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VATSIM UK is pleased to bring you another thrilling VFR adventure with the Hebrides High Tour on Sunday, 16th March, from 1200-1400z! We're back for more VFR, this time exploring the breathtaking Scottish Hebrides, home to dramatic coastlines, rolling landscapes, and some of the UK’s most unique airfields. Take in the spectacular sights as you navigate the iconic beach landing at Barra, pass over the remote beauty of Benbecula, and experience the bustling airspace around Stornoway. Whether you're island-hopping or enjoying a scenic cruise, this is the perfect chance to experience VFR flying at its best. We aim to provide ATC coverage for: Stornoway (EGPO) Benbecula (EGPL) Barra (EGPR) Fire up your aircraft, plan your route, and join us as we take in the beauty of Scotland’s Western Isles from above! Controllers wishing to control for this event are to book via the CTS

Effective 20th February 2025 The Manchester Low Level Route (MLLR) is being replaced by a new Restricted Area, the North West Transit Corridor (NWTC). The MLLR as Class D airspace had special rules to allow aircraft to fly through without receiving a clearance. In order to reduce the risk of mid-air collisions and to effectively manage the airspace, the following changes will take effect: The Manchester Low Level Route will now be known as the North West Transit Corridor (NWTC) The airspace will be reclassified as Glass G (uncontrolled) A Restricted Area (EGR323) will be implemented, with specific rules for aircraft transiting the corridor The corridor will be extended to the east by 0.65 NM The ceiling of the corridor will be raised by 200 ft to altitude 1500 ft (Manchester or Liverpool QNH) Aircraft will not be required to wear a specific squawk, or monitor Manchester Radar. Figure 1 - New NWTC The new Restricted Area permits flights operating under the following conditions; Aircraft with a maximum indicated airspeed of 140 knots, Minimum visibility of 5 km, Maximum certified take-off mass of 40,000 kg, Police, HEMS, Search and Rescue or Royal Flight Aircraft are exempted from the restrictions. Manchester Radar (INT South) may continue to provide UK FIS within the corridor, and is encouraged to do so in order to mitigate accidental airspace infringements. Changes to Manchester CTA/CTR delegations With the changes to the corridor, the responsibility of the Manchester CTA sections has been updated, with Manchester responsible for the CTR portions east of the western edge of the corridor (blue) and Liverpool responsible for the areas to the west (purple). Figure 2 - Responsibility of Manchester CTA Changes to Liverpool RMA In order to ensure aircraft remain inside controlled airspace, the bases of area E and F have been raised by 200 ft to altitude 1500 ft. Aircraft should be kept at 2000 ft to ensure 500 ft separation from the base of CAS. Figure 3 - Updated Liverpool RMA Documentation Status The Manchester and Liverpool vMATS will be updated with these changes at the next release.

Effective 20th February 2025 The recommended VFR route between the Solent area and the Cherbourg Peninsula has been removed. VFR traffic routing between the Channel Islands and the Solent area should now route via the ‘Cap de la Hague’ VRP (located to the east of Alderney). This route is not mandatory, but pilots should expect it. Documentation Status The Jersey vMATS will be updated with these changes at the next release.

🖌️ Want to join the VATSIM UK Media Team? 🖌️ We are looking to expand the VATSIM UK Media Team! This is a voluntary group of people who assist the community department with the creation of event banners and various graphics for our social media and forums. If you are interested in joining, please create a fictional banner! "Newcastle Overload - 24/01/25 - 1200z - 1500z - Full staffup of Newcastle" Feel free to be as adventurous as you like, but attempt to stick to the branding guidelines where possible: https://www.vatsim.uk/marketing/branding Please note, this is a fictional event and the role is not a staff role. Looking to contribute in a different way? You may be interested in helping produce some of our video and/or animated content, to express interest, please provide us with a few examples of your work. Submit either to [email protected] with your name and CID by 28th February 2025. From the submissions, we will select a handful of members to join the Media Team. Good luck!

Dear pilots, vACC Slovakia in collaboration with VATSIM UK and vRYR are announcing an upcoming event: Bratislava - Stansted One Way. Depart from the largest city and Slovakia's capital - Bratislava (LZIB), and enjoy flying over Central Europe and busy German airspace. This beautiful flight will lead you to one of the six beating aviation hearts of London - London Stansted (EGSS). You can join this flight on the 22nd of February. There will be a 2-hour pre-departure window from 1600 to 1800z, and arrivals in London Stansted are expected in between 1830 and 2030z. Event Route: LZIB - EGSS: TOVKA DCT DITIS DCT OKG DCT VELIS DCT SWALM DCT NOGRO M40 RINIS Controllers please note that this event will be rostered, an Expression of Interest will be posted in due course.

