ATC Training Policy

VATSIM UK ATC Training Policy

Version 1.0
Effective Date: 25th February 2025

Scope

This document outlines policies that are prudent to the ATC Training Department within the VATSIM United Kingdom Division. All policies contained in this document are binding to members of the ATC Training Department.

This document is controlled by VATSIM UK’s Division Staff Group. Suggestions or queries should be directed to the ATC Training Director. Changes must be approved by the Division Staff Group.

Where required, the ATC Training Director; Division Director; or Vice President Europe, Middle East, and Africa may deviate from policies stated within this document.

This policy, produced by the ATC Training Department of VATSIM UK, houses policies that are binding to all members of the department – Controllers, Students, Mentors, Examiners and Staff. It is the responsibility for all persons to read, understand and comply with policies laid down in this document. The ATC Training Director and ATC Training Manager will, at all times, ensure compliance with policies detailed within this document. Any member in breach of any policy may be subject to disciplinary action.

Section 1 | Additional Ratings and Endorsements Policy

1.1 C3 Rating

The Senior Controller (C3) rating is awarded individually to members for exceptional service to VATSIM post- C1. C3 eligibility is met through a credit-based system. To be eligible for a C3 members must:

  • Be a member in good standing;
  • Have no substantial negative feedback;
  • Have held a C1 rating for at least one year;
  • Have at least 300 hours on UK CTR and/or FSS positions post-C1 [*];
  • Mentored at least 150 hours in UK ATC mentoring sessions at any level except Enroute;
  • Mentored at least 50 hours in UK ATC Enroute mentoring sessions;
  • Have 250 ‘credits’ (as defined below).

Credits can be earned as follows:

  • 1 credit for each additional hour (above the minimum stated above) controlling UK CTR and/or FSS positions post-C1 [*];
  • 5 credits for each additional hour in UK ATC Enroute mentoring sessions;
  • 50 credits for each year holding a UK Staff position [*].
*Note: In all cases, for members who have transferred a C1 rating from other divisions, ‘post-C1’ is to mean ‘after being validated to C1’ in the UK.

1.2 Gatwick Endorsement (S1)

Before starting training, S1 members must:

  • Be active on the controller roster;
  • Have completed 50hrs on UK GND/DEL positions;
  • Have completed the Gatwick ADC Moodle;
  • Not have significant negative feedback.

1.3 AFIS & A/G (S1)

Before being able to complete the endorsement, S1 members must:

  • Be active on the controller roster;
  • Have completed 50hrs on UK GND/DEL positions;
  • Not have significant negative feedback.

1.4 Heathrow DEL/GND (S1)

To be eligible for Heathrow Training, S1 members must:

  • Be on the active controlling roster;
  • Not have significant negative feedback;
  • Hold a Gatwick ground endorsement with 50 hours on EGKK positions, post-endorsement award.

1.5 Heathrow DEL/GND (S2+)

To be eligible for Heathrow DEL/GND Training, S2+ members must:

  • Be on the active controlling roster;
  • Not have significant negative feedback.

1.6 Heathrow TWR (S2+)

To be eligible for Heathrow TWR Training, S2+ members must:

  • Be on the active controlling roster;
  • Not have significant negative feedback;
  • Hold a Heathrow DEL/GND endorsement.

1.7 Heathrow APP (S3+)

To be eligible for Heathrow APP Training, S3+ members must:

  • Be on the active controlling roster;
  • Not have significant negative feedback;
  • Hold a Heathrow TWR endorsement.

1.8 Military ADC (S2+)

To be eligible for Military ADC Training, S2+ members must:

  • Be on the active controlling roster;
  • Not have significant negative feedback.

1.9 Military APP/PAR (S3+)

To be eligible for Military APP/PAR Training, S 3 + members must:

  • Be on the active controlling roster;
  • Not have significant negative feedback;
  • Hold a Military ADC endorsement.

1.10 Military CTR (C1+)

To be eligible for Military CTR Training, C1+ members must:

  • Be on the active controlling roster;
  • Not have significant negative feedback;
  • Hold a Military APP/PAR endorsement.

1.11 AC Bandbox (LON_CTR)

To be eligible for the AC Bandbox endorsement, C1+ members must:

  • Have been active on the Controller Roster for the previous two quarters;
  • Not have significant negative feedback;
  • Have At least 20 hours post-C1 on two of the four main LON sectors (40 total);
  • Have At least 10 hours post-C1 on the remaining two main LON sectors (20 total);
  • Have At least an additional 20 hours post-C1 on any LON/LTC/MAN position (which can include those above);
  • Hold a Heathrow Director Endorsement.

Time spent on split positions (e.g. LTC_CTR) will only count towards the additional 20 post-C1 hours. Time spent on LON_SC_CTR will only be considered as contributing to one LON sector per 20 hours controlled.

