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Quarterly Review: Q2 2024


Darren Hill

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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)

 

The second quarter

The second quarter of 2024 was a rather challenging quarter, both in the department and in my personal life. Many of you will notice a distinctly different tone in this review compared to my previous community updates, however, I hope to tie everything together at the end.

The Numbers and Graphs

P1 PPL(A)

P1_PPL(A).png.227d8570695c5f7318cf62ea530d2932.png

The P1 saw a large decrease in the number of sessions compared to Q1 2024. Since the course’s inception, this was the second-worst full quarter.

P2 SEIR(A)

P2_SEIR(A).png.c95d812702c9d81876f5e418c9845e9e.png

The P2 sees a similar story with a significant reduction in the number of sessions conducted.

The Flying Programme

TFP_FLIGHT.png.6b2b49fa74cc370863297f14492d0587.png

For the first time, I am including The Flying Programme in my review. While Q2 was not the best quarter, it continues a general upward trend seen in the number of TFP sessions.

Exams

Exam statistics are no longer comparable with our previous data. As such, I will start releasing data in future reviews for the number of exam forwards and passes for our ATO. In Q2 2024, no students were forwarded for exams.

Mentors

P1_PPL(A).png.bfc2fc62039b497687bc419f6b044854.pngP2_SEIR(A).png.f64d13c6e03bf2dc74cafd9c2fa3e97c.pngTFP_FLIGHT.png.b7fd71ef028f3d96f621d4b1576ae15e.png

For the first time, I am including a graph that shows the number of mentors that conducted a session in each quarter, ie the number of active mentors.

What is the data saying?

Overall, Q2 2024 is one of our poorer performances. P1 and P2 both saw record lows and TFP wasn’t without decline.

P1_PPL(A).png.31ab481940dbb178d244fe0fea70db74.pngP2_SEIR(A).png.63f746b39e29f230de5b18630286d0d0.pngTFP_FLIGHT.png.d795fdc6b83e56daa0a3766a42cacbab.png

As seen with these three combined graphs, there are obvious trends in the data. Quarters that have more active mentors have more students having sessions, thus more sessions take place. While this correlation may seem obvious or insignificant, it validates the mentality that a strong mentoring team achieves the results we are after.

My thoughts and reflections

Upon reflection, here are some factors that are at play:

  • My absence from my role for extended periods
  • GCSEs and other academic exam periods
  • Long-term effects of implementing the P5 and P6 ratings

I could spend paragraphs ranting about all the factors at play, most of which were lengthy discussions behind the scenes with my team. However, I don’t think that is a very fruitful time-spend. The reality of the situation is that irrespective of external factors like .net, we must be able to adapt and control the internal factors, such as our mentoring capacity.

I take full responsibility for the poor performance of the second quarter in the department for several reasons:

  1. My frequent absence and distance neglected my team to some degree. We stopped talking, didn’t work together as much, and accountability wasn’t upheld.
  2. I have brought the wrong mentality into my role and team for a while now. Irrespective of what has happened with .net in the past, that cannot be used as an excuse for us not getting the basics right at times.
  3. I didn’t engage the mentoring team very effectively. Not having a presence in the mentoring team leaves them feeling alone and doesn’t back up my FI team.

With that, enough of the negative talk and hanging onto that past. It’s happened, we’re in the situation we’re in because of it, but it’s time to move on.

I’ve had some honest discussions with my team (even more than what is being shared in this post) about where we are going as a department. I am committed to serving the VATSIM UK community and the wider VATSIM pilot training initiative.

Over the next quarter, my focus is on rebuilding with the concept of “going back to basics”. I do not expect that Q3 will be a stellar quarter numbers-wise as I’m not playing the short-term game. My team and I will strive to get our fundamentals correct: getting members pilot ratings, having the best pilot ratings courses on the network, and nurturing a team of enthusiastic and passionate mentors.

I am committed to improving my leadership style and skills to become a more effective leader for my team.

Please keep an eye out for more community updates!

Edited by Darren Hill

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Callum McLoughlin

Posted (edited)

This wont be what anyone wants to hear, but I do think that pilot training is something fairly dead in the water for a division. This sort of activity is probably more of interest in the VA world, but even there it remains a struggle to find people willing to help.

