So you want to be an online Air Traffic Controller?

Have you ever been on an aircraft, and thought "I wonder what its like in the control tower right now"? Are you considering a career in Air Traffic Management? Do you just want a fun, new addition to your hobby of Flight Simulation? Then being an Air Traffic Controller on VATSIM is the next best thing to controlling real aircraft.

I've been controlling with VATSIM since the end of December, and it's been a great learning curve. Studying and reviewing procedures and then putting them all into practice in an extremely realistic simulation. It also comes with a great sense of achievement when you get down a group of three or four aircraft all on final approach in sequence without having to send any of them to go around. The aim of this article, is to give you an insight into online air traffic control with VATSIM.

Keys to good controlling:

To be a good controller, it helps to have some qualities. These are not tall orders, no medicals to pass! Just basic social skills:

1. Patience:

No, in this case it isn't the popular number by "Take That"! Often with VATSIM you get new pilots wanting to fly, and sometimes do not have a clue of the procedures. This is were patience comes in. It is very easy to just give up on the pilot. But rather than doing this, try and help the pilot. Speak slower when you are giving out instructions, and use text if needs be. Also, giving time to offer the pilot links to helpful reading material.

2. Being able to speak clearly:

Another important factor of VATSIM is being able to speak clearly. Pilots cannot understand you if you speak like a washing machine on a spin cycle! In this case "Slow and Steady" is the key to controlling when it comes to voice. Speaking slowly and clearly is the way to happy pilots, and when on a session, happy mentors.

3. An approachable person:

The last main quality of being a VATSIM controller, you need to be approachable. If you have been shouting down the frequency at a pilot it is highly unlikely he is going to come and ask you for help afterwards! Just be nice, and appreciate that you were once like this to another controller.

Right, I know what I have to be, so how do I get started?

First of all, choose an airfield you want to control at. Controllable airfields are shown on the VATSIM UK division site (See link at bottom). Once you have decided the airfield that you want to control at, find out what RTS (Regional Training Scheme) your airfield is part of, and once you have registered with VATSIM UK, join that RTS. NOTE: Unfortunately, the Northern RTS has been closed to new members, due to the fact that there are too many. This means that some airfields are closed to new members, and therefore you cannot control on them. These are as follows: Manchester (EGCC), Liverpool (EGGP), Ronaldsway (EGNS), Blackpool (EGNH), Leeds Bradford (EGNM), Newcastle (EGNT), Durham-Tees Valley (EGNV), Hawarden (EGNR) and Carlisle (EGNC). You may be thinking "But mine is in that list! Whats the point!". I am a member of the NRTS, and once things have been sorted out, it will be reopened again.

Right, now you've joined an RTS, you need the controller software to be able to control. The latest, and better, software is called VRC Version 1.1, and is available via the link at the bottom of the article. Read the whole manual, it isn't that long, and will greatly improve you understanding of the software, as it can be quite difficult to get to grips with at first.

I have the software, and I am in an RTS, one question, exactly how do you control?

Once you have your software all set up, and you have a basic idea on how to use it, I suggest you log on to the network as an observer, to see how your chosen airfield is run. A lot of VATSIM teaching is done through observing. Observe what the other controllers say, the SID's and STARS that are assigned, the runways and taxiways etc. I recommend about 30 to 40 hours of observing before you actually put in any mentoring request which are explained later on. It may sound a tall order, but is worth it.

As well as observing, a must do is to read the basic airfield information on the airports homepage on the VATSIM UK website. This will have all the basic information you need to know to get controlling. Also recommended, is to read the real world aircraft textual data available from the link at the bottom of the article. This will get you familiar with the ground movements and other procedures that the airfield has. REMEMBER, different airfields have different procedures, it is important that you have basic knowledge on your chosen airfield, so that you don't get caught out when you start controlling.

Right, so we have chosen an airfield, we are a member of that airfields RTS, we have the software, we know the basic procedures and have observed for a while, so we now know what to expect. This is were your first experience of controlling comes in, with a mentoring session

How do I get one of these mentoring sessions?

Right, this is why you joined a Regional Training Scheme. Its in the name, for training. So, from your login, find request session. You will be asked to input 3 dates and times in for your session. Some useful advice, don't put them all in at the same time, or near abouts, because the idea of three different times, is so that other mentors can pick up your session, and it can appeal to people when they are available. If a mentor doesn't pick up your session straight away, just keep putting new ones up, and one will eventually get picked up. Don't put loads in at the same time, or pester mentors asking them for mentoring, as it will get you nowhere, as mentors really don't like being pushed.
 

Yes! My session has been accepted! What can I expect?

I recommend that your first session is on a Ground (GND) position.
You will meet up on Teamspeak (see the VATUK website for more information) and discuss what will be happening in the session. As it's your first time, your mentor will check that you know your procedures, before "letting you loose" on the scope, for obvious reasons. Common questions are practice IFR and VFR Clearances, Squawk codes, decoding METARS and general usage of VRC.
Take advantage of your mentor, ask him questions whenever possible. "How long have you been controlling sir?" is a good one, it helps you get to know them. Hopefully, if they take a liking to you, they will offer you more sessions.

At the end of the session, your mentor will fill in a report, pointing out were you can improve. And he or she will give the final decision whether you can control solo or not. Don't be down hearted if you don't get it first time, just keep putting in for sessions and it will come eventually.

Well that's all you need to know to get started on controlling. I hope you have found it useful and would appreciate any feedback on by mail (Click here) or contact me via the forum here.

LINKS:

www.vatsim-uk.org - The VATSIM UK Division website.

http://vatsim.net/links/links32.html - VATSIM controller downloads section, were you can download VRC