Hi all! With the new year well underway, I want to take a moment to review and reflect on the successes of Pilot Training in 2024. As most of you will remember, mid-2024 saw a massive shift in how I was running Pilot Training. Read more here: Since then, I've made sure to deliver on my promises of being a better leader to my team and to improve our training programmes. I am beyond excited to announce that with the incredible help of the FIs (@Benjamin Arrowsmith, @Ben Carpenter, @Cole Edwards, and @Firas Bashee), mentors, and department staff (@Craig Stewart) we have ended 2024 with one of our best quarters ever! The numbers P1 PPL(A) The P1 course, across the board, saw its second best quarter ever, and our best in over 3 years! We saw a sharp increase in the number of sessions, and notably we also saw an increase in the number of sessions per student. On average, we gave each of our 11 students 4 sessions, which equates to roughly 1.8 per month when factoring in the Christmas break. Simply fantastic! P2 SEIR(A) The P2 also saw a very positive Q4, where we saw some new mentors and students received regular sessions. Despite the challenges in 2024, the year produces very comparable data to previous years. The Flying Programme Unfortunate no TFP sessions were conducted during Q4 2024. However, 2024 overall was a great foundational year for TFP. Exams We continued our 100% pass rate under the new exam system throughout 2024 - a truly fantastic achievement! My thoughts and reflections Despite everything 2024 threw at us, we persevered and overcame. The improvements we've made to Pilot Training, in both course content and management, cannot be understated! Our training times are shorter, our students are getting regular sessions, our courses are getting better, and the exams results are simply excellent. To all the DSG, staff, and members who supported me through 2024 - thank you. I'm more motivated than ever in my role to lead this incredible department, and most importantly I've come to enjoy it and the network again. What's next? In looking at the statistics for January 2025, we are on track to obliterate even the fantastic Q4 we saw last year. Our sessions per month for students has increased further, and TFP is on track for a record quarter. For the P1, our next step is to introduce video briefings to further streamline our content delivery. In TFP, we're looking to optimize our content to best supplement the new NMOC released by the VATSIM PTD. Additionally, there will be openings for staff in Pilot Training opening soon, so stay tuned!

New Operations Staff Members and Team Structure It gives me great pleasure to announce that @James Bayliss-de Gruchy and @Mohamed Ouahchia have accepted offers to join the staff team as Events Assistants. They will assist the Events Manager in organising the UK's event's schedule. Also joining the team is @Ben Walker as the new Sector File Coordinator (replacing Peter Mooney, who has moved to Deputy Operations Director). Ben has been an active contributor to Operations for some time now and he sets an excellent example of how to get involved with the division from a grassroots level, contributing to the sector file and more recently ATC Documentation. Congratulations to all three on their appointments! The new additions to the team mean we have only one remaining vacancy - the Enroute Operations Cooridnator role. If you think you have the necessary skills and desire to help out, then please do get in touch. ATC Documentation - docs.vatsim.uk We have launched a new online documentation site! Thus far, only Airfield Controller Briefings (mini-vMATS), known colloquially as "ACBs" have been imported into this new format (e.g. EGKR, EGMC, etc.). Other documents (vMATS, Cribs, ALDs) are embedded in a PDF format (also downloadable) and will be converted to the website format in due course. The main benefits of the new system are: A site-wide search function Replaces the forum download system (which is becoming prohibitively expensive to maintain) Documentation can be edited and accessed in a GitHub repository (making changes and updates much simpler to implement) Dark/light/system colour scheme In-browser reading, means you are always viewing the latest version Abbreviation definitions: Anywhere you see a blue dotted underline of an acronym, hover over to see what it means If you have feedback on the new system (positive or negative), please open a ticket to Operations in the helpdesk so issues can be tracked appropriately. The new website will run alongside the forum for a while whilst we iron out teething issues. Other Points of Interest/On-going Projects Crib Sheet Review - being conducted by @Alice Ford has recently closed a division-wide survey on the contents and usefulness of cribsheets. A-CDM Plugin - A plugin that mimics real world departure flow control, integrating with ECFMP flow restrictions that has been included with the latest UK Controller Pack thanks to @Luke Brown. https://docs.vatsim.uk/General/Use of Software/A-CDM/ 2024 Airfield and Traffic Statistics - orgnaised by @Kye Taylor and the Community Team. https://community.vatsim.uk/blogs/entry/584-2024-statistics-and-review/ Manchester Controller Guidance - Work in Progress with thanks to @Callum McLoughlin and @Archie Middlefell. More on this to follow. Any questions or feedback for the department, please get in touch: jack.edwards[at]vatsim.uk or via helpdesk. Fly safe, Jack

