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Effective 15 May 2025 Introduction Ahead of the introduction of Free Route Airspace (FRA) in the Reims (LFEE) FIR later this year, France have established a new COP on the border for southbound traffic that has previously routed via RINTI UL10. New COP UTFAV is established and is only available for EGGW and EGKK departures* with RFL350+. RINTI becomes unavailable to all traffic above FL195. Connectivity to UTFAV is enabled by new DCTs: EGKK 08 ODVIK DCT WIZAD DCT UTFAV EGKK 26 MIMFO DCT WIZAD DCT UTFAV EGGW MATCH Q295 BRAIN P44 DAGGA M85 ITVIP DCT UTFAV *In real, there are limited destinations the route is available for (EGKK -> LI** & LD** // EGGW -> LI**, LD**, LA**, LM** and BKPR). However, this does not need to be enforced on VATSIM unless the route is clearly not a sensible one. EGKK - UTFAV EGGW - UTFAV Images reproduced from Airspace Change Proposal ACP-2024-048 vMATS Procedure Deleted text – red and strikethrough. New text in blue. LAC 3 AC Dover LAC 3.3.3.2 External Standing Agreements - Reims UN/UB/HN (FL265+) (excerpt) From AC Dover to Reims UB (FL195-FL345) or Reims HN (FL345+) From Agreement Condition EGKK FL310 Via RINTI UTFAV (Notes 1, 2 & 3) EGGW Eastbound levels FL310 – FL350 Via RINTI UTFAV (Notes 1 & 2) Note 1: Traffic may be presented in the climb to the XFL. Note 2: Traffic is to be presented on track to UTFAV/RUCAC. Note 23: FL290 and FL270 may also be used if FL310 is unavailable. LAC 3.4.4.3 Coordination with Paris & Reims ACCs - Transfer off Control and Communication LAC 3.4.4.3.1 From London ACC to Reims ACC Coordination Point Transfer of Control Transfer of Communications UTFAV RINTI RUCAC ELTEG At or before RUCAC ELTEG MOTOX RUCAC ING At or before RUCAC ING Documentation Status The London (EGTT) vMATS Part 2 will be updated for 2025/06 (June AIRAC). The Agreed Levels Diagrams will be updated to coincide with this change. Revised versions will be available at docs.vatsim.uk/Enroute from the effective date.

