Becomming a VATSIM Controller

CVA1409 · Posted: Wed Sep 16, 2009 12:59 pm

mattymsboi wrote:

Awesome sounds great! At least i'll know somebody now along with Danny Im sure i've seen him ATCing in Toronto, idk if hes an instructor, but either way ittle be fun

I need to know alot more though before I can say Im comfortable providing ATC... Things like giving proper Flight routes and procedures, and getting to know your airspace is taught in the FIRS? The topics in the NTU program are a bit vague, they cover everything but don't actually tell me how to do it xD

When you get to Toronto, you will go through our FIR training specific for CYYZ - this will start at delivery and explain our 'unique' routing requirements. All pretty simple, once you understand the inbound/outbound route system.
With the NTU, you should progress pretty quickly through the initial stages. NTU is the groundwork, the 'theory' if you like, and the FIR training is the actual 'how to' - which changes from location to location.

As for getting kicked out of VRC, that happens occasionally - just resign in, and as Danny said, try a different server.

mattymsboi · Posted: Wed Sep 16, 2009 10:21 pm

Alright I'll try a different server, and yeah I thought that the FIR's Would be more hands on but I was just making sure (diden't want to be missing out on something:) )

Yeah the graduated system from ground and up will be great, since It will allow me to be a basic ground controller, allowing me to build up my ATC skills/experience and eventually move on to higher ATC levels

Im looking forward to this!

mattymsboi · Posted: Thu Sep 24, 2009 12:42 am

Hmm, I've been in contact with my NTU instructor, and we were supposed to do an online lesson yesterday, but unfortunatly his computer wasen't co-operating so I'll have to wait another day

By the way, do I only get to start Clearance Delivery once I complete all of NTU or earlier? I'd like to start doing some ATC soon, the suspense is killing me!

Rob Vanderkam · Posted: Thu Sep 24, 2009 11:03 am

mattymsboi wrote:

... the suspense is killing me!

Go Matt!

Like learning to fly, you'll have to take a long term view. You'll be doing Centre before you know it, which means you'll be taking care of app, dep, tower, and clearance delivery by yourself when you're alone!

CVA1409 · Posted: Thu Sep 24, 2009 12:54 pm

mattymsboi wrote:

Hmm, I've been in contact with my NTU instructor, and we were supposed to do an online lesson yesterday, but unfortunatly his computer wasen't co-operating so I'll have to wait another day

By the way, do I only get to start Clearance Delivery once I complete all of NTU or earlier? I'd like to start doing some ATC soon, the suspense is killing me!

In the NTU - you work up to TWR at the training site (CYXU). When you transfer to your FIR, you are then in their training system.

At CZYZ, as CYYZ is a major facility, you start at DEL and work upwards - this is due to the rather unique airspace orgainisation and routings out of CYYZ. What we have seen is, due to the material learned at NTU, the initial pert of training through DEL, GND and TWR is going far quicker, as you are learning how to apply the skills you have already learned, rather than learning the skills at the same time.

Just remember - one of the most important positions from a learning perspective is DEL. The understanding of the airspace is fundamental to everything else you learn at the FIR!

CVA0014 · Posted: Thu Sep 24, 2009 3:22 pm

Matt, make sure to post here when you're going to be online. I have to get into using voice 100% eventually, I might as well aggravate you instead of some other soul.

CVA0216 · Posted: Thu Sep 24, 2009 6:24 pm

I should warn you all now that I am also working on my NTU stuff, and will eventually be working the YYZ FIR :devil:

Rob Vanderkam · Posted: Thu Sep 24, 2009 8:33 pm

that's great, Clayton. We'll have a whole ATC team soon. We can do our own flyins.

mattymsboi · Posted: Fri Sep 25, 2009 8:44 pm

CVA0014 wrote:

Matt, make sure to post here when you're going to be online. I have to get into using voice 100% eventually, I might as well aggravate you instead of some other soul.

LOL, sure no problem Robert! Just don't get mad at me if I edit your flight plan to a different location by accident xD

Plus it will be much nicer if I have CVA pilots in my airspace, it will be a great experience to help CVA pilots fly than just flying with them!