Good day, It is with tremendous regret that I announce the unfortunate and unexpected resignation of Fraser Cooper from his post as Heathrow TGI. Fraser has been in post since April 2023 and has worked for a long time for the benefit of Heathrow on VATSIM, overseeing some fantastic changes within the TG and pushing Heathrow training to ensure that we consistently deliver prompt and high quality training to those who seek it. Fraser's contributions include overseeing the provision of training to S1 rated members at Heathrow for the first time, following the introduction of GCAP in March of last year. Fraser's efforts in this area have ensured the prompt delivery of training to members whilst ensuring that we do not distil the high quality that we seek to maintain at our only Tier 1 airport. Fraser has also worked closely with our Events and Operations teams, ensuring that we appropriately roster our controllers during events and providing input to changing procedures over time. Fraser's contribution has been notable and he will be sorely missed in this post. I am pleased, however, to confirm that Fraser will continue in post as Division Instructor for the forseeable. Fraser - thank you for your efforts over the past couple of years and please don't be a stranger! All the best, Adam

As @Ben Wright alluded to in his January 2025 Update blog post here is the longer and more detailed anaysis of the statistics of aircraft movements and controlling over the last year! Before I begin, Thank you to HS and @Jack Edwards for their support in collecting, analysing and reviewing my drafted post. Headlines Stats Network Traffic Traffic growth in the UK showed no sign of slowing down last year, with around 90,000 more movements in 2024 than 2023. For the first time, UK airports saw more than half a million movements - a significant milestone! These figures count takeoffs and landings, which means domestic flights are counted twice but overflights are not included. The average movements per day has therefore also increased significantly, from 1,327 per day in 2023 to 1,572 per day in 2024. Total Movements % Change 2020 372,032 - 2021 393,052 5.3% 2022 407,895 3.6%, 2023 484,385 15.8% 2024 573,837 15.2% Arrivals % Change 2020 157,500 - 2021 164,021 4.0% 2022 168,761 2.8% 2023 202,652 16.7% 2024 241,537 15.6% Departures % Change 2020 214,532 - 2021 229,031 6.3% 2022 239,134 4.2% 2023 281,733 15.1% 2024 332,300 14.8% In the global rankings, the UK had 4 of the top 15 airports on the network in 2024. Heathrow officially reclaimed the global top spot on VATSIM 🥳, easily beating second place Frankfurt (and 2023’s winner) who followed behind with 121,550 movements! Despite having only 5 VATSIM UK events hosted there! Change World Rank Airport Departed Arrived Total Avg / Day +1 1 EGLL 84,089 63,562 147,651 405 -2 5 EGKK 54,490 33,851 88,341 242 -1 7 EGCC 44,321 26,927 71,248 195 +3 12 EGPH 32,745 24,322 57,067 156 The table below shows the top 30 UK airports ranked by total movements. Heathrow traffic grew 36.7% in 2024, which is most likely attributable to the various scenery and aircraft releases in 2024, as well as our ever increasing pool of controllers. This growth rate is similar to Luton that also saw a significant increase in traffic, with Aberdeen in 16th seeing the biggest relative increase. Stansted and Gatwick’s movements both fell in 2024, which is the first decrease in traffic at Gatwick since we started collecting these figures in 2020. Rank Airport Change Movements 2023 Movements 2024 % Change 23-24 Arrivals 2024 Departures 2024 1 EGLL - 93,448 147,651 36.7% 63,562 84,089 2 EGKK - 92,700 88,341 -4.9% 33,851 54,490 3 EGCC - 66,115 71,248 7.2% 26,927 44,321 4 EGPH - 43,007 57,067 24.6% 24,322 32,745 5 EGSS - 34,167 31,958 -6.9% 12,742 19,216 6 EGGW +6 10,190 15,880 35.8% 6,540 9,340 7 EGGD -1 13,795 13,376 -3.1% 5,395 7,981 8 EGBB -1 10,982 12,156 9.7% 5,099 7,057 9 EGAA -1 10,943 11,982 8.7% 5,617 6,365 10 EGNX -1 10,523 11,607 9.3% 4,884 6,723 11 EGPF - 10,323 11,378 9.3% 5,287 6,091 12 EGGP +1 9,130 8,573 -6.5% 3,655 4,918 13 EGNT +1 7,445 8,240 9.6% 3,743 4,497 14 EGNM +2 5,332 7,753 31.2% 3,365 4,388 15 EGLC - 5,955 7,358 19.1% 3,626 3,732 16 EGPD +4 2,720 4,368 37.7% 2,156 2,212 17 EGAC +1 3,355 4,300 22.0% 2,169 2,131 18 EGPE +1 2,958 3,155 6.2% 1,611 1,544 19 EGFF +3 2,267 3,009 24.7% 1,306 1,703 20 EGHI +1 2,401 2,473 2.9% 1,172 1,301 21 EGHH +5 1,311 1,830 28.4% 833 997 22 EGHQ +1 1,775 1,507 -17.8% 774 733 23 EGMC +2 1,347 1,405 4.1% 636 769 24 EGTE - 1,649 1,283 -28.5% 579 704 25 EGPK +3 1,192 1,227 2.9% 554 673 26 EGSH +6 769 1,071 28.2% 484 587 27 EGLF +4 938 1,034 9.3% 459 575 28 EGKB -1 1,205 1,004 -20.0% 419 585 29 EGPB - 1,030 971 -6.1% 506 465 30 EGKA +1 897 879 -2.0% 385 494 To finish the traffic statistics, the following table shows movements at airports covered top-down by each Area Control group. Unsurprisingly, London South (covering Heathrow and Gatwick) were the highest at more than a quarter of a million. It’s worth noting though that because these are just airport movements, not all flights through the airspace are included - in fact, most Heathrow arrivals actually pass through LAG Central airspace! The increasing traffic levels will continue to bring challenges for our area controllers, making it almost impossible to staff the same positions year-on-year without the busy aerodrome and approach controllers online too. 2023 2024 Growth LAG South 200,539 252,406 20.5% LAG Central 66,922 72,654 7.9% LAG North 94,201 102,505 8.1% LAG West 33,465 35,172 4.9% Scottish 75,928 95,064 20.1% UK ATC In 2024, our controllers spent around 43,000 hours controlling, spread over 400 UK aerodromes and area positions. Listed below are the top controlled positions over the last year. Position Uptime Controlling hours Manchester Ground 49% uptime over 4,300 hours Gatwick Ground 45% uptime over 3.900 hours Edinburgh Ground 37% uptime over 3,200 hours Heathrow Tower 31% uptime over 2,700 hours Gatwick Tower 30% uptime over 2,600 hours Manchester Tower (Combined) 27% uptime over 2,300 hours Edinburgh Tower 24% uptime over 2,100 hours Heathrow Director (Combined) 23% uptime over 1,950 hours Stansted Ground 21.88% uptime over 1,900 hours Gatwick Director (Combined) 18.38% uptime over 1,600 hours Summary The skies over the UK are getting busier than ever! Whether it's madness during our busiest events or just a standard evening, our controllers are continuing to not only cope, but also excel at handling network traffic growth that shows no signs of slowing down.. From cluttered radar screens to pilots stuck under inbounds requesting "further climb", thank you to all UK controllers who continue to provide an excellent service.✈️

