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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

2024 - A Year in Review

Hello everyone! I've been sort of quiet with updates as life has gripped what little precious time I have and summarily taken it away from me, but I promised transparency and it wouldn't be the advent of a new year without a blog post now, would it!? Firstly, as ever, we need to recognise the contributions of our mentors, examiners and staff. Our department is one the most highly demanding across VATSIM and we deal with people from all walks of life, from all situations and with variou

Adam Arkley

Adam Arkley in ATC Training

ATC Training Appointments

Good evening, It gives me great pleasure, this evening, to make not one, but two appointments - for the same person! Over a month ago, we advertised for applications for the En-Route Training Group lead. I am pleased to say that we had more than one applicant and accordingly, we were able to conduct a proper process. Competition was genuinely strong and I welcome that we've had multiple applicants. I'm pleased to say that Kye Taylor has been offered and has accepted the post of TG ENR

Adam Arkley

Adam Arkley in ATC Training

Sector File Coordinator Vacancy

The appointment of Peter Mooney to Deputy Operations Director has created a vacancy for a Sector File Coordinator. The Sector File Coordinator role sits within the Operations Team, leads work on the VATSIM UK Sector File and is responsible to the Operations Directors. They ensure contributors follow the standards of the repository, and review and merge Pull Requests. They are also responsible for publishing the Sector File each AIRAC. The Sector File Coordinator works as part of the wider O

Jack Edwards

Jack Edwards in Vacancy

2024 Christmas

Hi All, In similar fashion to our ATC Training Department, we will be winding down between the 23rd December to the 2nd January. During this time, responses to inquires may be slower than usual. For transfer or visiting applicants, please note that application processing may take longer, and we will not be sending our usual emails with 84 hour deadlines during this period. I hope everyone has a great Christmas and a happy New Year! For those of you taking part in the Christmas Qui

William Shaw

William Shaw in Member Services

Outreach Manager Appointment

Good Afternoon, I am pleased to announce that @Kye Taylor will be joining the team in the role of Outreach Manager. This newly created role is designed to enhance the experience of all our members, both current and new.  Kye brings a wealth of fresh ideas and passion to the role and I can't wait to see the impact he has moving forward.  To view just some of the areas this position will impact I'd invite you to view our application post:     

William Shaw

William Shaw in Staff Changes

2024 Christmas Closure

Good morning, all, As is tradition, to remove any burden of expectation on either our mentors, staff or students, the ATC Training Department will be closed between the 23rd December and 2nd January. During this period, there is no expectation of any mentoring or examinations taking place, but of course, if mentors and students find themselves with time and wanting to take part then we will, of course, not stop them! To this effect, between the 23rd December and 2nd January, no ATC Tra

Adam Arkley

Adam Arkley in ATC Training

P1 PPL(A) Syllabus and Moodle Updates

Hi all! After months of planning, getting .net approval, and a late night push with @Ben Carpenter, we are extremely proud to announce our revised and streamlined P1 PPL(A) syllabus. These changes are the first step in a wider effort my Pilot Training to improve training efficiency, modernize our syllabus, and encourage more self-study for students. Syllabus Changes Note: changes are effective immediately. The overall changes can be summarized as follows: Removal of t

Darren Hill

Darren Hill in Pilot Training

Resignation - James Thomas

Hi all, It's with sadness that I announce the departure of James from the team after over 4 years of dedication, hard work and valuable contributions to both the team and the division. James has played an important role, supporting multiple departments and his presence will be missed. I can't thank you enough James and wish you the very best going forward.

William Shaw

William Shaw in Staff Changes

Deputy Operations Director Appointment

I am pleased to announce that @Peter Mooney has accepted my offer of the role of Deputy Operations Director. I was delighted to receive so many applications for the role - competition was fierce and I would like to thank everyone who took the time to apply - it's great to see so many people interested in helping the division out.  Note: The role of 'Operations Manager' has been renamed to 'Deputy Operations Director' to make the department structure clearer and better reflect the division o

Jack Edwards

Jack Edwards in Operations

[Vacancy] Community Outreach Manager & Assistant

We are looking to expand the Community team and as such I am pleased to start recruitment for an Outreach Manager and Outreach Assistant. Outreach Manager As part of the Community department, the Outreach Manager will lead a team within the wider department that is focused on the experience of our members, supporting development in onboarding, member retention and improving our community spaces. They will play a key role in fostering a welcoming and engaging environment for both new and c

William Shaw

William Shaw in Vacancy

[VACANCY] Training Group Instructor - TG Enroute

The department is pleased to accept applications for the role of Training Group Instructor - TG Enroute. As you will no doubt be aware, VATSIM UK is a highly-demanded division for ATC training, providing thousands of mentoring sessions per year and hundreds of rating upgrades. Globally, we are renowned for providing high quality training and providing a high standard of service in some of the most densely populated and complicated airspace in the world. Our ethos is to provide pragmati

