A look back on 2023

The 2023 calendar year saw some major changes to Pilot Training across the network, notably the introduction of the P5 and P6 ratings. In addition, the VATSIM UK ATO was audited for the first time in 2 years – a new experience for everyone involved due to the new audit structure and scope.

One thing that didn’t happen much last year was regular updates from our department. The lack of the usual quarterly reports is something I let slide while life got busy, and their absence undoubtedly left some members wondering what we were doing.

The P5 and P6 Ratings

VATSIM introduced two new ratings: the P5 and P6. These are temporary pilot ratings issued directly by the VATSIM PTD, as per document PTD4001.

The P5 is required for a member to conduct unsupervised instruction for members toward a pilot rating (P1-P4). An important note is that members, while working towards their P5, are permitted to instruct (or as well call it, mentor) other members. I am proud to say that the hard work our team put in last year allowed us to be the first ATO to be approved for training new flight instructors (P5s).

The introduction of the P6 officially moved the role of examiners away from the ATO. As such, no examiners are affiliated with the VATSIM UK ATO and all examiners operate in their capacity, reporting directly to the VATSIM PTD.

The Audit

The audit report highlighted some areas of concern and issued corrective action. The major points were:

• No process for monitoring the quality of training and instruction.
  This was primarily due to not having a set process outlined in our training handbook. A process was written for the training handbook and implemented in the January release.
   
• Theoretical examination process does not comply with PTD 1001 requirements.
  This was due to us splitting the theoretical exams into several parts. As such, exams were concatenated.
   
• No conflict resolution process independent of the training staff.
  Like point 1, a process was written for and implemented in the January training handbook release.

All recommendations were implemented by the requested dates.

Staff Changes

Several new staff members joined our team, including Cole Edwards overseeing TFP, and Ben Arrowsmith overseeing the P1 PPL(A).

What is happening in 2024?

Q1 Statistics

The P1 course saw a good number of sessions in Q1, slightly above the previous 8-quarter average. The quarter also saw a sharp increase in P1_MEN sessions due to three new mentors being added to the team.

 

The P2 also saw a healthy increase over the previous two quarters. Expectedly, no P2_MEN sessions were conducted as none of the new mentors elected to do their P5 on the P2.

Exam statistics are no longer tracked directly as they aren’t under the remit of the VATSIM UK ATO. The only student to be forwarded for an exam was for a P1, for which they passed to an exceptional standard – a testament to our course!

Projects and the Road Ahead

The big project for the next few months will be the P1 Rewrite. Behind the scenes, the project has slowed down considerably due to me and other key members having limited availability. My goal is to get this rewrite out as soon as possible, as it will deliver the same content as we currently do but in roughly 1/3 of the time! We will need help to edit content, write lesson briefings, and put together the new Moodle. If you are interested in participating, please get in contact with me or Craig Stewart.

The P3 is also moving along at a steady pace. However, I cannot give an exact date of completion.

TFP has started to gain traction over the past quarter, surpassing the P2 in number of sessions conducted. Cole and his team are continuing to develop TFP and work with the VATSIM PTD to give it more visibility to new members.

Where can I get involved?

If you’re interested in completing a P5 rating with us or are interested in joining the team, please get in contact with me via email or Discord.

Where has Darren been?

As many of you will have noticed, my availability over the past few months has been a bit sporadic and I’ve had to take some “leave” at times. I’ve had the privilege of doing a year of my degree in the United States, which has involved me having to move countries, settle down in a new university, and contend with everything life could throw at me. Nevertheless, I am soon going to be on my summer holiday and returning to being more active in my role. A massive thank you to Ben Wright, the DSG, and my team for supporting me as much as possible in this time!

Who knows, maybe I’ll see you all at Live!