be there or want to put in a question in advance please send a question via our Twitter account, @vatsimuk using #askgunnar or email [email protected].  We look forward to seeing you there.  

Simon Irvine

Simon Irvine in United Kingdom

Global Control Adminstration Policy (GCAP) feedback

The UK Division has provided a lengthy feedback document privately to the authors of the new global controller administration policy (GCAP). We are broadly supportive of a new policy which unifies some of the key policies which determine how many elements of our division operate. With this in mind there are some concerns which remain in the current draft. We believe it is especially important to ensure that all divisions are treated equally; regardless of their (internal) structure. In addition,

Chris Pawley

Chris Pawley in United Kingdom

General Manager - Pilot Training

Dear All, Applications for the position of General Manager - Pilot Training are now open. Below is a summary of the responsibilities and requirements of the role: Responsibilities: Oversees day-to-day and administrative operations on behalf of the Training Director; Is the point of contact for Pilot Training staff on administrative issues; Where requested, assists the Training Director and Flight Instructors (FIs) in the development of documentation; Administ

Daniel Crookes

Daniel Crookes in Vacancy

GDPR - What It Means For You

Unless you've been living under a rock, you will have heard of the GDPR (General Data Protection Regulation) that comes into effect on May 25th. What you may not know is what it means, how it may affect you and why organisations of all sizes are flooding your inbox with "please click here to say we can contact you" links... I don't study the law... but what is GDPR? I don't either so I'll give you the key points! GDPR... is the biggest shake up to data protection regulations in aro

VATSIM UK Web Services

VATSIM UK Web Services in United Kingdom

GCAP Update 2: Technology and Endorsement Changes

As the 1st March rapidly approaches, Mr. Jennings and I caught up with the Tech team this evening in order to review the progress of our technology solutions that will enable us to meet the requirements laid out in GCAP. I am pleased to say that things are progressing well and that there should be no impediment to us going live with new and enhanced functionality on the 1st March. Details of the pending technology changes are outlined later in this blog post. Before we explore anyt

Adam Arkley

Adam Arkley in United Kingdom

GCAP Update 1 : Roster and Waiting List Changes

On 1st March, GCAP will be fully implemented worldwide. This brings some necessary changes to some of the processes in the UK as well as offers some opportunities. Updating you about all of these changes at once is not possible, so, today we are informing you about some of the first changes you can expect - the introduction of a Controller Roster and changes to Waiting Lists. Changing from one system to another will introduce challenges for old vs. new systems and ensuring parity for all members

Kieran Hardern

Kieran Hardern in Training

Flight Training Exercises

VATSIM UK is proud to announce the launch of Flight Training Exercises! https://core.vatsim.uk/fte/dashboard So, what is it? Flight Training Exercises is a new system that will allow you to track your flight whilst completing your chosen exercise. We are initially launching with 5 VFR challenges that will take you from the busy airspace around London Biggin Hill Aiport (EGKB) to the South-West coast of the UK. Whilst you fly through the skies, in the background, TFDi's 'smartCARS' appl

Daniel Crookes

Daniel Crookes in United Kingdom

February Changes

Hi all, There’ve been a few staff changes over the past few months. Thanks to: •    @Fraser Cooper for his work as TGI in TG1; •    @Tom Szczypinski for his work as a TGM in TGNC; •    @Tom Knowles for his work as IFR Flight Instructor; •    @James Gibson for his work as Development Flight Instructor. And welcome to: •    @Oliver Gates, who’s joining the team as a TGI for TG1 – he’ll be working with Nathan to develop the mentoring team in TG1 (a TGI for TG2 will be coming

Daniel Crookes

Daniel Crookes in United Kingdom

DSG Meeting Minutes Published

This week, we have published several versions of the minutes of previous DSG meetings. This covers almost all of the meetings held in 2022. We plan a change in process to inform the community about the content of these meetings at a more regular interval moving forward.   On behalf of the DSG, Chris.

Chris Pawley

Chris Pawley in United Kingdom

DSG Changes

Nathan Donnelly is standing down as Deputy Division Director with immediate effect. I would like to thank Nathan for his support and friendship over the past 2 and a half years that he has been in the role.  As Dan had indicated last month, Nathan will also be relinquishing his TG1 Instructor role.  

Simon Irvine

Simon Irvine in United Kingdom

×
×
  • Create New...