1.12 AC South-Central (LON_SC_CTR) and TC Bandbox (LTC_CTR)

To be eligible for the AC South-Central or TC Bandbox endorsement, C1+ members must:

  • Have been active on the Controller Roster for the previous two quarters;
  • Not have significant negative feedback;
  • Have controlled a minimum of 50hrs in both the South and Central LAGs respectively;
  • Hold a Heathrow Director Endorsement.

Section 2 | Student Policy

2.1 Joining a Waiting List (S2 Training and Beyond)

To be eligible to join a waiting list members must:

  • Be a home member of the UK division in good standing;
  • Hold the prerequisite rating;
  • Have attained 50 hours post the award of their previous rating, on positions where the rating is required to control that position;
  • Be active on the Controller Roster.

2.2 Remaining on a Waiting List (S2 Training and Beyond)

In order to remain on a waiting list members must:

  • Remain active on the Controller Roster;
  • Remain a UK home member

Members shall be removed from a waiting list if they fail to comply with above policy.

The VATSIM UK ATC Training Director may also remove a member from the waiting list without warning in situations including, but not limited to:

  • Following disciplinary action;
  • Following repeated adverse feedback whilst controlling positions with ratings they may already hold.

2.3 Award of a Training Place (S2 Training and Beyond)

2.3.1 Currency

To be awarded a training place, members must:

  • Be a home member of the UK division in good standing;
  • Be active on the controller roster;
  • Have completed the eLearning Course and subsequent CTS Theory Exam;
  • Have at least 50hrs controlling with their current rating;
  • Have no significant negative feedback.

2.3.2 Training Position

Members will not be permitted to reject their training aerodrome/sector offer in the hope that they receive a second offer on a preferred aerodrome/sector. Members on a waiting list may be offered a training place on a specific aerodrome/sector. If the member chooses not to accept training on this position, they may be removed from the waiting list.

2.3.3 Deferral

VATSIM UK does not normally allow members to defer their training place. However, members who believe they have extenuating circumstances should open a ticket, via the helpdesk, to ATC Training; individual cases will be reviewed by the ATC Training Director and ATC Training Manager.

2.4 Removal of a Training Place

To be fair to other students waiting for a training place, training places will be forfeited for administrative reasons for:

  • Becoming inactive on the UK Controller Roster;
  • Not having availability/a session request entered into the CT System five days after a reminder is issued;
  • Not availability/a session request entered and members have already received three availability/session request reminders;
  • Members ‘no show’ at three scheduled mentoring sessions. A session is ‘no showed’ if, after five minutes of its scheduled start time, a student is not present.

The ATC Training Director reserves the right to remove a training place in situations including, but not limited to:

  • Continued lack of progress in comparison to ‘usual’ rates;
  • Lack of engagement with the training course and training staff;
  • Following disciplinary action;
  • Following repeated adverse feedback whilst controlling positions with ratings they may already hold.

Section 3 | Mentoring Policy

3.1 Eligibility

To be eligible to mentor, members must:

  1. Be active on the controller roster;
  2. Hold the appropriate rating/endorsement for the rating/position they wish to mentor on;
  3. Spend a sufficient period of time (at the discretion of TG Instructors) consolidating knowledge on the rating/position;
  4. Be a member in good standing with no significant negative feedback.

3.2 Session Conduct

Before accepting a session, mentors are expected to read through the student’s previous mentoring reports to decide the focus of the session and make a brief lesson plan. Sessions shall take place on the live VATSIM network or the Sweatbox server, as required.

Mentors must utilise the TeamSpeak Server or Discord Mentoring Channels to conduct a mentoring session.

Mentors must not use any other means of communication to conduct a session.

Students shall be taught and graded in accordance with the relevant syllabus, and with guidance from TG Instructors. Mentors are expected to file the session report within three days of the session, and it shall include references to TG material including the Syllabus, Moodle eLearning Course and local documentation.

3.2.1 No Show

If a student has not connected to the VATSIM UK TeamSpeak server within five minutes of the session start time, the session can be recorded in the CT System as a ‘no-show’. This must only be done when a session has been accepted with at least 24 hours’ notice, or when a student has explicitly agreed to the session taking place as scheduled.

3.3 Removal of Rights

In exceptional circumstances, it may be necessary for a mentor to be asked to leave their position for reasons including (but not limited to) serious breaches of VATSIM.net, VATEMEA, or VATSIM UK policies, repeated misconduct, or serious misconduct. This decision will be made by the ATC Training Management team and communicated clearly to the mentor in question.

Section 4 | Examinations Policy

4.1 Eligibility

A member may become an ATC Examiner at the invitation of the ATC Training Director or ATC Training Manager. Members are not permitted to request to become an examiner.

4.2 Removal of Rights

In exceptional circumstances, it may be necessary for an examiner to be asked to leave their position for reasons including (but not limited to) serious breaches of VATSIM.net, VATEMEA, or VATSIM UK policies, repeated misconduct, or serious misconduct. This decision will be made by the ATC Training Management team and communicated clearly to the examiner in question.

