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Valid 26 April 2025 for the duration of the Cross the Pond roster A temporary arrangement is permitted to open ScAC Low during Cross the Pond to alleviate the workload of Scottish upper controllers handling enroute CTP traffic. Any errors in procedures should be reported to the Operations department via the Helpdesk or Discord. Available Position(s) ScAC Low - SCO_L_CTR (Relief: SCO_L__CTR) Frequency: 124.500 MHz RTF callsign: Scottish Control Coordination callsign: Scottish Low Top-down responsibility for: Antrim, ScTMA Talla & Galloway, and all airfields listed in Scottish FIR (EGPX) vMATS Part 2 Chapter 6 Scottish Low is responsible for airspace below FL255 in most of the Scottish AoR as shown in Figure 1 and described below, as well as all top-down provision. Rathlin airspace below FL255 ScAC West airspace below FL255 ScAC North airspace below FL255 The area west of (and including) the P18 (Tay & Borders) CTA complex, south of ADN and north of ERKIT-TENDO, below FL255. Coordination with Adjacent Sectors & Units Standing Agreements Agreements between Antrim, Talla and Galloway and upper/external sectors are unaffected. In general: agreements for outbounds of (climbing) FL250 will be from ScAC Low to the applicable upper sector, and agreements for inbounds of (descending) FL260 will be from the applicable upper sector to ScAC Low. e.g. ScTMA inbounds via ADN - instead of ScAC North to ScAC South, these would be FL260 level ADN from ScAC North to ScAC Low. Splitting Procedure The following sectors and units should be informed when ScAC Low is opened: All ScAC Sectors MPC Northeast MPC West Newcastle ATC All affected Scottish airfield ATC Shannon Low Dublin ACC Figure 1 - ScAC Low Area of Responsibility Notes: ___ Red solid lines indicate areas where the vertical boundaries for ScAC Low differ - - Red dashed lines indicate boundaries between upper sectors, but there is no change of vertical sectorisation for ScAC Low Antrim, Talla and Galloway AoRs are shown in different colours This procedure does not alter the staffing permissions as defined in the UK Division Policy or GCAP.

Valid 26 April 2025 for the duration of the Cross the Pond roster A temporary arrangement is permitted to split ScAC North during the Cross the Pond. Additionally, the Hebrides sector within ScAC North may be combined with the ScAC West (Central) sector. To avoid confusion for pilots and controllers we plan to only open this sector with a Scottish Low also online. However, these sectors can be opened independently. Any errors in procedures should be reported to the Operations department via the Helpdesk or Discord. Available Position(s) ScAC Hebrides - SCO_EH_CTR (Relief: SCO_EH__CTR) Frequency: 133.680 MHz RTF callsign: Scottish Control Coordination callsign: Scottish Hebrides Top-down responsibility for: Stornoway (EGPO) This sector controls only the "Hebrides" portion of the airspace depicted below. ScAC Hebrides-Central - SCO_HC_CTR (Relief: SCO_HC__CTR) Frequency: 128.675 MHz RTF callsign: Scottish Control Coordination callsign: Scottish Hebrides-Central Top-down responsibility for: Hebrides and Central top-down This sector controls the "Hebrides" and "Central" portions of the airspace depicted below. It has priority for the Central airspace from ScAC West or ScAC West-Deancross. Coordination with Adjacent Sectors & Units Standing Agreements Standing agreements to aerodromes still exist (EGPE and EGPF) when ScAC Low is offline. However, there are otherwise no standing agreements for these sectors. Splitting Procedure The following sectors should be informed when this position is opened: Shannon NOTA (Upper and Super) ScAC North ScAC West/Rathlin ScAC Deancross Antrim, ScTMA or ScAC Low Reykjavik East sectors (all levels) Affected airfields, if Low is offline Figure 1 - ScAC Hebrides and Central sectors - whilst ScAC Low is online Figure 2 - ScAC Hebrides and Central sectors - whilst ScAC Low offline This procedure does not alter the staffing permissions as defined in the UK Division Policy or GCAP.