If ATC joined with a C1 rating, what incentive would there be to train to get a C3 when they could do anything anyway? Would anyone really be bothered to mentor?

I think it will always remain niche, small, and very difficult to properly mobilise as things stand. I don't think you should be blaming yourself Darren, you merely had a break from flogging the already dead horse.

Edited by Callum McLoughlin
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Darren Hill

Posted

18 minutes ago, Callum McLoughlin said:

This wont be what anyone wants to hear, but I do think that pilot training is something fairly dead in the water for a division. This sort of activity is probably more of interest in the VA world, but even there it remains a struggle to find people willing to help.

If ATC joined with a C1 rating, what incentive would there be to train to get a C3 when they could do anything anyway? Would anyone really be bothered to mentor?

I think it will always remain niche, small, and very difficult to properly mobilise as things stand. I don't think you should be blaming yourself Darren, you merely had a break from flogging the already dead horse.

I think you have a good point there Callum. The value proposition of the pilot ratings has, for a long time now, been pretty non-existent compared to ATC training. That being said, my opinion is that initiatives like TFP (the VATGER equivalent, BVA's WINGS, etc) are the way forward for delivering a consistent and introductory standard for pilots on the network. While I didn't mention too much of it in my post, I am treating TFP at the same level of importance (if not more) than I am with the P1 and P2 ratings. My hope is that more divisions and VAs create similar programs as that is how we can reach pilots on the network.

You also raise a very good point about the positioning of the pilot ratings. They offer nothing in terms of progression, only knowledge gain. However they way they are "marketed" doesn't quite match that. The same goes for teaching these courses - think of the difference between an OJTI in ATC versus a flight instructor, where one is an extension of a career and the other is (usually) merely a stepping stone. This, however, is more a topic of discussion for the existence and purpose of pilot ratings at a network level, a discussion which some of our team and I partake in directly with .net.

Whether pilot training in VATSIM UK is a dead horse or lost cause, that is up to the opinion people want to have. I still believe that, in a decent capacity, we can continue to operate and deliver high quality training. While it is quite a stretch to think we can compete with the division's ATC training scheme (that would be a great day!), I do believe we have relevance and purpose as a department.

As for blaming myself, I do realize I am taking a bit of a knock on the chin in the above post. My view is this: as the director of the department, I take the ultimate responsibility for everything that happens, good or bad. Hopefully you could glean from my post that I'm not putting myself in a rut for it. I want to learn and move on. 🙂

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Richard Schunemann

Posted

My 5p:

My personal experience is that the Pilot Training initiative is fantastic.
Without exception my tutors for both P1 and P2 have been excellent and it has been an enjoyable and worthwhile experience.

Sure, I'd love to have sessions more frequently, but, hey, I understand we all have a life.

I'll be putting myself forward to pay back!

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Richard Long

Posted

I echo Richard Schunemann's comment about TFP - my experience was also excellent.  I joined VATSIM more or less able to fly my aircraft, but the combination of adding real time comms and the gaps in my knowledge left me with less confidence than I might have wished for.  The learning curve isn't that bad, but with so much information out there, there's a lot to pick through looking for good quality.

I really appreciated the mentors who spared me their time (and indeed everyone else who patiently explained things along the way) and as a consequence would offer a couple of suggestions:

1) While the .net standard that we derive from sets a really low bar to entry, I think there needs to be more emphasis on pilots putting thrmselves through something like TFP at the beginning of their 'careers'.  We all see the considerable commitment that controllers make to progress beyond observer slots and the minimum standard of pilot should at least try to match it in quality.  This is far wider than the UK I know, but that training material for TFP is a huge asset and I think it should be more easily available, not just while students are self-enrolled, but on an ongoing basis for UK pilots.

2) While in TFP, there was one (excellent) group flight.  I'd love to see more, even on a weekly basis if possible, so that people learning the ropes can learn by example in all phases of the same flight.  Open them up to interested others and perhaps we'll see some additional help come forward?

I've no criticism for anything here, at whatever point you all consider I'm good enough I'd also love to help others out and put something back in.  I do that within my friend group and hopefully more will find their way in (albeit to the US region).

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