4.3 Conduct

S2 and above exams shall be conducted on the live network and may either be pre-arranged or spontaneous. Spontaneous exams may only be conducted with the explicit approval, in advance, of the ATC Training Director or ATC Training Manager. Examiners shall use their judgement as to which of the following ways is most suitable to conduct an exam:

  • Practical exam scheduled in CTS;
  • Student observed on solo validation;
  • Student in mentoring session/end of block exam with examiner(s).

Where a mentoring session is used as a spontaneous exam, the examination criteria must be used to assess the competency of the student. In this scenario, the mentoring session will be cancelled in CTS and a practical exam will be accepted and associated report filed.

All ATC exams, either pre-arranged or spontaneous, must have an exam report filed no matter the outcome.

4.4 Grading & Assessment

The overall grading will be as follows:

  • Pass
  • Incomplete (direct continuation at a later date)
  • Fail - Resubmit (where the exam has been assessed as a failure but the student requires no further training)
  • Fail (further training required in accordance with Examiner-TG remedial training plan)

Individual criteria will be assessed as follows:

  • Fully Competent – Exceptional level of proficiency in the subject matter. Exceeded expected standards and effectively applies knowledge to practical situations
  • Mostly Competent – Good level of proficiency in the subject matter. Expected standards are met but with minor areas for improvement.
  • Partly Competent – Proficient in the subject matter. Expected standards are met but with significant areas for improvement.
  • Fail – Significant knowledge gaps of the subject matter and lack of competency in practical scenarios.
  • Not Assessed – Performance not evaluated for any reason usually due to circumstances in the exam.

An exam will not be marked as a pass if:

  • Any competency is marked as Fail or Not Assessed; or
  • 3 or more competencies are marked as Partly competent.

Section 5 | Staff Policy

5.1 Vacancy

The Division Director, ATC Training Director and ATC Training Manager may appoint staff to roles at their discretion, by means of application and interview or by direct appointment. Any publicised vacancy must be advertised for a minimum of 7 days.

Successful applicants shall be required to agree to the VATSIM UK Staff Collective Responsibility Policy before commencing their role.

5.2 Removal of Rights

In exceptional circumstances, it may be necessary for a staff member to be asked to leave their position for reasons including (but not limited to) serious breaches of VATSIM.net, VATEMEA, or VATSIM UK policies, repeated misconduct, or serious misconduct. This decision must be taken by the ATC Training Director in consultation with the ATC Training Manager.

5.3 Eligibility

This section sets out the eligibility criteria for roles within the ATC Training Department.

5.3.1 ATC Training Director

Applicants for the role of ATC Training Director must:

  • Be a VATSIM UK home member;
  • Hold at least a C1 rating;
  • Be able to commit at least 7hrs per week to the role.

The ATC Training Director is delegated responsibility, from the Division Director, for ATC Training and shall:

  • Develop, direct, and implement new strategies and initiatives in relation to ATC training;
  • Manage and produce documentation relating to training concepts and guidance for others in the department;
  • Provide updates to the VATSIM.net Vice Presidents and to Division and Region staff as appropriate;
  • Regularly review the standard of training;
  • Manage departmental staff members, and advise Division Staff on appointments from an operational perspective;
  • Have sole responsibility for all ATC rating upgrades with the division.

The ATC Training Director will also automatically assume the role of Division Instructor.

5.3.2 ATC Training Manager

Applicants for the role of ATC Training Manager must:

  • Be a VATSIM UK home member;
  • Hold at least a C1 rating;
  • Be able to commit at least 7hrs per week to the role.

The ATC Training Manager is delegated responsibility, from the ATC Training Director, for:

  • Day-to-day and administrative operations in collaboration with the Community department;
  • Liaising with department staff on administrative issues;
  • Administrates visiting/transferring validations;
  • Allocation and conduct of ATC examinations;
  • Covering other roles in the department as necessary (e.g. for holidays/illness etc.).

The ATC Training Director will also automatically assume the role of Division Instructor.

5.3.3 Division Instructors (I3)

To qualify as a Division Instructor, C1+ members must:

  • Have been listed on the active ATC roster for the previous two quarters;
  • Have controlled for least 250 hours post the award of their C1 rating;
  • Have performed extensive mentoring across all ratings;
  • Be up to date on current procedures and familiar with the ATC Training syllabi for all ratings;
  • Agree to maintain currency across ATC disciplines, either by controlling at various positions or providing 'top-down' ATC services.

Further, prospective Division Instructors should:

  • Already be an ATC examiner;
  • Have an active presence in the VATSIM UK Discord to support ATC students.

5.3.4 Training Group Instructors (I1)

To qualify as a Training Group Instructor, S3+ (or C1+ for TG Enroute) members must:

  • Have been listed on the active ATC roster for the previous two quarters;
  • Have controlled for least 100 hours post the award of their S3 rating (or C1 for TG Enroute);
  • Have performed extensive mentoring in the TG applied for;
  • Be up to date on current procedures and familiar with the ATC Training syllabi for the TG applied for;
  • Agree to maintain currency across ATC disciplines, either by controlling at various positions or providing 'top-down' ATC services.