Version 2025/01 Available ⚠️ You must update your sector file and controller pack to ensure correct sector ownership and sector file identification when controlling. Installation Instructions The pack is compatible with EuroScope 3.2.3.2 which can be downloaded here. You should install in the default 'working directory': \%appdata%\Roaming\EuroScope Please read the README contained within the pack for full details. An installation guide can be found on the VATSIM UK Documentation Site We continue to work with Gergely to test the latest version of EuroScope (3.2.9) However, at the time of writing we cannot guarantee it will be stable. Please keep an eye on Discord announcements for the recommended ES version. Important Updates Collaborative Decision Making (CDM) Plugin Added - Controller guide available on the VATSIM UK Documentation Site Changelog Fixes #857 - Add SRD search dialog to FPL column in startup lists by @Kristian Kunc in https://github.com/VATSIM-UK/uk-controller-pack/pull/941 Fixes #944 - Add Jersey (EGJJ) settings to NOVA TopSky by @Samuel Lefevre in https://github.com/VATSIM-UK/uk-controller-pack/pull/943 Fixes #948 - Update README TopSky link by @Kristian Kunc in https://github.com/VATSIM-UK/uk-controller-pack/pull/949 Fixes #951 - Add TFP alias by @Aiden Bok in https://github.com/VATSIM-UK/uk-controller-pack/pull/952 Fixes #942 - Fixed LTC_CTR centrelines, adjusted colours on NERC and disabled CARD on NODE, added projection for Area positions by @Samuel Lefevre in https://github.com/VATSIM-UK/uk-controller-pack/pull/945 Fixes #957 - Update Cosford (EGWC) Frequencies by @Aiden Bok in https://github.com/VATSIM-UK/uk-controller-pack/pull/958 Fixes #900 - CDM Plugin Change & Improvements by @Luke Brown in https://github.com/VATSIM-UK/uk-controller-pack/pull/954 Fixes #950 - Update LogonDetails.exe by @Luke Brown in https://github.com/VATSIM-UK/uk-controller-pack/pull/959 Fixes #790 - Add Gibraltar (LXGB) Profiles & Displays by @Samuel Lefevre in https://github.com/VATSIM-UK/uk-controller-pack/pull/946 Fixes #953 - Add Norwich (EGSH) Profiles & Displays by @Samuel Lefevre in https://github.com/VATSIM-UK/uk-controller-pack/pull/960 Fixes #794 - Add Newquay (EGHQ) Profiles & Displays by @Samuel Lefevre in https://github.com/VATSIM-UK/uk-controller-pack/pull/961 * 2025/01 Sector File Update by @github-actions in https://github.com/VATSIM-UK/uk-controller-pack/pull/962 **Full Changelog**: https://github.com/VATSIM-UK/uk-controller-pack/compare/2024_13...2025_01 Changes Only Version A changes only version is available for download. However, due to changes in plugins & lists setups, a full install is recommended.

