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Effective 31 October 2025 The French vACC have introduced a new position PAR_LOW_CTR (135.410 MHz) that does not extend coverage into Brest or Reims airspace. Therefore, at SITET/XAMAB/XIDIL it extends only to FL295 and at the interface with LAC Dover and TC SE, up to FL265. The PAR_CTR (128.275 MHz) position continues to extend into Brest East airspace (FL295+ at SITET/XAMAB) and into Reims (FL265+) at the interface with London. Controllers please note that the cut-off to reflect the PAR_LOW_CTR position in the 2025/11 Sector File was missed and so the position will not appear in controller lists until the 2025/12 Sector File. Therefore, manual transfers will be required. Documentation Status The LoA has been updated. The London (EGTT) vMATS Part 2 and Agreed Levels Diagrams will be updated at their next revision.

I'm please to announce that @Riley Casement has been appointed as our new VFR Flight Instructor! Riley will be working alongside @Benjamin Arrowsmith Riley has been the Initial Flight Instructor for the flying programme course and has been making some amazing change and has transformed the department. He brings some amazing experience and I look forward to seeing Riley starting to take over the responsibilities of the role over the coming weeks! I wish all the best to Riley and please join me in congratulating him on his new role! Ben

Hi all! I am pleased to announce that with Riley's appointment as the VFR Flight Instructor we will be recruiting a new Initial Flight Instructor to run the Flying Programme! The Initial Flight Instructors main responsibilities will be: Has overall responsibility for training of both the flying programme IFR and VFR; Assisting new pilots with gaining experience on the network Maintains training standards of the Flying Programme course; Select and train new mentors for the Flying Programme course; Organise group seminars as appropriate; Organise group flights as appropriate; Issue training places to students on the Flying Programme course; Manage students on the Flying Programme course; Is the point of contact for mentors of the Flying Programme course; Work with the Operations department to produce and review documentation as required; Continuingly review opportunities to develop elements of the flying programme; Provides the Pilot Training Manager with administrative support in relation to the Flying Programme course were appropriate; Holds a continuous review of the Flying Programme course and leverages opportunities for improvement where appropriate. To be considered for the role, you must: Be a home member of VATSIM UK or able to transfer to the UK division as a home member; Be passionate about pilot training and aviation Be a member in good standing. No Pilot Rating is needed Those who are interested should send their application to jobs[at]vatsim.uk. Your application should include a brief explanation as to why you think you are best suited to the role and any other information you deem relevant. If you would like to discuss the role and its responsibilities further, or you have any other questions regarding this position, please contact Lewis Hammett or myself and we will be happy to arrange a short call. Please submit all applications in writing via a Helpdesk ticket to ‘Jobs and Applications’ before 22:59z on 9th December 2025.

Hi all! I am pleased to announce we will be recruiting for a new Advanced Flight Instructor who will co-run the department alongside our current advanced flight instructor @Tarik Merrylees. The advanced FI is responsible for creating and maintaining the P3_CMEL(A). The Advanced Flight Instructors main responsibilities to begin with will include: Working alongside the current advanced FI to create the P3_CMEL(A) Oversee the development of the P3 CMEL(A) Moodle, lesson plans, and associated course content; Ensure course compliance with relevant PTD documentation such as the MCS; Work with other Pilot Training staff members to align the course with current standards After the course is launched the main responsibilities will include: Has overall responsibility for training of the P3 CMEL(A) course in accordance with VATSIM UKs P3 CMEL(A) training syllabus; Maintains training standards of the P3 CMEL(A) course; Select and train new mentors for the P3 CMEL(A) course; Organise group seminars as appropriate; Issue training places to students on the P3 CMEL(A) course; Manage students on the P3 CMEL(A) course; Is the point of contact for mentors of the P3 CMEL(A) course; Work with the Operations department to produce and review documentation as required; Provides the Pilot Training Manager with administrative support in relation to P3 CMEL(A) course were appropriate; Holds a continuous review of the P3 CMEL(A) course and leverages opportunities for improvement where appropriate. To be considered for the role, you must: Be a home member of VATSIM UK or able to transfer to the UK division as a home member; Hold a P3 rating or above, or a real world equivalent Be passionate about pilot training and aviation Be a member in good standing. Those who are interested should send their application to jobs[at]vatsim.uk. Your application should include a brief explanation as to why you think you are best suited to the role and any other information you deem relevant. If you would like to discuss the role and its responsibilities further, or you have any other questions regarding this position, please contact Lewis Hammett or myself and we will be happy to arrange a short call. Please submit all applications in writing via a Helpdesk ticket to ‘Jobs and Applications’ before 22:59z on 31 October 2025.