Valid 26 April 2025 for the duration of the Cross the Pond roster A temporary arrangement is permitted to split TC East during the Cross the Pond. This TI must be read in conjunction with the Temporary Instruction 2025-04-26 - [Enroute] LAC Clacton - Splitting Procedures as the TC East airspace is also divided when the upper Clacton split is used. Any errors in procedures should be reported to the Operations department via the Helpdesk or Discord. The diagrams are slightly outdated as they do not reflect the changes at the interface with North Sea (EFMIH and AMFEP). Sectors The TC East group consists of 2 sectors, as shown in Figure 1 at the end of this post. TC REDFA (north side) Covers the northern part of TC East (real world TC REDFA & TC DAGGA sectors) as shown in Figure 1, handling a majority eastbound traffic flow. This sector is responsible for inbounds to EGLC/KB via ODVOD, Essex Group inbounds from IDESI and MEGEL, and LTMA departures to the east and via EFMIH. This sector has top-down responsibility for TC North East in their absence except the airspace belonging to TC Lambourne (FL175-), but no top-down responsibility of airfields. TC SABER (south side) Covers the southern part of TC East (real world TC JACKO & TC SABER sectors) as shown in Figure 2, handling a majority westbound traffic flow. This sector is responsible for inbounds to the London TMA from Brussels, Amsterdam and BARMI. This sector has top-down responsibility for the TC Lambourne AoR (FL175-) in their absence, but no top-down responsibility of airfields. Positions There are two positions available for use. TC REDFA - LTC_ER_CTR (Relief: LTC_ER__CTR) Frequency: 133.525 MHz RTF callsign: London Control Coordination callsign: TC REDFA Top-down responsibility for: TC North East (excluding TC LAM FL175-) TC SABER - LTC_ES_CTR (Relief: LTC_ES__CTR) Frequency: 129.605 MHz RTF callsign: London Control Coordination callsign: TC SABER Top-down responsibility for: TC LAM only (FL175-) Agreed Levels A TC East Split Agreed Levels Diagram is available at the link below. OUTDATED 🗺️TC East (REDFA+SABER) Agreed Levels Diagram Coordination with Adjacent Sectors & Units It is the responsibility of the TC SABER/REDFA controller (or London Coordinator) to inform the following controllers when TC SABER/REDFA are split from TC East/AC Clacton: TC North East AC Clacton TC South East Southend/Thames AC Worthing AC Dover Amsterdam ACC Brussels ACC Figure 1 - TC REDFA - Area of Responsibility Figure 2 - TC SABER - Area of Responsibility This procedure does not alter the staffing permissions as defined in the UK Division Policy or GCAP.

Valid 26 April 2025 for the duration of the Cross the Pond roster A temporary arrangement is permitted to split LAC Clacton during the Cross the Pond. Clacton North and Clacton South are permitted to be opened with or without AC Clacton or Central for the duration of CTP. This TI must be read in conjunction with the Temporary Instruction 2025-04-26 - [Enroute] TC East - Splitting Procedures as the TC East airspace is also divided when the upper Clacton split is used. Any errors in procedures should be reported to the Operations department via the Helpdesk or Discord. The diagrams are slightly outdated as they do not reflect the changes at the interface with North Sea (EFMIH and AMFEP). Available Position(s) Clacton North - LON_EN_CTR (Relief: LON_EN__CTR) Frequency: 133.925 MHz RTF callsign: London Control Coordination callsign: Sector 12 Top-down responsibility for: TC REDFA (north half of TC East) Clacton North (Sector 12) handles almost exclusively Eastbound traffic, leaving the FIR at SOMVA, REDFA and entering North Sea at EFMIH. Some Westbound traffic is handled in the form of Essex inbounds via AMFEP-MEGEL. Clacton South - LON_ES_CTR (Relief: LON_ES__CTR) Frequency: 128.150 MHz RTF callsign: London Control Coordination callsign: Sector 13 Top-down responsibility for: TC SABER (south half of TC East) Clacton South (Sectors 13+14) handles Westbound traffic entering the FIR via the delegated areas and from North Sea at BARMI. Note: Clacton South's responsibilities change depending on who else is online: LON_EN_CTR + LON_ES_CTR online, LON_ES_CTR is responsible for both Sector 13 and Sector 14. LON_C_CTR + LON_ES_CTR online, Clacton South is responsible for both Sector 13 and Sector 14. <- Note: This is the expected configuration for CTP. LON_E_CTR + LON_ES_CTR online, LON_ES_CTR is responsible for Sector 13 only. Agreed Levels A Clacton Split Agreed Levels Diagram is available at the link below. OUTDATED 🗺️LAC Clacton (S12+S13+S14) Agreed Levels Diagram Coordination with Adjacent Sectors & Units The following sectors should be informed when Clacton splits are opened: AC North Sea AC Daventry AC Dover and LUS TC East Amsterdam/MUAC DELTA Brussels/MUAC KOKSY All neighbouring units should be aware of these positions and their functions. Traffic inbound to LTMA via BARMI will be transferred from AC North to Sector 13 / 14, and transits Sector 12 at the agreed level at BARMI (i.e. FL300 for EGLL and FL260 for EGKK). Traffic is not RFD/RFT in Sector 12 without coordination. Traffic inbound to EGLL below FL290 will be transferred to Sector 14 in the delegated area. If Sector 13 and 14 are split, this traffic needs to be descended relatively early to avoid entering Sector 13 enroute to LOGAN. TC East should receive this traffic at FL240, with traffic from Sector 13 at FL250. Figure 1 - Sector 12 Area of Responsibility Figure 2 - Sectors 13+14 Combined Area of Responsibility Figure 3 - Sector 13 Area of Responsibility Figure 4 - Sector 14 Area of Responsibility This procedure does not alter the staffing permissions as defined in the UK Division Policy or GCAP.