Effective 23rd January 2025 Low Visibility & Safeguarding Procedures Whilst Inverness is not equipped for CAT II/III operations, safeguarding procedures should be enforced when the visibility or RVR is 2000 m or less and falling, or the cloud ceiling is 300 ft or less (broken or more) Holding Procedures The INS (Inverness VORDME) hold is variable and depends on the runway. When on runway 23 the axis is 046° with left hand turns and on runway 05 the axis is 238° with right hand turns.

Effective 23rd January 2025 The taxiway restrictions which restricted A220s and E290/95s from using the full length of the taxiway at EGLC has now been removed. These aircraft may now use the full taxiway past the baggage hall (taxiway T between T6 and T4) Documentation Status The London City & Thames (EGLC) vMATS will be updated at the next revision to reflect the changes

Effective 23rd January 2025 Following an erroneous removal in the 2410 release of the Cambridge ACB, the ACB has been updated to include Cambridge Radar (EGSC_APP). The director position still remains removed. Controllers may still operate the airport procedurally if they wish, as is often done IRL. Documentation Status The Cambridge (EGSC) Airfield Controller Brief will be updated at the next revision to reflect the changes

2025/01 Released! --- AIRACs: --- 2501: Added helipads to and removed perimeter from Rochester (EGTO) SMR- thanks to @RadarController (Chris Globe) Updated Cosford (EGWC) Frequencies Updated Yeovilton (EGDY) ARP and Runway designators --- Other: --- Procedure Change (2501): Re-added Cambridge (EGSC) Radar Bug: Added guest ownership to Galloway sector for correct next sector prediction of PF/PH inbounds to APP Added guest ownership to Talla sector for correct next sector prediction of ScTMA inbounds from Deancross Improved display of EGPN/QL inbound standing agreement from Deancross to Talla Enhancement: Removed data withdrawn 2022/13 and prior Changed East Midlands (EGNX) SMR Colour Added COPX display of 'COORD' for EGPN/QL inbounds sector sequence Talla-Galloway-Tay Renamed standing agreement files to use full sector name --- Many thank to our contributors this cycle: --- @Aiden Bok @Chris Globe