First of all I just want to say a massive thank you to the entire mentoring team who have made 2025 possible in the Pilot Training Department! 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) Overview Hello everyone, I’ll start this post by introducing myself. I am Ben Carpenter, the new Pilot Training Director here at Vatsim UK. For those who don't know me, over the past year I’ve been working on the P1 course alongside Ben Arrowsmith. I came into this role at the start of September and so far I’ve been working with our amazing instructor team to implement new changes and start some new exciting projects which I hope to be able to share soon. A number of projects that have been launched this quarter include waiting list changes, mentor standardisation and the launch of the P1_PPL(A) syllabus V3. We are excited to bring a number of lessons learned from the P1 through to both the P2 and P3 and hope to have more news in the coming months. The numbers and graphs P1 PPL(A) In Q3 2025, we had 65 sessions for the P1 which is our 3rd best quarter of the year just behind Q1. However this is an abnormal result based on previous years as we tend to see a significant drop in sessions over the summer however we have maintained sessions just a couple behind last month. To put in comparison in Q3 2024 we only had 11 sessions. We’ve had our best year on record by an additional 82 number of sessions. Our total session number for this year is 202. We launched our version 3 syllabus this quarter which has reduced the total number of sessions to 14 with only 7 of them being with a mentor which is down by 4 sessions. This has massively increased our output of students, reducing the average training time from 4 months to 3 months. We have had 8 exams this quarter with 7 of them being passes! This made it the best quarter and best year for exams since our launch. We have had a total of 13 passes this year which is 5 more than our previous best year which was 2021! P2_SEIR The P2 has had a reduction in the number of sessions this quarter most likely due to the summer dip that most departments experience and we can see this in the number of mentors picking up a session has reduced. However 2025 has been the second best year in terms of session count so a positive trend we’re starting to see! The P2 is yet to have any exams this year however we are proud to maintain our 100% pass rate since the launch of the P2. The Flying Programme TFP has made leaps and bounds this quarter with the launch of TFP VFR which was launched earlier this quarter. TFP has had 14 sessions this quarter making it the best quarter of 2025 increasing the total number of sessions to 30 making it just 4 short of the total number of sessions last year. TFP has seen a rise in mentor activity with 3 mentors picking up 3+ sessions and 2 more picking up at least 1 session. I would like to thank Riley for his hard work this year to launch both TFP VFR and engaging new mentors and working to increase the student output through increasing the number of sessions this year! Department Updates Waiting List Changes P1 Changes Earlier in Q3 we changed the requirements to our P1 waiting list which has helped reduce our waiting list from 188 to 97. We have set a maximum capacity of 100 on the waiting list to reduce excessive waiting times. We are still seeing a huge demand for the P1 with the waiting list rising by 7 in the matter of 2 days recently. To join the waiting list: Must be a UK Home Member Hold 30 hours as a pilot on Vatsim To Maintain your place on the waiting list: Maintain 10 hours in the last 3 months or; 5 hours if you are active as ATC on the network Complete the P1 theory within 1 month of being asked to Respond to regular activity checks P2 Changes We have also recently changed the requirements for the P2 waiting list: Must be a UK Home Member To Maintain your place on the waiting list: Maintain 5 hours in the last 3 months When offered a training place you can only defer once Mentor Standardisation On the P1_PPL(A) course this quarter we implemented standardisation training and information for mentors which has meant mentors are now all teaching exactly the same items reducing confusion for students which increases the rate of their training as less has to be recovered due to differences between mentors. Conclusion In conclusion this quarter has been another big improvement for the PTD. We are seeing continued success with the P1 with it being the best year on record and it continues to be being improved with more exams coming up and new mentors joining the team. The P2 has some exciting projects coming up in Q4 2025 and we hope to bring what we learnt from the P1 into the P2 to increase the number of exams per year! The Flying Programme has continued to increase its capacity this year which is what we set out to do at the start of the year and with the launch of TFP VFR we are always looking to expand the scope and increase the capacity of TFP. P3 is still in progress, we’re always looking for more volunteers to help with the project, so whether you have experience or not please reach out as we always look for new volunteers! I can’t wait to make real changes at the PTD and continue to work with the instructor team to make an efficient but high quality training programme. Ben ✈️