Valid 26 April 2025 for the duration of the Cross the Pond roster A temporary arrangement is permitted to split LAC South during the Cross the Pond. London Upper Sector (LUS) is also permitted to be opened with or without AC South online for the duration of CTP. Any errors in procedures should be reported to the Operations department via the Helpdesk or Discord. Available Position(s) London Upper Sector - LON_SU_CTR (Relief: LON_SU__CTR) Frequency: 132.840 MHz RTF callsign: London Control Coordination callsign: London Upper Top-down responsibility for: None LUS is an upper airspace split of the London South LAG, with airspace taken from both the Worthing and Dover sectors. Its area of responsibility is as shown in Figure 1. If LUS logs on, then AC South's area of responsibility is the normal AC Worthing and Dover combined AoR, minus that which is shown in Figure 1. 🗺️Agreed Levels Diagram Agreed Levels There are very few agreed levels in and out of LUS. They are listed below for AC South's (Worthing & Dover) reference: From LUS to Dover To Agreement Conditions Brussels TMA, EBLG, EHBK, EHAM, EHBD and LFPG FL310 lvl BIG Via UL9/L607 FL310 lvl ROKKE Via M140 From LUS to Worthing To Agreement Conditions LFOB, LFOP FL310 lvl SFD Via UM605 LFP* FL330 lvl SFD Via UM605 Paris TMA FL310 lvl 60 NM before ETRAT Via L151/UN859 From Worthing to LUS From Agreement Conditions Brize Group, Midlands Group, Severn Group, EGSS and EGSC ⬆️ FL300 Via E and V intention codes From Daventry to LUS From Agreement Conditions MTMA Group ⬆️ FL310 Via all routes Coordination with Adjacent Sectors & Units Maastricht UAC - KOKSY (Belux vACC) The LUS controller must ensure that traffic cruising in their airspace via KONAN is level at its RFL by the western edge of the DVR RFC Area (EGTT vMATS LAC 3.4.3.9), else the traffic must be coordinated with MUAC. This traffic is considered 'known' to MUAC if it's at its RFL, thus enabling the RFC of LTMA departures via KONAN from Dover into LUS's airspace prior to the FIR boundary. Brest ACC The LUS controller must ensure that traffic cruising in their airspace via SITET/XAMAB is level at its RFL by the northern edge of the La Manche Release Area (EGTT vMATS LAC 2.4.1.8), else the traffic must be coordinated with the relevant Brest sector. This traffic is considered 'known' to Brest if it's at its RFL, thus enabling the RFC of LTMA departures via SITET/XAMAB from Worthing into LUS's airspace prior to the FIR boundary. Daventry Daventry must be informed when LUS is opened. EGCC/GP departures climbing FL310 will be transferred to LUS - Daventry must ensure they reach FL310 by the LUS boundary. MTMA inbounds that are transferred from LUS to Daventry are only RFD to FL310 (i.e. remaining inside LUS's airspace). Clacton and AC West Sectors There are no agreements with sectors within Clacton or AC West airspace. However, these controllers should be informed when LUS is opened. Figure 1 - London Upper Sector (LUS) Area of Responsibility This procedure does not alter the staffing permissions as defined in the UK Division Policy or GCAP.

Valid 26 April 2025 for the duration of the Cross the Pond roster A temporary arrangement is permitted to split LAC West during Cross the Pond. This temporary arrangement also allows Brecon and Berry Head to be opened independently of the the parent position, AC West. Any errors in procedures should be reported to the Operations department via the Helpdesk or Discord. Available Position(s) AC West - LON_W_CTR (Relief: LON_W__CTR) Frequency: 126.080 MHz RTF callsign: London Control Coordination callsign: AC West Top-down responsibility for: All sub-sectors AC West is the parent position of the West LAG, as published in the London FIR (EGTT) vMATS Part 2. Brecon - LON_WB_CTR (Relief: LON_WB__CTR) Frequency: 135.255 MHz RTF callsign: London Control Coordination callsign: Brecon Top-down responsibility for: Gloucester, Cardiff (and St Athan), Bristol Brecon is responsible for airspace from the northern boundary with AC Lakes, down to (and including) the core east-west routes, but excluding the airspace in the lower eastern region, as shown in Figure 1. Brecon - LON_WH_CTR (Relief: LON_WH__CTR) Frequency: 128.815 MHz RTF callsign: London Control Coordination callsign: Berry Head Top-down responsibility for: Channel Islands, Exeter, Newquay, Land's End, Scilly Isles, Yeovil/Westland Berry Head is responsible for the airspace from the southern boundary with Brest to just south of Bristol/Cardiff. The airspace is depicted in Figure 2. Agreed Levels Controllers are advised to use the "LAC West (North Sheet)" and "LAC West (South Sheet)" level diagrams for splits. The following agreement in addition is the only agreement from Berry Head to Brecon: To Agreement Conditions Brize Group, EGBB, EGBE FL240 lvl EPACE - Coordination with Adjacent Units, Sectors and Airfields Brecon and Berry Head controllers must inform all adjacent controllers when the split is opened/closed. Neighbouring ACCs are aware of these procedures, however, adjacent UK controllers (enroute, approach and aerodrome) may need guidance on top-down coverage and transfer of traffic. Figure 1 - LAC West - Brecon - Area of Responsibility Figure 2 - LAC West - Berry Head - Area of Responsibility This procedure does not alter the staffing permissions as defined in the UK Division Policy or GCAP.