Effective 15 May 2025 Introduction and Summary We have agreed several revisions and additions to our Letter of Agreement (LoA) with the French vACC to coincide with their re-sectorisation. In all cases, more generous releases than before have been agreed. Dover Summary Paris TMA outbounds will be transferred to AC Dover climbing to a maximum level of FL260. Traffic via RATUK UL613 is RFT and RFC with both Paris and Reims when north of abeam VESAN. All traffic transferred from Reims (i.e. above FL265) is RFT when north of abeam NITAR, within the confines of the transferring Reims sector. Traffic via ABNUR (primarily EGLL inbounds) from Reims is RFD within 10 NM of ABNUR, again within the confines of the transferring Reims sector (so only to FL350 if Reims is vertically split). See also: 2025-05-15- [Enroute] LAC South - New COP UTFAV replaces RINTI at FL195+ Worthing Summary Solent Group inbounds from Brest FIR sector will be RFD to FL130 through Rennes APP's sector, but must not enter the Jersey ORTAC sector without coordination. Northbound traffic from Brest via the DIKRO Box will now be RFT up to 45° (was up to 20°), remaining within the confines of the DIKRO Box. vMATS Procedure Deleted text – red and strikethrough. New text in blue. LAC 3 AC Dover LAC 3.3.3.1 External Standing Agreements - Paris TN (FL265-) (excerpt) From Agreement Condition LFPG, LFPB, LFPT, LFOB, LFOP Maximum FL260 Via RATUK (Notes 1, 2 & 3) LFPG, LFPB, LFPT, LFOB, LFOP Maximum FL260 Via KESAX (Note 2) Note 1: This traffic is RFT upon transfer of communication and RFC with both Paris and Reims on passing (abeam) VESAN. Note 2: Traffic may be presented in the climb to the NFL. Note 3: Fast climbing Paris TMA departures may be transferred from Paris to Reims ACC, who shall then coordinate the aircraft individually with London if not at its RFL by RATUK.Traffic may be presented in the climb to the NFL. Additional Info TopSky users will see a new release line through VESAN display whenever Paris and/or Reims are online: LAC 3.4.4.3 Coordination with Paris & Reims ACCs - Transfer of Control and Communication (excerpt) LAC 3.4.4.3.2 From Reims ACC to London ACC Coordination Point Transfer of Control Transfer of Communications KESAX KESAX 10 NM before KESAX SOSUN SOSUN 10 NM before SOSUN ABNUR ABNUR (Note 2) At or before ABNUR Note 1: All traffic transferred from Reims ACC to London ACC is RFT when abeam NITAR, subject to known traffic. This is in addition to the release procedures specified in 3.4.4.8 below. Note 2: Traffic via ABNUR is RFD within the offering Reims sector within 10 NM of ABNUR, subject to known traffic. LAC 2 AC Worthing LAC 2.3.3.4 External Standing Agreements - Brest FIR Sector (FL255-) (excerpt) From Brest FIR Sector to AC Worthing To Agreement Conditions Solent Group Maximum FL220 lvl REVTU Via ORIST. (Note 1) Note 1: This traffic is RFD to FL130 with Brest and Rennes APP after passing REVTU. AC Worthing must coordinate with Jersey ORTAC sector for any descent below FL200 on the flight plan route via REVTU-ORIST-VEXEN. A direct route from REVTU to THRED avoids the requirement for coordination. Additional Info The green direct route (REVTU-THRED) avoids Jersey ORTAC sector (FL195 and below) as opposed to the red flight plan route for Solent inbounds (REVTU-ORIST-VEXEN-THRED). LAC 2.4.2.9 Coordination with Paris & Brest ACCs - DIKRO Box An area has been designated as shown in Figure LAC-4, within which traffic transferred from Brest Sectors to London AC Worthing is RFC to FL250/RFD to FL260. All northbound traffic is released for turn by up to a maximum of 20° 45°, remaining within the confines of the DIKRO Box. Figure LAC-4 - DIKRO Box Documentation Status The London (EGTT) vMATS Part 2 will be updated for 2025/06 (June AIRAC). The Agreed Levels Diagrams will be updated to coincide with this change. Revised versions will be available at docs.vatsim.uk/Enroute from the effective date.