Valid 1600-1830z 04 October 2025 In order to assist with clearances, and flow management, the GMP position has temporarily been established for the 24 Hours of VATSIM event. Logon: EGAA_DEL Relief: EGAA__DEL Frequency: 126.780 RTF Callsign: Aldergrove Delivery Note: An up-to-date sector file is required to display the correct frequency Controllers should make themselves familiar with the guidance outlined here. Aldergrove Delivery will be responsible for: Flight plan review with amendments as required in accordance with the UK Standard Route Document Issuing departure clearances for standard IFR and VFR departures (in accordance with the ACB) Coordination of non-standard departure clearances with APC (in accordance with the ACB) Forward planning of ground movements, to ensure aircraft meet their event CTOTs

Vaild 04 October 2025 for the duration of the 24 Hours of Vatsim (EGAA to BIKF) roster. A temporary arrangement is permitted to split ScAC North during the event. The Hebrides sector within ScAC North will be combined with the ScAC West (Central) sector to form ScAC Hebrides Central. Any errors in procedures should be reported to the Operations department via the Helpdesk or Discord. Available Position(s) 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: Stornoway (EGPO) and Central top-down This sector controls the combined "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.

Vaild 04 October 2025 for the duration of the 24 Hours of Vatsim (EGAA to BIKF) roster. A temporary arrangement is permitted to open ScAC Low during this event to alleviate the workload of Scottish upper controllers handling enroute 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.

Effective 4 October 2025 The frequency for PAR_CTR (Paris Control) has changed from 128.155 -> 128.275 Documentation Status The sector file and the LOA has been updated to reflect this change & the London vMATS Part 2 will be updated at the next release.

As of 4 September 2025 (AIRAC 2509), the Doncaster AIP entry has been removed in its entirety. The airspace structures and instrument flight procedures are therefore withdrawn. All data relating to Doncaster has been removed from the UK Sector File, except for the location indicator EGCN which should ensure any remaining flights to the closed aerodrome recognise the departure/destination in EuroScope. The procedures detailed above for the handling of these flights remain applicable.

Effective 4 September 2025 Activation of special use airspace in the EGTT and EGPX FIRs will change from forum NOTAMs to bookings in V-LARA in order to simplify special use airspace bookings. A guide to V-LARA can be found on the docs site. This system automatically interfaces with TopSky to display special use airspace bookings to controllers. Documentation Status The VATSIM UK & vRAF LoA will be updated with the above information at the next revision.

Good Evening All, I am thrilled to announce that @Ben Carpenter will be joining the Division Staff Group after his successful application to the role of Pilot Training Director! Ben brings a wealth of real world experience to this role and has been a long time member, controller, and pilot instructor within the Division. The P1 course in particular has thrived under Ben's previous stewardship, and I look forward to seeing similar future improvements rolled out across the whole Pilot Training offering. Please join me in congratulating Ben - I look to forward to working alongside him and I wish him all the best in his new role. Ben

Effective 4 September 2025 Waypoint OCTIZ has been renamed ORZEB to reduce confusion with OCK. The enroute hold for Heathrow (EGLL) and other LTMA inbounds is therefore revised to ORZEB. The ICTAM STAR for Cardiff (EGFF) and St Athan (EGSY) inbounds is redesignated ICTAM 2C. Documentation Status Affected documentation will be updated in due course.

Effective 4 September 2025 The BOFUM STAR for Liverpool (EGGP) inbounds is redesignated BOFUM 2L. This is due to a change to the level restriction at BOFUM to avoid flight plan connectivity issues with Dublin SIDs. Documentation Status Affected documentation will be updated in due course.