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 promote staff development and implement a clearer succession plan. I was thrilled to immediately see work begin in this area, with @Peter Mooney being promoted to Deputy Operations Director. Following the removal of the Marketing Department, restructuring of the Operations Department has resulted in @Luke Thompson joining the team as our Events Manager. Similarly affected by this restructuring was the Member Services Department, which welcomed @Kye Taylor back to the staff team as our Outreach Manager. Kye is joined by @Thomas Hallam of ex-Marketing Department fame/notoriety, where the two will be responsible for improving member experience, retention and onboarding. As a result of this new, broader focus, the Member Services Department has rebranded to become the Community Department. During this time we were also sad to see the departure of @James Thomas from the Community Department, who has left the staff team after an incredible 4 year tenure. On behalf of the entire Division, I would like to thank James for his countless contributions over the years, and I wish him all the best for the future. Continuing with recent appointments and resignations, but switching focus to the Pilot Training Department, we welcome the return of @Ben Carpenter as one of two VFR Flight Instructors in the department. Ben was recruited into this role to try and streamline the manner in which we conduct our P1 rating training, and I was impressed to see the culmination of this work published last December in the form of an updated P1 Syllabus and Moodle course. Last but not least, ATC Training has itself seen a number of staff changes, such as @Will Hinshaw leaving his role as Training Group Instructor. Will led the Tower Training Group since June 2023 and I would like to extend my gratitude for the hundreds of hours he has contributed towards the training of S2 students during his tenure. @Reece Buckley and @Kye Taylor were appointed as successors to the roles of Tower TGI and Enroute TGI respectively, the latter of which was left vacant following Dave Woodward’s resignation. Both Reece and Kye have been previously appointed as mentors, examiners and staff within the ATC Training Department and in recognition of this, Kye Taylor was also appointed to the role of Division Instructor. Not only was this an incredibly busy quarter in terms of staff changes, but it has also been an incredibly busy year for the same reason. I am happy to have passed a very important personal milestone now that we have finally completed the restructuring of departments and finished recruitment to staff positions. Although it took the better part of a year to get to where we are, I am incredibly proud to lead a full, highly-motivated staff team into the new year, and I look forward to see the new ideas and enthusiasm which these new appointments will bring. Moving on to other news within the Division, last October we saw some changes to the way in which OBS-S1 training takes place. These changes were introduced in order to streamline the training process and place a greater emphasis on self-study prior to students being offered practical training. These changes have already resulted in the OBS-S1 waiting list length decreasing for the first time in many, many years, even in spite of a quieter than average Q4 for TGNC. I would recommend any current or future S1 students read the following blog post from @Adam Arkley, which explains in more detail the nature of these changes. Equally relevant to our ATC trainees is the 2024 ATC Training review which provided some useful insight into the performance of the ATC Training Department. For the sake of repetition, I will not recap everything here, however a very short TLDR is as follows: ATC rating upgrades remain consistent with 2023 levels, despite the introduction of new department leadership, Network policy (GCAP and TVCP) and training procedure (OBS-S1 changes and S2/S3 block training) at various points throughout the year. Efficiencies gained in the S3 training process were unfortunately counteracted by losses in the C1 process, however I am happy to report that despite this, waiting lists have reduced over the past year at almost all training levels. Further contributing to their workload, the ATC Training Department has, alongside the Community Department, almost entirely worked through the backlog of transferring controller validations. Assuming our current trajectory continues, I expect this backlog to be entirely cleared within the current quarter. This is significant, not only because it brings us into compliance with regional policy regarding transfer times, but also because it would be the first waiting list to be completely eradicated under myself and Adam’s tenure. My thanks go in particular to our VT Assistant, @Dylan Parkes, as well as our Division Instructors who carry out the majority of practical validations. This can often be a thankless task as, unfortunately, a large proportion of these validations result in failure. This outcome is not entirely surprising given not only the complexity of UK airspace, but also the sheer volume of traffic which we see in our Division. I understand Kye is putting together a longer post to provide detailed statistics on this topic so I don’t want to say too much, but do wish to share some rather incredible statistics. Over the last year, traffic levels in the UK have increased by a further 15.6% compared to 2023, and we have surpassed half a million annual movements for the first time in Division history. There will be no prizes for guessing which UK airport (located between Slough and Hounslow) was ranked the busiest overall on the Network this year, but equally as impressive to see was the diverse mix of airfields which attract traffic. We had 3 airports feature in the top 10 busiest airports on the Network, tied with the US but otherwise more than any other single country, and 6 which feature in the top 100. Gatwick was by far the busiest single runway airport on the Network while Manchester just lost out to Los Angeles, the busiest airport in the US, by a difference of 400 movements over the course of the year. For some perspective, that difference equates to slightly less than one day’s worth of movements at Heathrow on VATSIM! I believe this speaks volumes about not only the quantity of ATC coverage, but also the quality of service which we provide. This is a culmination of efforts across a many groups: our ATC Training Team, mentors and examiners who are constantly raising the bar in terms of training quality; Operations for maintaining our sector file and controller packs to the highest standard each month, as well as consistently organising events which are enjoyable for pilots and controllers alike; Technology for maintaining our critical infrastructure and developing bespoke services such as UKCP, without which controlling would be near impossible; Pilot Training for assisting newer pilots onto the Network through the one-of-a-kind Flying Programme, and of course Community for keeping the lights on in all our departments. Finally, a special thanks goes to you, our membership, and everyone who consistently logs on to fly and control in the UK - it is your efforts which showcase the Division and continue to attract new members each day. Looking ahead to the new year, I anticipate continued improvement and growth within the Division now that the Christmas season is over and we are back to business as usual. The DSG are currently in the final stages of reviewing rewrites of ATC Training Policy and the ATC Training Handbook. Adam and his team have spent countless hours writing these documents and I know he is very eager to share these with you all. In a similar vein, we are in the final stages of approving a rewritten Division Policy and, although I can’t imagine it’s too hotly anticipated, it does finally bring UK policy in line with recent releases of GCAP, TVCP and the Code of Conduct. This will allow myself and Nick to shift our focus elsewhere – we have lots of things to pick from, but if you believe there is a burning issue which you want to see fixed then please do let us know! That is all from me for now, thank you for taking the time to read this update and please don’t hesitate to reach out with any questions. Myself and Nick remain contactable via email, the Helpdesk and, of course, via Discord. Ben

Great synopsis Adam. Thank you.