Effective 15 May 2025 The French vACC have made significant changes to their Paris and Reims sectorisation which have been reflected in a new Letter of Agreement (LoA), effective AIRAC 2505. We have also taken this opportunity to review how the French APP units Iroise, Rennes and Lille are reflected in the sector file and our documentation, as well as a review of release procedures. Please also see these additional posts which relate to this LoA update: 2025-05-15 - [Enroute] LAC South - Revised Agreements and Releases with French vACC 2025-05-15- [Enroute] LAC South - New COP UTFAV replaces RINTI at FL195+ Summary of Changes to Sectorisation The Divisional Flight Level (DFL) between Paris and Reims ACCs is lowered from FL295 to FL265 Paris Control sectors now use the callsign prefix PAR (previously LFFF) Paris North is divided into its three real world constituent sectors, TN, TP and TB, each with its own available position and frequency Reims North is divided into three new constituent sectors, UN and UB (FL265-FL345) and HN (FL345+) An area of airspace south of UTFAV (the new RINTI) is delegated from Paris TB to Reims UB from FL195 to FL265 (this is not drawn on the maps below) ⚠️ Controllers must ensure the sector file is updated to ensure the new positions are identified and the ownership/next sector prediction functions correctly. The following sections are included at the end of this post: Appendix A - Paris Sector Map Appendix B - Reims Sector Map Appendix C - Interface Cross Sections Appendix D - LoA Excerpt Documentation Status The significant number of changes to the London (EGTT) vMATS Part 2 have not been reproduced here. The document will be updated for 2025/06 (June AIRAC). The Agreed Levels Diagrams will be updated to coincide with this change. Revised versions will be available at docs.vatsim.uk/Enroute from the effective date. Appendix A - Paris Sector Map Note: This map does not reflect the area south of UTFAV delegated from Paris TB to Reims UB from FL195-FL265 for climbing EGGW/KK outbounds. Appendix B - Reims Sector Map Note: This map does not reflect the area south of UTFAV delegated from Paris TB to Reims UB from FL195-FL265 for climbing EGGW/KK outbounds. Appendix C - Interface Cross Sections LAC Dover / TC South East French Interface LAC Worthing French Interface LAC West French Interface Appendix D - LoA Excerpt 2.3.3 Reims ACC Sectors The coverage priority (left to right) for the Paris ACC (FL85-FL265) sectors at the interface with London ACC are as follows: Paris TP (FL85-FL265) [SITET / XAMAB / XIDIL] PAR_TP_CTR 128.875 MHz PAR_HPKZ_CTR 129.005 MHz PAR_OPKZ_CTR 127.305 MHz PAR_RPAW_CTR 133.925 MHz PAR_CTR 128.155 MHz Paris TN (FL85-FL265) [SOSUN / KESAX / ABNUR / RATUK / DEVAL / IRKUN] PAR_TN_CTR 135.550 MHz PAR_TNTB_CTR 135.660 MHz PAR_AENB_CTR 135.580 MHz PAR_RPAW_CTR 133.925 MHz PAR_CTR 128.155 MHz Paris TB (FL85-FL265) [RINTI] PAR_TB_CTR 128.275 MHz PAR_TNTB_CTR 135.660 MHz PAR_AENB_CTR 135.580 MHz PAR_RPAW_CTR 133.925 MHz PAR_CTR 128.155 MHz 2.3.4 Reims ACC Sectors The coverage priority (left to right) for the Reims ACC (FL265+) sectors at the interface with London ACC are as follows: Reims North (UN+UB+HN Combined) [All COPs] LFEE_N_CTR 127.555 MHz LFEE_CTR 133.005 MHz PAR_RPAW_CTR 133.925 MHz PAR_CTR 128.155 MHz Reims UN (FL265-FL345) [SOSUN / KESAX / ABNUR / RATUK] LFEE_UN_CTR 133.255 MHz Reims North Reims UB (FL265-FL345) [MOTOX / UTFAV] LFEE_UB_CTR 133.010 MHz Reims North Reims HN (FL345+) [All COPs] LFEE_HN_CTR 132.505 MHz Reims North 2.3.5 Brest ACC Sectors The coverage priority (left to right) for the Brest ACC sectors at the interface with London ACC are as follows: Brest East Low (QS+MS) (FL295-FL355) LFRR_E_CTR 136.000 MHz LFRR_CTR 125.500 MHz PAR_RPAW_CTR 133.925 MHz PAR_CTR 128.155 MHz Brest East High (QU+QI+MU+MI) (FL355+) LFRR_UE_CTR 130.235 MHz Brest East Low Sector Brest J (FL255+) LFRR_J_CTR 132.510 MHz LFRR_W_CTR 127.860 MHz LFRR_CTR 125.500 MHz Brest V (FL255+) LFRR_VK_CTR 124.775 MHz LFRR_J_CTR 132.510 MHz LFRR_W_CTR 127.860 MHz LFRR_CTR 125.500 MHz Brest W (FL255+) LFRR_W_CTR 127.860 MHz LFRR_CTR 125.500 MHz Brest FIR (SFC-FL255, excluding Lille/Rennes/Iroise airspace) LFRR_CTR 125.500 MHz 2.3.6 Lille APP (SFC-FL85) The coverage priority (left to right) for Lille (LFQQ) APP (SFC-FL85) at the interface with London ACC is as follows: LFQQ_APP 126.480 MHz Paris TB 2.3.7 Rennes APP (SFC-FL195) The coverage priority (left to right) for Rennes (LFRN) APP at the interface with London ACC and/or Jersey Control are as follows: Rennes Cotentin (SFC-FL195) LFRN_C_APP 134.200 MHz Rennes North Rennes North (SFC-FL115) LFRN_N_APP 126.950 MHz Rennes South Rennes South (FL115-FL195) LFRN_APP 134.000 MHz LFRR_CTR 125.500 MHz 2.3.8 Iroise APP (SFC-FL195) The coverage priority (left to right) for Iroise (LFRB) APP at the interface with London ACC and Jersey Control are as follows: Iroise FIS (SFC-FL115) LFRB_I_APP 119.575 MHz Iroise APP Iroise APP (FL115-FL195) LFRB_APP 125.860 MHz LFRR_CTR 125.500 MHz