The Pilot Training Department is responsible for managing the VATSIM UK Authorised Training Organisation (ATO), through which VATSIM UK provides training for Pilot Ratings in accordance with the VATSIM.net Pilot Training Department guidelines. The Pilot Training Department is also responsible for managing The Flying Programme, which aims to further develop pilot knowledge and competence within the UK. The Pilot Training Director’s main responsibility is to provide leadership to the Pilot Training Department. Other responsibilities of the role include: Continually - Provide leadership to an active, volunteer staff team of instructors and examiners Continually - Provide, develop and implement long-term strategy and vision to the department Continually - Manage and oversee the maintenance of Pilot Training documentation, course content, and syllabi Regularly - Manage the award of training places, review student progress and ensure efficient use of mentoring resource Regularly - Act as a liaison between VATSIM UK and the VATSIM Pilot Training Department as the Responsible Representative. Occasionally - Assist flight instructors with practical and theoretical queries regarding student sessions and progress The Pilot Training Director sits on the Division Staff Group and reports to the Division Director. Members of the DSG are expected to: Prepare for and attend DSG meetings Prepare quarterly departmental reports for the EMEA Region Contribute to internal discussion on matters related to the running of the Division Contribute to the Moderation of VATSIM UK services and maintain an active presence on the Network Attend Town Hall meetings and other ad-hoc meetings where possible The successful candidate must possess the following: Be a full UK Home Member in good standing Excellent written English skills and the ability to communicate effectively The ability to lead a small volunteer team Excellent self-organisation skills and the ability to work to monthly deadlines A thorough understanding of flying practical skills, theoretical knowledge, and UK VFR/IFR procedures The motivation to learn and develop into the role A minimum of a P1 pilot rating The successful candidate may possess the following: Previous experience and understanding of the VATSIM Pilot Training system and ratings Previous experience as a flying mentor, instructor or examiner, either within the VATSIM Network or from elsewhere If you would like to discuss the role and its responsibilities further, or you have any other questions regarding this position, please contact Nick Marinov or myself and we will be happy to arrange a short call. Please submit all applications in writing via a Helpdesk ticket to ‘Jobs and Applications’ before 22:59z on 31 August 2025.

A bit of fag packet maths, between 0800-1600 we managed to achieve a total of 241 aircraft, averaging 30 movements an hour. Well beyond the RW movement level for this time of day! An exceptional achievement by everyone both by those on BHX and those supporting on adjacent positions. Congratulations to all the award winners today, plenty more prizes available tomorrow 😁

Good morning all. As you know MSM XIX is happening this weekend and lots of prizes are on offer. One prize is a copy of the new EGBB Pyreegue scenery that will be released tomorrow Friday 1st Aug. This prize is being offered TODAY for one pilot that fly's in or out of EGBB and is registered UK discord member. Also must have MSM XIX AUG 2-3 in flight plan remarks. TWR will be on today during the hours of 1100-1500 Z. Good luck

Changes to The Flying Programme We’re pleased to announce the launch of a brand new VFR (Visual Flight Rules) course within The Flying Programme, built specifically to support everyday pilots who want to fly light aircraft confidently on the VATSIM network without getting too buried theory or technicalities. This course provides a practical, no nonsense introduction to VFR flying, focusing on the essential knowledge and skills needed to operate competently in the online environment. Unlike the highly detailed P1 course, this VFR module keeps things simple and actionable, just enough theory to understand what you’re doing, with the focus squarely on application. Why This Course Exists The Flying Programme has always aimed to guide pilots to full VATSIM competency, and that mission hasn’t changed. What has changed is how accessible that pathway can be. This new VFR course acts as a foundation, not a shortcut. It gives new pilots a solid, confidence building first step into online flying and serves as a great lead in to more advanced training like the P1. As mentioned by Darren in a previous blog post, completion of The Flying Programme’s VFR course now grants a reduced hour requirement toward the P1 rating, meaning you’ll not only be better prepared but also one step closer to certification. What You’ll Learn The course covers the most important areas of VFR operations on VATSIM, including: VATSIM Mandatory Knowledge (Flight Plans and Connecting) Radiotelephony Basic Aircraft Knowledge Airspace and Flight Rules Operations of Aerodromes Meteorology and Altimetry FISO and A/G Operators Standard VFR Procedures All training will use common GA aircraft like the Cessna 152, Cessna 172, and PA28, the kind of aircraft most people are familiar with. Who It’s For The course is aimed towards: Pilots who want to fly VFR without getting bogged down in technical deep dives Newcomers who’ve never used the radios or flown a circuit before IFR focused pilots looking to expand into the VFR world Anyone preparing to take on the P1 rating and looking for a stronger foundation Ready to Get Started? The VFR course is live on our Moodle platform and available to all eligible members.

