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Flight Training Exercises


Daniel Crookes

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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' application will track you track your flight monitoring aspects such as your current position, altitude, airspeed and much more!

So, what is the point of it all?

The aim of Flight Training Exercises is to provide a platform where people are encouraged to visit new places and fly different aircraft whilst completing different challenges.

Want to know more, perfect! Click here!

Is that it? Absolutely not!

Now that we have our system in place, there is enormous scope for further development. Initially, we will continue to create and release VFR Challenges which will follow on from the current exercises. We plan to take this further by creating seasonal exercises, exercises based around events and eventually look to setup IFR exercises too. Did someone mention an Easter egg hunt?

So, Who's behind it all?

The Pilot Training Department has been working closely with the Web Team over the past ~18 months to produce this incredible system, and what a job it has been! I would like to express my thanks to @Calum Towers and @Neil Farrington for their incredible work over the development period, without them, this system would not have been possible. I'm also not forgetting @Anthony Lawrence who began the discussions with TFDi and laid the foundation work for the development.

The initial development of FTE's required many hours of understanding how TFDi's smartCARS application could be used for tracking the flights. TFDi have shown a great interest throughout the development of FTE's and offered their full support. The Pilot Training and Web Team would like to extend our thanks for their continued support throughout this whole process, including the donation of the smartCars application to VATSIM UK.

Had many notifications on your phone? That's their job! The Marketing Team have played a crucial role in getting this project seen within the community using just about anything they could get their hands on. A special thanks to @Alex Ashley for his work nearing the release of the system.

Our final thanks goes to anyone involved in the testing of FTEs prior to its launch. There are too many names to list here, but your flights helped us refine the criteria to ensure it struck the right balance between challenging and fun.

Keep your eyes peeled out on our social media for further developments!

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26 Comments


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Anthony Michael

Posted

I am greatly looking forward to this awesome!!

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Lewis Hardcastle

Posted

Well done for continuing this project all the way to release! I'll give some of them a run when I have some time.

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Josh Mendoza

Posted

Congrats guys! We're excited to be apart of this project and love what you have done with it! We look forward to the training it can provide to our fellow pilots!

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Sebastian Wheeler

Posted

WOOHOO!

 

Just had a look, but pilots might get confused with the aerodromes for "king of the castle"

- Exercise Name: ‘King of the Castle’ -

Exercise ID: V02 -

Departure Aerodrome: EGMD (Biggin Hill)

- Arrival Aerodrome: EGKA (Lydd) -

Errrrrr??????

Looks good otherwise, I'll be flying later next week, currently without a yoke....

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Daniel Crookes

Posted

39 minutes ago, Sebastian Wheeler said:

WOOHOO!

 

Just had a look, but pilots might get confused with the aerodromes for "king of the castle"

- Exercise Name: ‘King of the Castle’ -

Exercise ID: V02 -

Departure Aerodrome: EGMD (Biggin Hill)

- Arrival Aerodrome: EGKA (Lydd) -

Errrrrr??????

Looks good otherwise, I'll be flying later next week, currently without a yoke....

 

 

 

 

 

 

All sorted! Try using the mouse yoke! 

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Daniel Crookes

Posted

12 hours ago, Lewis Hardcastle said:

Correct and it's such a great project for endorsing pilots and newbies to fly in our division. I can't wait to control with these pilots flying into airports area controllers don't normally control proficiently... Just make sure the correct citations are used for any project the division implements. Is there a launch event coming along with the 'substantial' marketing that has been used as Daniel stated? We should aim to endorse these flights for any time of day, particularly using the newly implemented ACARS which makes this unique when compared to other implementations such as BVA (VATUSA) PRP exercises. Make the most of this and please help to create additional and fun flights for users!

Area controllers will only continue their proficiency from coverage and regular movements in the proposed areas! 

I assume you'll be creating exercises for additional areas after the initial release? 

The initial plan is to launch a new VFR exercise ~ every 2 weeks, exploring all of the UK. There are plans for a 'large' event in the pipeline. The future holds an incredible amount of potential due to the flexibility of the system!

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Sebastian Wheeler

Posted

2 hours ago, Dan Crookes said:

The initial plan is to launch a new VFR exercise ~ every 2 weeks, exploring all of the UK. There are plans for a 'large' event in the pipeline. The future holds an incredible amount of potential due to the flexibility of the system!

Who is responsible for the planning of the VFR exercises?

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Daniel Crookes

Posted

1 hour ago, Sebastian Wheeler said:

Who is responsible for the planning of the VFR exercises?

That responsibility is shared between myself and @James Gibson for the moment, but we will be getting a verdict from the community on what flights they would like because after all, it's you guys flying them!

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Sebastian Wheeler

Posted

1 hour ago, Dan Crookes said:

That responsibility is shared between myself and @James Gibson for the moment, but we will be getting a verdict from the community on what flights they would like because after all, it's you guys flying them!

Great, I look forward to seeing more!

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Michal Samordak

Posted (edited)

smartCARS do not work, simply when i put all my correct password and login it display:   "Your login information was incorrect"   

I bet hundreds of people feel anoyed about it as I am.

FIX IT!!!! 

P.S. no Firewall and no antivirus in my PC

Untitled.jpg

Edited by Michal Samordak
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Fraser Cooper

Posted

16 minutes ago, Michal Samordak said:

smartCARS do not work, simply when i put all my correct password and login it display:   "Your login information was incorrect"   

I bet hundreds of people feel anoyed about it as I am.

FIX IT!!!! 

P.S. no Firewall and no antivirus in my PC

Untitled.jpg

I don't think anyone will help you with that attitude. 

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Trevor Hannant

Posted

19 minutes ago, Michal Samordak said:

smartCARS do not work, simply when i put all my correct password and login it display:   "Your login information was incorrect"   

I bet hundreds of people feel anoyed about it as I am.

FIX IT!!!! 

P.S. no Firewall and no antivirus in my PC

Untitled.jpg

Plenty of others have logged in and filed reports via smartCARS. 

yelling "FIX IT!!!!" will win you no awards for person most likely to be assisted quickly...

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Michal Samordak

Posted

Thank you Callum! 

You just help few of my friends to get it going,  you are a star!

Hope it will help others to log in as well.

 

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I had a good at all the flights today and the "Danger, Danger!" is frustrating me as twice it's saying it is a fail but my flight line does not go near the "danger" anyone else had any issues on this??

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Daniel Crookes

Posted (edited)

7 minutes ago, Lee Evans said:

I had a good at all the flights today and the "Danger, Danger!" is frustrating me as twice it's saying it is a fail but my flight line does not go near the "danger" anyone else had any issues on this??

Hi Lee,

I have reviewed your flights and both of them did meet all of the criteria, I have manually overridden them to passes, thanks for your feedback we will have a detailed look as to why the system marked your flights as failed, sometimes the 'computer says no!'

Dan :D

Edited by Dan Crookes
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Lewis Hammett

Posted

Hi,

 

I just tried starting the first exercise; and while trying to start the flight on SmartCARS, it stated I needed to download FSUIPC; which I did. Though SmartCARS still does not allow me to begin flying. Anyone else had this issue? Any help would be appreciated. 

Furthermore, in the PLOG, the NAV frequency for LYD is 114.040. Just a typo, but the freq is 114.050.

Cheers,

Lewis H 

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Lewis Hammett

Posted

Hi Callum,

 

After restarting twice, it worked. Thanks for your help. 

Flight complete. 

Lewis

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Chris Doyle

Posted

When flying an exercise and you do not pass is there any way to know why you failed? 

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