CVA0014 · Posted: Fri Sep 25, 2009 11:56 pm

Just give me a couple more days to learn the FMC before you get creative on me.

mattymsboi · Posted: Sat Sep 26, 2009 12:17 am

Hmm that reminds me, i'd like to learn how to use FMC, I use GPS and/or radios to get around at the moment, but i'd like to try my ifly 747 soon and it only has a FMC so I needa start learning!
All them buttons confuse the heck out of me

Rob Vanderkam · Posted: Sun Sep 27, 2009 12:14 pm

You guys may have already started on your tutorials, but let me give you a few general tips from my point of view. This will also help Matt as ATC so he knows what pilots are up to when they call in for clearance in a heavy.
- when I get on VATSIM, I know which route I want and which waypoints it includes. I should have these listed on paper for clearance, in case ATC wants to change them, but I usually have them in the FMC already.
- if ATC wants to change anything, they will offer do it to the FP filed using SB or FSInn so I just have to change my FMC.
- the FMC FP is really just a queue of waypoints. To add waypoints is easy. You just type or click in the characters, hit the left button beside the slot in the queue where the waypoint should go, and it's in (except for the space the FMC creates in the next slot because it doesn't want to assume where you're going next so, just like on a real a/c, you have to insert another one or move the next one up into that slot). Removing waypoints is a matter of hitting the delete key and then the waypoint you want to delete. In both cases, any changes put the FMC FP back into draft mode (dotted cyan line on the EHSI) and you have to hit the____ (can't remember) key to confirm it and make it solid magenta again. Only then will you be able to use your LNAV keys to follow the course.

This applies to while you're flying too. You might find an ATC who says, go DIRECT to one of the waypoints in your FP (tsk tsk, they do cheat like that sometimes) and so you just click on the button to the left of that waypoint slot, the waypoint then shows up on the botton as if you typed it, and you click the left button beside the first waypoint slot and it shows up there (with no space following because you're just moving them all up), hit confirm and reengage your LNAV and you're good to go.

I suggest working with paper for clearances because trying to change the waypoints while conversing with ATC is going to cause delays.

So in general, the hard part, in my experience, is TALKING TO ATC. When they don't give you a clearance "as filed" and want to make changes, they often call the waypoints by their names and not their 3 character. That's often difficult for me. Even if I have charts, I often can't figure out what they want. So sometimes I just ask for them in text and say I have it then fix it all up before I start my pushback.

Note that this applies not only to the FP but to the SID too. Don't plug in your SID on your FMC until you've been told to use it. It's a hassle (for me) to clean up the FMC once I've put it in and need to change it, especially when vectors are involved.

Hope that helps.

CVA0014 · Posted: Mon Sep 28, 2009 4:37 am

Yup, I've been reading up on modifying the FMC and I have a lot more practice to do in that department. I'm continuing to fly in low traffic areas in the meantime, getting more and more familiar with all the features.

CVA1409 · Posted: Mon Sep 28, 2009 1:17 pm

Rob Vanderkam wrote:

This applies to while you're flying too. You might find an ATC who says, go DIRECT to one of the waypoints in your FP (tsk tsk, they do cheat like that sometimes)

Hey!! It's called giving short cuts to save time/fuel! We think Pilots like this kind of thing

:p

{This is one of the interesting differences between VATSIM and the Real World. RW, pilots always want/are looking for shortcuts. Get there quicker, less fuel-more profit etc... Always a good thing.
On VATSIM, a pilto who has spent a significant amount of time crafting a route say from CYYZ to CYAM, typing it into the flight plan, into the FMC, seeting up charts, often gets testy when they take off and ATC blows it all out the window with "Turn left DCT SSM enroute". I've had many sortcuts that i've offered refused by someone wanting to fly the detailed route. Never a problem, but an interesting contrast}

Rob Vanderkam · Posted: Tue Sep 29, 2009 12:09 pm

Heh, interesting. Makes perfect sense of course, but it flies in the face of what I said about how we have to follow airways from VOR to VOR only on our travels. DCT is not much different than GPS!

Becomming a VATSIM Controller

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