Hi, this was an error in the AFV Database which should now be corrected, thanks for raising.

Hello, had the problem today as EGBE_I_TWR that aircraft couldn't contact me at all via voice. Found out that my the receiver location is nowhere near Coventry but instead near Doncaster. Guess thats the problem. Here comes the interesting part. how do I fix it? Thanks

I am pleased to announce that James Bayliss-de Gruchy has been appointed as the events manager. I have been covering this role for a while whilst James got to grips with the department. He will now be supporting me with the events side of operations, whilst support the events assistants.

As we head into the summer of 2025, the Operations Department is short of a few staff members. We would like to recuit one events assistant and a handful of operations assistants. If you have any questions about the roles, including suitability then please don’t hesitate to get in touch. Myself and peter are keen to foster some more home-grown talent in the department - we do not expect anyone to be the complete package when they apply for staff roles - training and guidance will be provided. I would be keen to receive applications from newer and more experienced members alike. Vacancies I am opening applications for the following roles: Operations Assistant Enroute Operations Coordinator Events Assistant The Operations Assistant role is a very fluid, as their primary responsibilities can be within Enroute, Aerodrome or the Sector file. It is suited to both experienced and inexperienced members. Currently in our assistant roles in the department, we have some of our most experienced writers who work on projects rather than coordinating the entire branch. We equally recruit less experienced members to work on Aerodrome or Sector File projects and to develop their skills. The Enroute Operations Coordinator is the department’s subject matter expert on area control. For this reason, a C1 rating (or greater) is required. No-one is an expert on every sector and I do not expect applicants to be (I am certainly not one!). We are lucky to have many contributors, all with their own knowledge bases whose experience you would be required to draw upon in the role. The Events Assistant role, will report to the Events Manager . You will be helping the events manager to organise the UK’s event schedule including Hogmanay Fly-ins, Mancheaster and any new events! You will also be working with the Community department to help them advertise our events, organising our Events Team of volunteers who produce rosters and help to manage events on the day (including flow management). More detail can be found on these roles in the Operations Handbook. If you wish to discuss any of these positions, particularly if unsure how you might best fit into the department, please feel free to contact me or Peter, either via Discord DM or via email archie.middlefell[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. We are not expecting long applications! Application Deadline EDIT: Applications will be accepted until latest 23:59z on Tuesday 19th August for the Operations Assistant and Events Assistant Role. Applications for the Enroute Operations Coordinator will remain open UFN.

Vatsim UK are pleased to announce the latest in the VFR Event Series, Wingin’ it in Wales. On Friday 8th August between 1730-1930z, we hope to see North Wales lit up with VFR traffic. ATC will be available at Caernarfon (EGCK), Sleap (EGCV) and Hawarden (EGNR). Whether you want to visit the welsh coast line or further inland to discover Snowdonia, this event will sure not disappoint.

Good Afternoon, I'd like to start by announcing the departure of @Thomas Hallam from the team. After years of dedication, hard work and valuable contributions, Tom will be stepping away from his role in the Outreach Team. Tom began in the Marketing team where he helped deliver numerous successful events, with a particular focus on the graphical elements that came with them. Since the disbandment of that team, Tom agreed to continue some of his responsibilities within the newly formed Community Team, where he has been a great help that will be missed. On a more positive note, I am pleased to announce that @Callum Hicks, @Noah Murdochand @Charles Newman will be joining the team in the role of Outreach Assistants. All three bring fresh ideas, and new skills to the team, allowing us to make consistent progress across multiple projects, designed to help us better engage with both current and prospective members, improving the overall experience across the board.

Hi all! Please take note of the purple supplements/corrections to the original post for changes made on 2 July 2025 after further consultation with members and PT staff.