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 various learning capabilities. We work in a complicated environment subject to regular change - and my team stay abreast of that and continue to deliver high quality training. In three of our ratings, we've performed more rating upgrades this year than last - in one case performing to just over 150% of last year's throughput. This is hard work, in a hard environment, and my thanks go out to all of my team, past and present, from the most infrequent mentor to the hardest working of my staff - thank you for all that you do, for all that you continue to do and for sacrificing so much of your time for the enjoyment of others. Exams The division conducted 161 examinations this year, resulting in 143 rating upgrades. Both of these numbers are, sadly, slightly below 2023's numbers (161 vs 166 and 143 vs 145), but continuity is key in what we're doing. We also needn't forget the exemplary contribution to C1 rating upgrades of our outgoing En-route TGI coming into 2024. However, we must recognise the contribution to this years numbers of our Approach Training Group. Last year, we saw 10 S3 rating upgrades but followed this year with 16 - a 160% increase in rating upgrades year-on-year. Given that it is commonly accepted that S2 > S3 is the hardest rating upgrade to obtain, this is a huge achievement and my thanks go to our team of S3 mentors led by @Samuel Lefevre and our approach examiners for their efforts. There are also some interesting statistics that we can start to draw from the statistics between this year and last: This year in TGNC, we saw an average of 6.8 sessions per rating upgrade. In the previous year, this number was 7.2. Our TGNC training is becoming more efficient. This year in TG TWR, we saw an average of 12.5 sessions per rating upgrade. In the previous year, this number was 12.8. Our tower training is becoming more efficient. This year in TG APP, we saw an average of 16.4 sessions per rating upgrade. In the previous year, this number was 32.8. This is an absolutely extraordinary improvement. This year, in TG ENR, we saw an average of 31.6 sessions per rating upgrade. In the previous year, this number was 14.8. This is an absolutely extraordinary degradation in performance. As ever, we must consider some relevant caveats for this. Specifically, a student who passed their rating upgrade this year may have done the bulk of their training last year, whilst a number of mentoring sessions from 2024 may not lead to a rating upgrade until 2025. However, averages are averages and the numbers speak for themselves. We must consider why our en-route training performance has degraded so much and I will explore this with @Kye Taylor and @Will Jennings in the coming days. My initial suspicion relates both to traffic volume and pilot quality, but we'll need to do some more digging and report back. Mentoring This year, we saw 1,408 mentoring sessions take place across all training groups, compared with 1,506 last year. There's an argument to say there's reasonably clear correlation in a reduction of mentoring sessions as the year has gone on but that's not quite true in all training groups and so the correlation isn't as clear as I would like. For example, in Q4, TG TWR had its second busiest quarter, whilst TGNC had its quietest across all of my records. We must also consider that, sadly, we've seen a lot of variation in the leads of various training groups. With @Reece Buckley being appointed in TG TWR and @Kye Taylor being appointed in TG ENR, I hope that we can see a return to stability in 2025 and that we can continue to make progress with mentoring. I am reassured that we're seeing TGNC, TG TWR and TG APP all improve in efficiency throughout 2024 - likely testament to the introduction of block training in both TG TWR and TG APP, championed by messers @Will Hinshaw and @Samuel Lefevre respectively - my thanks to both for their efforts. Perhaps the biggest surprise for me is the impact to our waiting lists. I am pleased to say that for the first time since I took up this post and, I suspect, for a long time before that, our OBS > S1 waiting list has decreased in size. That's right folks - if you join now, you'll have less time to wait than if you'd joined 3 months ago. The fun doesn't stop there - we've also seen a really significant decrease in the size of the waiting list for TG TWR. After a year of effort, tweaking, hard work and dedication across the department, alongside the longer-term impact of GCAP, the waiting lists are finally reducing in size. I am very proud of the work of all of the teams in achieving this - thank you once more. Summary It's been a very interesting year to say the least. We are now half-way through my minimum tenure in this post, having committed a minimum of two years to the role. In some areas, I'm quite behind what I had hoped to achieve - testament to the complexities of working in this voluntary world and various things outside of VATSIM dominating my time. However, we should consider what we've achieved and what we're continuing to work on: We have a new structure in place for S1 training, with early indications that this is having a good effect on our waiting lists. Efficiency is improving here. Block Training for both S2 and S3 training appears to be working, alongside new syllabi in both TGs. We've made some new appointments across the department. I've had the first round of feedback from the DSG on new ATC Training Documentation which I hope to publish Soon(TM). We've had some really useful features delivered by our colleagues in Tech, with more to come. Ably led by @Craig Stewart, we're hoping quite soon to see a new Sweatbox scenario generator to make our training more varied. Near the top of my agenda now are some initiatives to find out why people stop mentoring or controlling in the hope of changing this. It's been a good year and I look forward to what 2025. As ever, I openly invite questions, challenge and suggestions in the hope of making the department even better. For now, a belated Happy New Year to you all and I hope to see you behind the scopes or in virtual cockpits soon! Adam

It sounds like it's not successfully loading the Sector File. The 'official' video is slightly out of date. Where did you put the pack? It should be in the AppData EuroScope Folder. e.g. mine is C:\Users\peter\AppData\Roaming\EuroScope\UK (not you have to have this exact - no extra folders or anything - or it won't work properly). If you're still having issues after checking this, the best and fastest place to get help is the #community-help section of the Discord. You can post screenshot and have easier back-and-forth chat there 🙂 Peter.

Hi All, this is my first time trying to set up euroscope. I have followed the video/read me as I can, I can see the UK regions to select. I've went with Gatwick SMR as per the instructions and followed it through but the runway/airport map doesnt appear. I have the tabs, combined taxi out list and combined take out list showing and the SRW1 but no detail under them I can connect to VATSIM but after a while it shows and Error: failed to create file :UK/data/sector/VATUK_Euroscope_files.txt.download uninstallad everything and tried again but presented with the exact same as above. any ideas thanks

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 lead. Kye is no stranger to ATC training. He has a remarkable record for mentoring and examining and has previously held lead posts within the ATC Training world. He is very familiar with our processes, policies and procedures has been a staunch advocate of ATC Training throughout his time in the division. As one of our more active En-route mentors, he is very familiar with the challenges facing the En-Route training group currently and Will and I welcome his vision for how those challenges might be tackled. However, it's fair to recognise that Kye's contribution transcends this single application process. Kye's dedication to ATC Training in VATSIM UK is notable and he is a long-standing and well-recognised mentor within the division. Accordingly, alongside Kye's appointment as lead for TG ENR, I feel it only appropriate that we recognise Kye's long-term contribution by appointing him as a Division Instructor. I am sure that you will all join me in congratulating Kye on both appointments!