Adam Arkley

Adam Arkley in ATC Training

Operations Vacancies

The restructuring of Events into the Operations Department has created some vacancies! If you have any questions about the roles, including suitability then please don’t hesitate to get in touch. I am keen to foster some more home-grown talent in the department - we do not expect anyone to be the complete package when they apply for staff roles - training and guidance will be provided. I would be keen to receive applications from newer and more experienced members alike. Vacancies I am

Jack Edwards

Jack Edwards in Operations

New Operations Director

Good Afternoon All, Following Dave Woodward's resignation from the DSG, I am pleased to announce Jack Edwards as the new Operations Director. Many of you will already know Jack from staff roles he has held over the years, such as Division Instructor, and a previous stint as Operation Director. Jack's previous experience within the DSG and wider staff team makes him an excellent appointment - I look forward to working alongside him and seeing the Operations Department progress under his lead

Ben Wright

Ben Wright in United Kingdom

VFR Flight Instructor

Hi all! I am pleased to announce that @Ben Carpenter has returned to the Pilot Training team as our new co-VFR Flight Instructor alongside @Benjamin Arrowsmith. Ben has some great ideas about how to optimize our P1 course and brings passion from his real-world flying. Welcome back! (And yes, we still need to sort out the Ben and Ben situation 😂) Safe landings ✈️

Darren Hill

Darren Hill in Staff Changes

Resignation - Dave Woodward

Good Evening All,   It is with sadness that I announce Dave Woodward’s departure from the VATSIM UK DSG and staff team effective immediately. Dave joined our team at the beginning of this year as Training Group Instructor for TG Enroute and, during his tenure, has been working hard to supervise the training of our C1 students. In stark contrast to this time last year, our C1 waiting lists currently stands at just 12 members, a large part of which is down to the effort which Dave has in

Ben Wright

Ben Wright in United Kingdom

TGI Tower - Appointment

Good morning, It's with great pleasure that I welcome @Reece Buckleyback to the ATC Training team, this time in the role of Training Group Instructor - TG Tower. Reece is no stranger to the ATC Training Team, having previously held a post as TGI APP and his familiarity with the department makes his return to the team most welcome. I was pleased to hear that Reece brought several ideas to the table during interview and have every faith that he'll continue to build upon the solid foundation i

Adam Arkley

Adam Arkley in ATC Training

Department Restructuring

As alluded to during my October 2024 update, there are some planned changes to the structure of the Marketing Department. To summarise, this involves the splitting of the Marketing Department into Events and Social Media, with Events moving to fall under the Operations Department’s remit. Social Media responsibilities will move to the current Member Services Department, which will rebrand to become the Community Department. Luke Thompson and Thomas Hallam will move to the Operations and Communit

Ben Wright

Ben Wright in United Kingdom

VATSIM UK Christmas Social

All,   It’s almost that time of the year, and what better a way to get in the Christmas spirit than dinner and drinks with your fellow VATSIM-ers? The VATSIM UK Christmas Social will be held in Birmingham on 30 November - join us for dinner at 19:30 at the Indian Cafe Racer, followed by one of the below group activities: VATSIM UK Christmas quiz, likely to be held at a hotel bar Darts at the Flight Club Birmingham Crazy golf at Golf Fang Birmingham Dinner w

Ben Wright

Ben Wright in United Kingdom

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

[VACANCY] Training Group Instructor - TG TWR

The department is pleased to accept applications for the Training Group Instructor - TG TWR. As you will no doubt be aware, VATSIM UK is a highly-demanded division for ATC training, providing thousands of mentoring sessions per year and hundreds of rating upgrades. Globally, we are renowned for providing high quality training and providing a high standard of service in some of the most densely populated and complicated airspace in the world. Our ethos is to provide pragmatic, high-qual

Adam Arkley

Adam Arkley in ATC Training

Quarterly Review: Q3 2024

Join the team We are always looking for new mentors across our training courses: P1, P2, and TFP. Irrespective of your experience, if you are interested in contributing to the division and passionate about flying then please reach out! Helpdesk: https://helpdesk.vatsim.uk/ (select “Pilot Training” as the department) A new horizon The third quarter of 2024 played host to a mentality shift within the Pilot Training team. The numbers may not show it directly, but some great stri

Darren Hill

Darren Hill in Pilot Training

Changes in TG TWR

Good morning, all, It is with much sadness that I announce that Will Hinshaw has left his role within TG TWR, effective immediately. Will has held post within the training group since June 2023 and has been subject to incredible pressure in that time. TG TWR is a very difficult place in which to work, subject to high training delays, a challenging teaching environment and significant drop-out rates as people bed into their VATSIM controlling careers. Will has made great progress in reducing

Adam Arkley

Adam Arkley in ATC Training

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