In order to prevent delays for pilots, the GMP assistant position has temporarily been established for Cross the Pond. It shall only be opened when rostered as part of the event. Logon - EGCC_A_DEL Relief - EGCC_A__DEL Note: GMP Assistant is not currently included in the sector file. The controller is not to select a Euroscope primary frequency but shall monitor the GMP AFV/text frequency. The GMP Assistant’s role is to support GMP principally with flight plan validation and coordination. GMP Assistant is responsible for reviewing flight plans including SID and level restrictions. Where a flight plan is non-compliant with requirements they shall amend as necessary and inform the pilot via private message. Once a flight plan has been validated they shall enter /OK into the scratchpad, this can be cleared once the GMP controller sends a PDC clearance. Should an aircraft call for clearance before GMP Assistant has reviewed and marked their flight plan GMP may clear the aircraft if the flight plan is clearly valid or requires only minor amendments. Should more significant amendments be required the pilot shall be informed of the need for amendment and the flight plan flagged to GMP Assistant for review. GMP Assistant shall not attempt to implement delays/flow, aircraft should be sent to planner once ready. GMP Assistant shall also perform other duties as delegated by the GMP Controller including but not limited to complex coordination.

Hi all! I am please to announce two appointments to the Pilot Training team! @Lewis Hammett returns to the team as our Pilot Training Manager @Riley Casement joins us as our second Initial Flight Instructor alongside Cole Both of them bring the enthusiasm and passion we need to take our training forward. I cannot wait to see where Pilot Training goes! Safe landings ✈️

Version 2025/04 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. What's Changed Fixes #1022 - Update Biggin Hill Approach logon callsign by @Maks Ciesielski in https://github.com/VATSIM-UK/uk-controller-pack/pull/1026 EGKB_APP -> EGKB_A_APP Fixes #1032 - New WIP areas by @Patrick Winters in https://github.com/VATSIM-UK/uk-controller-pack/pull/1033 If you didn't already notice, vSMR now draws WIP areas. Activation will be decided by Ops and activated/deactivated based on AIP Supplements & NOTAMs. Fixes #947- Update vATIS profiles by @Ben Walker in https://github.com/VATSIM-UK/uk-controller-pack/pull/968 vATIS users should now switch to using the latest version available from vATIS for VATSIM. Profiles will now automatically update. You'll never have to update again! Fixes #1018 - Add reroute aliases by @Ben Walker in https://github.com/VATSIM-UK/uk-controller-pack/pull/1021 Changes can be previewed on the VATSIM UK Documentation Site Update AC-TopSky tags (alignment) by @hazzas-99 in https://github.com/VATSIM-UK/uk-controller-pack/pull/1034 Display LFP81 on Area ASRs by @hazzas-99 in https://github.com/VATSIM-UK/uk-controller-pack/pull/1035 Area controllers should note that aircraft must not be descended below FL200 until clear of LFP81 General AC Area ASR display setting updates by @hazzas-99 in https://github.com/VATSIM-UK/uk-controller-pack/pull/1036 Adjust CDM Taxi Zones for CTP by @luke11brown in https://github.com/VATSIM-UK/uk-controller-pack/pull/1042 Fix #1043 - Correct Manchester (EGCC) Planner frequency by @Peter Mooney in https://github.com/VATSIM-UK/uk-controller-pack/pull/1044 Now shows in voice settings correctly Fixes #1041 - TopSky TSA Pre-active Time Threshold by @Lily Unitt in https://github.com/VATSIM-UK/uk-controller-pack/pull/1046 TSAs will now show pre-active 30 minutes before they become active (previously 10 minutes) Fixes #1017 - Amend CPDLC Pending colour by @Samuel Lefevre in https://github.com/VATSIM-UK/uk-controller-pack/pull/1038 Removed conflict alert sound by @hazzas-99 in https://github.com/VATSIM-UK/uk-controller-pack/pull/1037 The sound was unrealistic and rather annoying. Fixes #1040 - Amend EGCC ASMIM re-route alias by @Lily Unitt in https://github.com/VATSIM-UK/uk-controller-pack/pull/1045 Fixes #1023 - Add Ascension and St Helena Profiles and SMRs by @Jack Edwards in https://github.com/VATSIM-UK/uk-controller-pack/pull/1024 Move Position of RECAT Lists by @luke11brown in https://github.com/VATSIM-UK/uk-controller-pack/pull/1039 Updated Various Plugins by @luke11brown in https://github.com/VATSIM-UK/uk-controller-pack/pull/1049 Fixes #1047 - Add CDM to combined profiles by @Luca Kulaga in https://github.com/VATSIM-UK/uk-controller-pack/pull/1048 Added Kirknewton (EGKT) AGCS and Soaring Areas by @luke11brown in https://github.com/VATSIM-UK/uk-controller-pack/pull/1050 The area will automatically activate if EGKT_R_TWR is online. Manual activation is also possible via the APW Window. New Contributors @Maks Ciesielski made their first contribution in https://github.com/VATSIM-UK/uk-controller-pack/pull/1026 @Lily Unitt made their first contribution in https://github.com/VATSIM-UK/uk-controller-pack/pull/1046 @Luca Kulaga made their first contribution in https://github.com/VATSIM-UK/uk-controller-pack/pull/1048 Full Changelog: https://github.com/VATSIM-UK/uk-controller-pack/compare/2025_03...2025_04 Changes only download available here

2025/03 Released! --- AIRACs: --- 2504: Added Kirknewton (EGKT) Radio frequency Added Taxiway D and Hold D to Retford/Gamston (EGNE) SMR Changed Halton (EGWN) Radio frequency Added Kirknewton (EGKT) Circuit / Soaring areas --- Other: --- Bug: Changed logon callsign for Biggin (EGKB) Approach Fixed Blackpool (EGNH) parking to reflect current layout Removed no longer present DPE (Dieppe) VOR and completed R50 --- Contributors: --- Lily Unitt Aiden Bok Ben Walker Craig Howarth Luca Kulaga Lily

All, The ATC Training Department is seeking motivated individuals to join our new Moodle Team. This team will support Training Group Instructors (TGIs) with the ongoing upgrade of existing Moodle courses and the development of new training resources. Reporting to the ATC Training Manager, ideal applicants should: Hold at least an S1 rating (We would ideally like a plethora of members across all rating levels) Have recent mentoring experience (Preferred but not essential) Possess good controlling experience at a variety of UK aerodromes Demonstrate strong writing skills and a keen eye for detail Have a genuine interest in improvement and development We encourage applications from all interested members – previous departmental experience is not required! A group introductory session will be held in due course for those selected. To register your interest, please submit a ticket to 'ATC Training', outlining your suitability for the role and what you can bring to the team. Will

Effective 17th April 2025 When Kirknewton Radio is online, the Kirknewton Circuit / Soaring Area (in red in the below figure) becomes active, up to altitude 3700 ft. Edinburgh APC will then route all traffic to avoid the area. Edinburgh APC will pass traffic information to gliders in the area by addressing “Kirknewton Radio” on 121.205 MHz (INT frequency), who will then pass this on their own frequency. Edinburgh APC controllers should remember that, because Kirknewton is a military airfield, they need not provide top-down coverage when Kirknewton Radio is offline. Documentation Status The Edinburgh (EGPH) vMATS Part 2 will be updated at the next release.

All, We are now accepting applications from S1 rated members to mentor at Heathrow. Please see the following extract from the next update to the ATC Training Handbook: S1 rated members may also mentor at Heathrow, at the discretion of the TGI, if they: ● Have no significant negative feedback; ● Have previous Gatwick mentoring experience: ● Have at least 20hrs on Heathrow GND/DEL positions post award of endorsement. There is a minor inconvenience being that S1 members are unable to conduct Sweatbox sessions, although we still believe this change will provide invaluable support to TG Heathrow whilst enhancing the skillset of our S1 members. Interested members should submit a ticket to ATC Training. Will

Good evening, all, In my last blog post, I spoke about how I'd come to the epiphany that not everyone on our OBS > S1 waiting list was waiting for training. For reasons described in that blog post, many people were on our 'waiting' list that were not actually waiting. Many of you will know that I am a man of action and I promptly sought to remedy this. With thanks once again to the legendary @Callum Axon, we now have the capability for prospective controllers to self-enrol on the OBS > S1 waiting list. With the waiting list having moved to our core web platform, away from CTS, we can now manage our waiting list with far more granularity, providing real clarity as to how many people are actually waiting for training. Our 'becoming a controller' page will be updated shortly with information on the new process for joining the New Controller waiting list - any aspiring S1 controllers who are not already on the waiting list should read this new documentation carefully in order to ensure that they join the waiting list correctly - the division cannot be held responsible for any failures to follow this new process. Once this new process has bedded in and we've been able to update the waiting list to remove those people who have already started (or completed!) their S1 training, I'll publicise a small update with some revised statistics. As ever, I remain available for questions, comments or suggestions. All the best, Adam

Hello mate! Long time... The policy is that if people fail to engage, we remove them and they're welcome to come back for a further attempt. The reason that we do this is demand: if we wait forever for people to engage and we just pick them up when they're ready, nothing ever moves - idle members are in control of the progress of our waiting lists and not the department. Demand is high across the division, as depicted by the waiting list numbers above. For myriad reasons, the number of C1/C3 rated controllers who are active, current, eligible to become Division Instructors and interested therein is low. In order to keep the waiting lists for training moving forwards, we prioritise rating training and tend to lean on DIs to provide recurrent training to people. Those needing recurrent training fall into two categories; those returning under GCAP and those who are subject to significant negative feedback. Currently, there are 10 people waiting for the attention of DIs. One of our DI's is currently in another time-zone; two are involved in the running of the department as a whole; one is currently on a break and the other is doing his best. Let me answer one of your questions: the policy for returning controllers is more permissive than for people awaiting rating training. When we offer a training place for someone awaiting rating training, they have only 3.5 days to accept the training place and acknowledge the relevant terms of our handbook. I think it's fair to say that almost five weeks (which is actually when we first reached out to you to offer you a session) is very relaxed in comparison! As far as your suggestion of the focus being statistics is concerned - I implore you to point out to me a place where I have ever reported on the waiting list length for revalidating controllers...

OIly, Although I'm not as clued in as Adam and Will J are, I've looked back through your ticket history to bring myself up to speed with your situation. It's difficult to gauge enthusiasm when interacting with people virtually so the ATC Training staff have to go off the information at hand - if people are slow to respond to tickets and submit training availability then in the absence of any reason being provided we have to assume they are no longer interested. Our Division Instructors have their plates full validating returning, visiting and transferring controllers on top of mentoring for rating upgrades, so we have to prioritise resources accordingly in this day and age. I'll reach out to you privately to see what can be arranged as it would be a shame to see you resigned to the history books😅 Ben

Hi Adam, What is the policy on removing somebody from a training group because of a 'failure to engage'? Whilst I acknowledge that a wealth of the Vatsim members are kids with no commitments, and as such adding availability is no challenge, why is the policy so restrictive and unforgiving for a returning controller? Waiting for a training place for however long and then being removed because I 'failed to engage' in just 3 weeks seems quite laughable. Vatsim UK appears to have a more restrictive bidding and availability system than my airline employer. It's one thing having long waiting lists and trying to get through them, but it's another 'getting through them' by giving people a tiny window to get started and then removing them. I suppose that's another name off the list and into the stats though in this refocussed division 🤣

Hi, Back in June @Ben Wright posted an update regarding the removal of general-chat. Within this forum post, he mentioned the future expansion of “short-term channels designed to encourage discussion of upcoming events such as a ‘pmdg-777-chat’.” In collaboration with the Technology team, We have created a new category called “General - Temporary Discussion” with it placed under the existing “General” category. This category will house channels created for temporary short-term discussion. The Outreach Team will keep an eye on various different topics, scenery/aircraft releases and hot-topics to create channels on an ad-hoc basis. However suggestions for channels are always welcome and can be directed to me. The temporary channels, and their content will be deleted once the topic or conversation is deemed to be stagnant and / or no longer relevant. Given the upcoming F1 races, we have decided to create a #F1 2025 - Bahrain where we welcome discussions around this race. Other channels will follow, where appropriate. It’s important to note, this and other temporary channels are not intended to request support, please continue to direct support requests to the #community-help forum.

A massive shout out to everyone who is involved with Pilot Training at the moment: our wonderful team of mentors, our FIs ( @Ben Carpenter, @Benjamin Arrowsmith, @Firas Bashee, @Cole Edwards, @Tarik Merrylees), and our TDA @Craig Stewart. 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) What. Just. Happened. Recently I found a screenshot that dates my time in this department. It's one of the highlight slides from our 2022 year-end review meeting (which I still remember running...somehow). Keep these figures in the back of your mind as you read this quarterly review. The numbers and graphs P1 PPL(A) In Q1 2025, we saw our best quarter ever for the P1 course. Not only did we have 13 active mentors, we gave our students 65 sessions at an average of 4.33 sessions per student. Bear in mind, not all of those students were active for the whole quarter. P2 SEIR(A) Carrying on the same trend, we equaled our best quarter in the P2! We had 6 active mentors give our students 13 sessions. The Flying Programme TFP saw a fantastic rebound after Q4 last year. We equaled our second best quarter with 12 sessions. The number of sessions per student was the highest we've seen. Exams For this quarter, I've decided to include historical exam data (ie data from before centralized exams came into effect). We saw a very strong Q1, with 3 P1 passes, all with excellent feedback from the examiners. Overall, the pass rate for the P1 remains incredibly high at 89%, which has been at 100% since the higher standard centralized exams. The P2 continues to have a 100% pass rate as well. What are the numbers saying? First and foremost, it is evident that our turnaround strategy from last year is working.We are engaging the mentor base better and giving our students more frequent sessions. However, we still have a lot of work to do in ensuring that the growth is sustainable. We also need to bring across some of the initiatives that have made the P1 so successful into the P2 and TFP programmes. Department Updates New Handbook Release The latest version of the Training Handbook was released a few weeks ago, with the removal of the P5 Flight Instructor rating. The new release brought some notable changes, such as the even faster mentor onboarding process and some new policies for student engagement. It also has made the document significantly easier to maintain. Staff Changes We have been recruiting for a Pilot Training Manager in the 2nd half of the quarter. I expect this appointment to be made within the next week, so stay tuned! Where are we headed? As I've mentioned above, a big focus for me this year is to improve our course content. The P1 is in a much better place, which is becoming even better with the in-progress updates. However, the P2 still need the love and TLC that the P1 has received. With the soon-to-be appointed PTM, I will work towards updating the P2 and making the course significantly easier to manage. I still firmly believe in The Flying Programme. I've had compliments from various other ATOs about what we're doing there. In parallel with the P1 and P2 updates, we are looking to build capacity for TFP. Lastly, the P3 is making stellar progress! Safe landings ✈️ Darren

Well good morning! It’s been a while, hasn’t it? Q1 flashed by in a heartbeat and as I start to write this, I have just finished and submitted my quarterly report to the Region. The report commonly provides a foundation for the basis of my quarterly updates to you, but this time, we have rather a lot to talk about. Strap in, this will be a long ride. Regular Statistics As ever, a quick overview of progress within the division. We are, of course, aware of the recent changes in a number of training groups. After a long and gratefully received service, Fraser has stepped down from TG Heathrow to see the return of John Batten to the ATC Training Team. Mr. Lefevre is no longer TGI APP and the post remains vacant - please come and speak with either myself or Will if you have any interest in the post whatsoever. Finally, Messrs Buckley and Taylor find themselves as TGI TWR and ENR respectively. All of these new appointments have hit the ground running and I am grateful for their support. It is fair to say we’ve seen things slow down a little this Q1 compared to Q1 2024 immediately following my appointment. We had a runaway quarter last year with some highly impressive numbers. This quarter wasn’t quite so good in some places but on par in others. To look at some numbers: TGNC performed 186 mentoring sessions this quarter, down from 220 in Q1 last year. We processed 21 rating upgrades in the quarter, down from 41 in Q1 last year. TG TWR performed 102 mentoring sessions this quarter, up from 99 in Q1 last year. We processed six rating upgrades, down from nine in Q1 last year. TG APP performed 58 mentoring sessions, down from 97 in Q1 last year. We processed only one rating upgrade, down from five in Q1 last year. TG ENR performed 60 mentoring sessions, up from 42 in Q1 last year. We processed one rating upgrade, equal to one from Q1 last year. As ever, statistics are subject to some interpretation. It is obviously disappointing to see our TG APP numbers reduce so significantly and I’ll work with Will to try to understand why. With the Roster update at the end of Q1 this year, we removed 16 people from the S2 waiting list, three from the S3 waiting list and none at C1. In Q4 2024, we removed 30 from the S2 waiting list six from the S3 waiting list. It seems like the roster is having the desired effect and we’re retaining active controllers in the main. The current waiting lists are as follows; S1: 785 up from 770 in Q4. S2: 101 up from 94 in Q4. S3: 47 up from 33 in Q4. C1: 15 up from 13 in Q4. There are several observations to be made here. I need to go away and do some study on the rate at which we’re seeing new members join the S1 waiting list at the moment, but based on my regular observations, I think that the rate has increased. I’ll make a second comment on the S1 waiting list shortly. At S2, my perception is that the increase in the waiting list size is owing to the good work that TGNC are doing. Whilst the waiting list might be going up at S1 and the number of rating upgrades processed is significantly down from this time last year, it’s up from Q4 2024 - we issued 12 rating upgrades in Q424 but 21 in Q125. Accordingly, the throughput there is now having a knock-on effect in TG TWR. Mr. Buckley is still getting his feet under the table in TWR but the TG is a hive of activity and we’ll need to see how things go. At C1, the list might be going up but this is an indicator of the performance of TG APP in 2024. We issued 16 S3s throughout 2024 - a 160% increase on 2023. What’s important for us to highlight is that this quarter, we issued a C1 training place to a student that passed their S3 less than a year before. The list might be going up, but TG ENR is performing well and I look forward to their continued success. Technology Changes Crucially, many of these statistics were brought to you by some statistical work that our lovely colleagues in Tech have provided for us over the past quarter-and-a-bit. I’m very grateful for their support, with particular mention to @Callum Axon recently who has been an absolute star for us. We’ll be seeing further technological change soon. I have made a number of requests of our colleagues in Tech which will trickle through when they find time and will, of course, be prioritised across requests from other departments. There is one change which I am sure will cause some excitement. As of the 2nd April, we now have a ‘proper’ waiting list for TGNC. We had a waiting list previously, but held in CTS whereas our other waiting lists are held in Core. The net effect of this is threefold: Firstly, people on the list can now see their own position on the waiting list. The date is inaccurate if you joined the waiting list before the 2nd April, but is accurate otherwise. Follow this link to see: https://www.vatsim.uk/mship/waiting-lists Secondly, we can now more easily remove people from the waiting list if they wish. The most common reason for this happening is people leaving VATSIM UK to transfer to another division, but occasionally, people come to us and say they can’t train for whatever reason. Thirdly, which is kind of an extension of the second, we’re now able to have much greater accuracy of the waiting list. Let me explain. TGNC Waiting List This week's change to the waiting list was born of an epiphany that I had. A friend of mine reached out to me pleased to report that their friend had been offered a place at a seminar. I raised an eyebrow. Whilst this was indeed good news, it didn’t make sense - I know the prospective controller in question and I had recently seen their place in the list. I looked their name up and my jaw nearly hit the floor. We’ve invited someone to a seminar that was 160th in the waiting list at the time. Inquisitive as ever, I asked my colleagues in TGNC what was happening. They explained the following; The waiting list in CTS doesn’t show anyone who is waiting. It shows anyone who is a member of TGNC in the order that they joined. That means we show a whole host of people that we shouldn’t: Anyone who has been through a seminar and is on a buffer list Anyone who has started practical training Anyone who is waiting for an exam Anyone who has passed an exam but not yet been administratively removed from the training group There was, at the time, no way to remove someone from the list shown in CTS This is brilliant news, but we need to understand it. Firstly, a statement: The waiting list is not 785 people long. However, it’s also not 785-160 people long. Let me explain. Yes, we’re inviting someone who is around 160th in the list to a seminar. But that doesn’t mean that all 160 people before them are in training in some way, shape or form. A good chunk of those people fall into a number of categories: They’ve not yet passed the CTS theory exam They’ve not responded to an invitation and have been skipped for the next They’re in training but have not yet been removed They’ve notified us that they’re not available to attend a seminar and will be held for the next Over time, we’ll come to a ‘more accurate’ reading of the waiting list and we’ll know where we really stand… For now, just know that the list is not 785 people long! Department Initiatives As ever, the department is working on a few initiatives. To spare this being a longer-running blog post than it needs to be, I’ll summarise them briefly below: S1 Mentors: We recently learned that S1s can now start Sweatbox sessions! Crucially, for us as a division, this paves the way for us to start utilising some of our more experienced and capable S1 controllers in further mentoring. We’re exploring (this is NOT a fait accompli) whether or not we should introduce this, both for TGNC and Heathrow. Syllabus and Grading Criteria Review: We’re continuing to review the syllabi and grading criteria for each training group. I’m starting with TG APP because I’m closest to it and I think that we can reduce the amount of writing that our mentors need to do. Crucially though, we want to ensure that progression through the grading criteria in a report is consistent between mentors and that it aligns with the exam criteria - which should also be consistent between examiners. We’re also looking to introduce a syllabus at Heathrow to ensure consistency of training for those who look to undertake an endorsement there. Supplementary Training: At a very high level, we’re starting to consider how we can provide supplementary training to controllers. That might be a deeper exploration of Route Checking (!), non-standard approaches like SRAs or procedural approaches, better training for Oceanic or any number of other initiatives. Moodle Team: In support of the above, we are planning to introduce a Moodle Team. This will be a group of trusted, rated individuals who will be asked to support the team in ensuring that our existing Moodle content is accurate and appropriately reflects updates across ATC Training and Operations, or to support the creation of new Moodle content. We’ll introduce more specific plans on this Coming Soon (™). Guide to Sweatbox: We are well into the process of creating a Guide to Sweatbox with the aim to give mentors the tools and confidence to run sessions on it and explore the benefits of mentoring in a controlled environment. There's a good group of contributors working on this at the moment, but more help is always welcome - please speak directly to Will if this interests you Other Administration By way of other administration, just a few small tidbits: I haven’t closed the surveys I previously advertised for responses yet, but I am starting to look over the statistics. For reasons of propriety, I will present them to the DSG before publicly but there are some interesting and obvious trends in there. I recently became aware of some confusion and impropriety around ‘over the shoulder’ (OTS) sessions for prospective mentors and want to provide some clarity. Anyone who is interested in becoming a mentor or examiner can request an OTS session. Both the mentor/examiner(s) and the student must agree. Crucially, however, the person observing the mentoring session must have no input into the session. A recent example reached me whereby the observer had been encouraged by the mentor to provide feedback - this isn’t appropriate and should not happen. Finally, a comment on transparency. There is a lot in the blog post, because there’s a lot going on and we want to talk about it. But the things that I talk about don’t always necessarily address the comments or questions that you might have. I think that people might not believe me when I say that our door is always open. We had what I think was a very productive conversation with a number of community members in recent weeks and I’m very open to having more such conversations. I’ve also asked Ben that May’s town hall be ATC Training focussed again - it’s been a while since the last one and it’s right that we make ourselves available to speak with people. In the meantime, I am always happy to answer questions, either in comments to this post, by DM or in a chinwag - just let me know. My thanks as ever go to my team who devote countless hours in support of the division, alongside all of the examiners and mentors across ATC Training that make what we do possible. Your help is, as ever appreciated. Until next time, Adam

Pilots are now allowed to join our slot lottery! Demand for participation in CTP outweighs the available capacity of the controllers and airspace. As a result, we chose to limit the number of participants using a slot system. Only pilots with a slot are able to participate in the event. In order to distribute the slots to pilots we complete the following steps: Pilots register their interest (available until 10APR24 2359z) Everyone who enters the lottery will get a personalised booking time Pilots login after their allocated time and pick a time slot and city pair (being earlier in the lottery gives more chance for the route you want) (available 13APR24 through 18APR24) Pilots who have booked via the above MUST return to the CTP website and confirm their bookings between 20APR24 and 23APR24 2359z. If you do not do this, you WILL LOSE YOUR SLOT. After everyone has had some time to select their route, the remaining slots are released to all members (24APR24, ~1700z). Several factors affect the outcome of the lottery, the most significant of which is your historical interaction with this event. If you have no-showed during a previous event when you held a booking, you will have slightly less chance of getting a slot now. If you applied but did not get a slot last year, you will have a slightly higher chance of getting a slot now. As in previous events, you will have to return to the website in the week leading up to the event to reconfirm your intention to fly and to provide important information such as your callsign, maximum assignable flight level and so on. You may now register to be included in the lottery at ctp.vatsim.net. More infomation can be found here; https://forum.vatsim.net/t/26th-april-2025-cross-the-pond-westbound-discussion-thread/8090/6

Cross The Pond is the largest and longest-running event on VATSIM (over 20 years). The event is biannual flying between the two sides of the Atlantic Ocean - Westbound in the spring and Eastbound in the autumn. Hundreds of pilots light up the virtual skies, and dozens of controllers burn both ends of the candle to provide professional ATC service over the Ocean and the Continents. To keep in touch with news regarding the event, you can follow social media and look for the hashtag #CTP25WCTP also have a dedicated discord server, which is going to get busier as we approach show-day. To join us, head over to https://ctp.vatsim.net/discord and follow the instructions on your screen.

Hello Archie. Greetings and best wishes for your time in your new post.

Welcome and good luck, Archie!