VATSIM UK invites you to our latest VFR event as we cross the Pennines, both ways, between Leeds East and Blackpool! Enjoy the views as you drag your cessna over the mountains. Or perhaps you want to fly higher and faster and take advantage of the RNP at Leeds East, or the procedural ATC at Blackpool.

Outreach Assistant We are looking to expand the Community team and as such I am pleased to start recruitment for an Outreach Assistant. This role sits within the Community department under the Outreach Manager, and will play a key role in developing a vibrant, welcoming community experience. The Outreach Assistant will be responsible for: Developing our Community Spaces (Discord, TeamSpeak etc); Developing member retention and outreach strategies; Developing our onboarding process for new members; Undertake marketing related activities, including VATSIM UK social media, and the use of our design and brand; Utilisation of our Graphics & Video team; To be considered for this role you must: Be a home member of VATSIM UK; Be a member in good standing; Have a high level of English writing ability; Have a high level of interpersonal skills; Be able to commit a minimum of 6 months to the role; Have the motivation and commitment to see tasks through. A desirable candidate would possess all or some of the following qualities: Experience working within a small team of volunteers; Good communication, administrative and teamwork skills; Motivation to excel in the role and a vision to strengthen the areas you are responsible for; Demonstrate good organisational and planning skills; Experience in good social media practises; Experience in graphic design and video creation; How much time do I need to commit to the role? You must be able to dedicate enough time each week to perform assigned tasks and support the department. The time each week will vary based on your assigned tasks and any special events / key projects. You will be responsible for managing your time effectively to meet deadlines and expectations. What could I discuss in my application to help me be successful? To stand out you may wish to discuss ideas you have for improving member retention, onboarding, engagement or any other aspect of the role. You may also wish to discuss any skills or experience you find relevant. How to Apply Please submit applications by email to jobs[at]vatsim.uk. Please state why you are the most suitable candidate for the position, how you meet any desired attributes and what you can bring to the team. If you wish to discuss any part of this role, please feel free to contact me via Discord. We are not looking for an essay, just a reason why you stand out. We are also not looking for you to be the complete package, the requirements for this role reflect this. As long as you have the ability and willingness to develop in your role we want to hear from you, so please do apply or ask questions! Applications will close at 23:59z on the 12th May 2025. Applications received after this time may not be considered. All applications will be reviewed after this date and everyone will be notified of the outcome in due course. Some applicants may be invited to a short interview style discussion to allow you to further expand on your application.

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!

Well done Archie!!!!!

Good Evening All, Following the departure of @Jack Edwards from the role of Operations Director, I am thrilled to announce @Archie Middlefell as his successor following the conclusion of our recruitment process last week. Archie has a wealth of experience within the Operations Department as well as a number of ideas he wishes to implement moving forwards. I am certain that the Operations Department will continue to thrive under Archie's leadership, and I look forward to working alongside him in the future. Please join me in congratulating Archie on his appointment! Ben