Effective 26 December 2024 Summary A new Letter of Agreement between VATSIM UK and the Dutch vACC will take effect on the above date to reflect amended Amsterdam controller positions: EHAA_W_CTR frequency changed to 123.705 - remains highest priority position below FL245 at the UK-EHAA interface EHAA_LOW_CTR (125.750) created - covers EHAA airspace below FL245 (i.e. excluding MUAC Delta airspace) EHAA_ALL_CTR (134.375) created - covers EHAA airspace below FL245 and MUAC Delta. The MUAC Delta ownership is also affected by the removal of EUC-MW_CTR - see this post. Ownership summary: vMATS Procedure (EGPX / EGTT) Deleted text – red and strikethrough. New text in blue. ScAC 3.4 / LAC 5.4 / LAC 7.4 - ScAC South / AC Clacton / AC North Sea ScAC 3.4.5 / LAC 5.4.2 / LAC 7.4.3 - Amsterdam ACC Amsterdam ACC is responsible for the whole of the Amsterdam FIR FL245 and below. As in real world, the Maastricht Delta (EDYY_D_CTR) and Jever (EDYY_J_CTR) sectors have responsibility for portions of the Amsterdam FIR adjacent to [London/Scottish] above FL245. On VATSIM, in the absence of EDYY positions, Amsterdam ACC and RG Bremen take responsibility of the Delta and Jever sector airspace, respectively. Note: Amsterdam Radar always has a higher priority over the upper airspace than the Maastricht Eurocontrol position (EUC-MW_CTR). FL250 is not available as a cruising level in the Amsterdam FIR/UIR. ScAC 3.4.5.1 / LAC 5.4.2.1 / LAC 7.4.3.1 - Sectorisation The coverage priority (left to right) for Amsterdam (SFC-FL245) at the interface with [London/Scottish ACC] is as follows: EHAA_W_CTR 125.750 123.705 MHz EHAA_LOW_CTR 125.750 MHz EHAA_ALL_CTR 134.375 MHz EHAA_S_CTR 123.850 MHz EHAA_E_CTR 124.880 MHz (See Note) Note: The primary callsign for Amsterdam ACC is EHAA_W_CTR, but in cases where they may have logged off leaving EHAA_E_CTR online, EHAA_E shall then be responsible for the whole FIR. ScAC 3.4.7 / LAC 5.4.4 / LAC 7.4.4 - Maastricht UAC [...] Note: Amsterdam/Bremen Radar always has a higher priority over the upper airspace than the Maastricht Eurocontrol position (EUC-MW_CTR). [...] ScAC 3.4.7.1 / LAC 5.4.4.1 / LAC 7.4.4.1 - Sectorisation The coverage priority (left to right) for Maastricht UAC (FL245+) at the interface with [London/Scottish ACC] is as follows: Delta Sector (FL245+) EDYY_D_CTR 135.960 MHz EHAA_ALL_CTR 134.375 MHz EHAA_W_CTR 125.750 MHz Note: The primary callsign for Amsterdam ACC is EHAA_W_CTR, but in cases where they may have logged off leaving EHAA_E_CTR online, EHAA_E shall then be responsible for the whole FIR. Documentation Status The vMATS and Agreed Levels Diagrams will be amended at their next revisions.

Effective 26 December 2024 Summary The EUC vACC position EUC-MW_CTR (135.750 MHz “Maastricht Eurocontrol”) is being removed. This affects the ownership of airspace bordering the following sectors: LAC Dover LAC Clacton LAC North Sea ScAC South The sector file will be updated to remove the position, along with all documentation. New Letters of Agreement between VATSIM UK and VATSIM Germany, the Dutch vACC and the Belux vACC have been agreed. Documentation Status The vMATS and Agreed Levels Diagrams will be amended at their next revisions.

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 Ops team. They may contribute to other projects being undertaken by Ops, where their skill set and knowledge enables this. The ideal candidate will be knowledgeable with GitHub, and be a good team player. They will also be able to encourage and foster fellow contributors to the sector file. More detail can be found on these roles in the Operations Handbook. If you wish to discuss the position, please feel free to contact me, either via Discord DM (add me as a friend first!) or via email jack.edwards[at]vatsim.uk To Apply Please submit an application by email to jobs[at]vatsim.uk. Please write a short application (max. 300 words) outlining your relevant experience and why you are interested in the role. Application Deadline Applications will be accepted until latest 23:59z on Sunday 19th January.

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 Quiz, good luck! Will

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: