Version 1.0 Effective Date: 2nd February 2026
This document outlines the Senior Student (S3) training syllabus for students training in VATSIM UK.
This document is only to be used in conjunction with the S3 training scheme of the VATSIM UK Training Department and should never be adopted for real world use.
The information published by VATSIM UK within this document is made available without warranty of any kind; the Organization accepts no responsibility or liability whether direct or indirect, as to the currency, accuracy or quality of the information, nor for any consequence of its use.
The syllabus details the competencies and content covered by the S3 training course in VATSIM UK. Students will meet the learning objectives through independent study of material provided in eLearning courses and traditional documentation, supported by mentors and instructors in one-to-one and group teaching sessions. Students are encouraged to ask questions in the #app_students channel on Discord.
In advance of students beginning a course of practical training, they are expected to have completed the relevant theory examination and attended a pre-course seminar, which will serve to provide the basis for theoretical knowledge to be developed upon during a course of practical training. VATSIM UK’s S3 Moodle course should form the basis for much of the theoretical knowledge required for the rating.
As is outlined in the relevant ATC Training Policy, completion of the S3 theory exam is a condition of the award of a training place. Should a prospective student fail to attend a pre-course seminar, they will be expected to recover their own theoretical knowledge before starting a practical training course.
The pre-course seminar will cover the following content:
This section serves to outline the competencies required of an S3 controller within VATSIM UK and aims to explain the requirements of each competency. Insofar as is possible, this section should be considered exhaustive; it should not be required that a student receiving training towards an S3 rating in VATSIM UK demonstrate any skills beyond those which are listed in this section of this document.
S3 Training now incorporates block training as a way to standardise the Approach Radar training process and ensure a graduated approach to student training. This ensures that the syllabus is covered appropriately whilst minimising the risk of student overwhelm.
Students should complete all blocks before being forwarded for a practical exam unless otherwise agreed with the training administrators (TGI, ATC TM, ATC TD). The block training system comprises of two blocks; students are only taught competencies in their block until completing the content of each and then they complete the end of block exam.
Block one aims to introduce student controllers to the basic concept of approach radar control. A student controller should, at the end of this block, be expected to demonstrate:
Block two aims to develop on the knowledge obtained at Block One, whilst introducing more advanced concepts for streaming arriving aircraft, managing continuous descent approaches, managing holds and providing UK Flight Information Services. A student controller should, at the end of this block, be expected to demonstrate:
In order to ensure that students and mentors have a common understanding of the requirements of the syllabus and that mentoring reports are completed consistently, the requirements for progress through each rating in the syllabus are outlined below:
| Item | Covered / Fail | Developing / Partly Competent | Good / Mostly Competent | Test Standard / Fully Competent |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Role of the Approach Radar Controller | The student understands the basics of their role and can define, in simple terms, their area of responsibility. They can make simple planning decisions and can handle low workload situations with prompting. | The student has a clear understanding of the basics of their role and plan the short term consistently. They can describe the lateral and vertical constraints of their AOR, but may omit some details. They handle low workload scenarios with occasional prompting but may struggle with higher workload. The student recognises when they are required to handle departures and does so appropriately, with occasional input from the mentor. | The student unthinkingly understands their role and most responsibilities, with good workload management and planning capabilities. They can describe their AOR in detail, along with any associated restrictions. They can handle high workload scenarios with limited input. The student correctly handles departures to the minimum degree required and in accordance with local procedure. | The student fully understands their role and responsibilities for both blocks, with consistent and good workload management and planning capabilities. They can describe their AOR in detail, along with any associated restrictions. They can, without prompting, handle all scenarios presented in day-to-day traffic presentations. The controller recognises that their workload may necessitate opening a split position and understands the concept of operating the split. The student correctly handles departures to the minimum degree required and in accordance with local procedure. |
| Radar and Communications Usage | The student correctly opens the UK Controller Pack. The student can update the controller pack without support. They require mentor input to make changes to the radar display and can perform simple tag management functions. The student can interpret the radar display. | The student performs basic, irregular tag management functions. They can dynamically configure simple radar display elements. They can recall basic IVV theory and apply it without prompting, although may need support when tooling fails or uncommon IVV scenarios present. | The student consistently manages tags well and uses the radar display dynamically. They consistently perform IVV to a good standard, including managing traffic from unstaffed airspace. | The student maintains accurate tags throughout entire controlling sessions. They understand the radar display and can easily access information. They understand the intricacies of the IVV process and perform it consistently, alongside understanding a number of possible methods of identification. |
| Radiotelephony | The student demonstrates appropriate use of basic radiotelephony. They can use the correct phraseology to issue climbs/descents, issue headings, approach clearances and handoffs, although they may make common errors with their R/T. | The student consistently applies correct radiotelephony for common scenarios. The student speaks with appropriate pace and tone. They may make mistakes when under pressure or in more complex scenarios. | The student demonstrates good use of radiotelephony, including for block 2 concepts. The student speaks with appropriate pace and tone, even under pressure, and prioritises their transmissions well. Mistakes are limited and commonly identified/corrected by the student without prompting. | The student demonstrates an appropriate understanding of all required approach radar phraseology, including recognising when to revert to normal speech. The student speaks with good pace and tone and consistently prioritises their transmissions well. |
| Vectoring, Descent Management, Separation and Spacing | The student understands separation minima and basic techniques to achieve them, but may not understand or demonstrate the concept of ‘ensuring’ separation. The student can provide descents to aircraft with respect to local airspace in low workload situations. | The student demonstrates a basic understanding of speed control. They recognise the tools and techniques used to maintain separation. The student descends aircraft appropriately, considerate of the impact of speed. They provide reasonable vectors to multiple aircraft concurrently, ensuring compliance with local airspace restrictions, although their vectors may be rigid and lead to inconsistent spacing. | The student demonstrates consistent use of appropriate speed control, both as a technique to maintain separation and to achieve spacing. The student understands the difference between separation and spacing. The student descends aircraft with respect to local airspace. They provide dynamic vectors to achieve consistent, intentional spacing. | The student proactively achieves spacing, including for wake vortex impacted situations. They have a clear plan and use various methods to implement that plan. They consistently co-ordinate spacing changes when the situation allows. The student consistently gives accurate and dynamic instructions in challenging scenarios, without mentor support, whilst achieving consistent spacing. |
| Establishing Aircraft on Approaches | The student can establish aircraft on ILS approaches with due consideration to the platform altitude. They understand the appropriate range and altitude to establish aircraft on a 3-degree glide path. | The student consistently establishes aircraft on ILS approaches at appropriate points on the extended centreline and with due consideration to the platform altitude. They demonstrate a basic understanding of RNP approaches. | The student can integrate aircraft on ILS, RNP and visual approaches. They demonstrate a good understanding of each approach type and issue them appropriately for the traffic volume. The student can control procedural and visual approaches, but understands the challenge this presents and is duly wary of providing them. | The student can integrate aircraft on ILS, RNP and visual approaches, utilising different establishing points for efficiency. They demonstrate the use of more advanced techniques for efficiency. |
| Co-ordination | The student facilitates basic co-ordination for simple tasks, such as logging on and logging off, although they may not leverage the provided mnemonics. They can both accept and provide a basic handover to another controller. They demonstrate an awareness of different release types but may not recall specific detail. | The student demonstrates a good understanding of inbound release types, receives and actions them appropriately. They may not understand all restrictions with various release conditions, but understands that restrictions may exist and where they will be defined. | The student understands all inbound release types and can co-ordinate without significant impediment to their controlling. The student occasionally pro-actively co-ordinates with area controllers, but may need prompting to do so. The student maintains control of their frequency whilst co-ordinating. | The student demonstrates a good understanding of co-ordination, pro-actively co-ordinating when appropriate and rejecting or delaying co-ordination requests when busy. The student does not require prompting and continues to control whilst co-ordinating where appropriate. |
| Item | Covered | Developing | Good | Test Standard |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| UK Flight Information Services | The student can issue a basic service to aircraft outside of controlled airspace. They can safely process a join, leave or transit request. | The student can issue basic and traffic services. They demonstrate a basic understanding of radar handovers. They issue appropriate traffic information in good time. | The student can issue basic, traffic and deconfliction services appropriately for their workload and with respect to service limitations. They reject services appropriate to their workload. | The student competently issues the full range of UKFIS appropriately for their workload and without impediment to their controlling. They are aware they can downgrade or reject services due to non-compliance or workload. |
| Hold Management | The student understands the location and vertical limits of terminal holds in their airspace. They can issue appropriate instructions to enter terminal holds. | The student utilises holds efficiently, recognising when to start holding and effecting appropriate co-ordination. They are aware of the different methods for leaving the hold but may not apply them. | The student manages holds well, recognising when to start holding and occasionally using holds to facilitate changes to the landing order. They appropriately use a variety of methods to make aircraft leave the hold. They are able to stop holding and have an awareness of ‘stack-swap’ STARs. | The student effectively holds, including pro-active holding to protect their workload. They can safely manage holds without impediments to regular controlling and proactively consider the use of ‘stack-swaps’ to minimise holding. |
| Advanced Vectoring, Descent Management, Separation and Spacing | The student consistently vectors and descends aircraft with respect to local airspace. They demonstrate a capacity to plan a simple landing order. | The student can build streams of traffic from multiple arrivals, establishing a landing order in advance and fulfilling their plan; spacing may still be irregular on occasion. The student occasionally facilitates CDA. | The student streams aircraft from multiple arrivals whilst considering wake vortex implications in their landing order. Spacing is consistent and complies with local procedure or co-ordination. They are able to alter their plan to accommodate missed approaches. The student consistently facilitates CDA where appropriate. | The student can stream aircraft effectively, accommodating spacing and separation requirements in complex traffic scenarios. They can facilitate missed approaches without significant impediment to their arrival rate whilst consistently accommodating CDAs when appropriate. |
In order to ensure that students beginning their S3 training are brokered to the syllabus in a consistent manner, the department requires that students are generally taken through a number of pre-determined lesson plans. Whilst these lesson plans provide a set structure for training, they may, at the discretion of the mentor, be condensed, replaced or re-ordered, depending on an individual students approach to training.
Purpose:
This lesson is intended to take approximately 45-60 minutes.
| Objective | Training Notes | Success Criteria |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | The mentor should assist the student via means of a Discord screenshare. The mentor should identify or demonstrate: - The four common radar profiles and how to promptly access them – and close them if required. - How to access the SMR when covering a position on a top-down basis. - The contents of the three tag types (untracked, tracked, detailed). - The click-actions of each tag item. - The use of leader lines and the separation tool. - The use of the Display Menu to control airspace depiction. - The use of TopSky shortcuts to toggle the display of VRPs and airspace bases. |
The student can configure their radar display and demonstrates familiarity with the tag family and lists. The student can easily access elements of the radar display, either by selecting a new ASR or by using the display menu or TopSky shortcuts. |
| 2 | The mentor should describe the concept of tracking aircraft in Euroscope and how students should track, drop, transfer or force transfer aircraft. The mentor should have the student demonstrate: - How to track an aircraft using the list, tag, or F3 shortcut. - How to drop the track using the list, tag, or Shift + F4. - How to identify the controller that Euroscope recommends transferring to. - How to transfer an aircraft to the recommended controller using F4, then clicking a tag, list item or using ASEL. - How to forcibly transfer an aircraft using F4, typing a controller identifier, then clicking a tag, list item or using ASEL. |
The student demonstrates the ability to track an aircraft, drop the track, transfer to the recommended controller, and transfer to a specified controller using a simulated aircraft. |
| 3 | The mentor should ensure that the student understands basic radiotelephony for: - Turning an aircraft left or right. - Turning onto a specified heading (“fly radar heading”). - Descending an aircraft to a flight level. - Descending an aircraft to an altitude. - Clearing an aircraft for an ILS approach. |
During the lesson, the student should be offered the opportunity to provide basic vectors and descents to a simulated aircraft. The student should issue CAP413-compliant instructions, with mentor support if required. The focus is on correct phraseology rather than proficiency. There is no requirement to simulate initial check-ins, expected approach instructions, or delay information. |
| 4 | The mentor should explain basic aircraft performance principles. Using two simulated aircraft, one significantly higher than the other, the mentor should discuss performance implications during climb. A demonstration should then be made showing the effect of aircraft speed on turn radius. | The student should demonstrate: - That higher aircraft typically have a higher groundspeed. - That aircraft flying into wind will have a lower groundspeed. - That faster aircraft have a larger turning radius than slower aircraft. |
| 5 | The student should be given time to practice vectoring aircraft freely, eventually resulting in at least one aircraft being vectored onto the ILS. | The student is given discretion to vector aircraft to understand timing and effect of actions. At least one aircraft should be vectored onto the ILS. There is no requirement to ensure aircraft remain within controlled airspace, comply with restrictions, or establish on the ILS within normal tolerances. |
At the end of the session, the student should be directed to ensure that they revise the requirements for information to be verified with aircraft on first contact, alongside consolidating their knowledge of the required radiotelephony for block one items.
Purpose:
This lesson is intended to take approximately 60-90 minutes.
| Objective | Training Notes | Success Criteria |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | The mentor should discuss the requirements of the IVV process, ensuring theoretical understanding. The mentor should identify or demonstrate: - The difference between identified and unidentified aircraft via correlated and uncorrelated tags. - The process to manually correlate aircraft. - The phraseology required to issue a new squawk. - The phraseology to direct an aircraft to set a new squawk, having previously had one. |
The student can: - Explain the importance of identification. - Explain the steps in the IVV process. - Identify the correct Mode C validation tolerance. - Spot an unidentified aircraft on the radar display. - Issue an appropriate squawk. - Correctly identify the aircraft. - Explain how to manage departures that do not automatically complete code–callsign correlation. |
| 2 | The mentor should ensure the student understands separation minima and their origin. The student should also demonstrate understanding of how separation can be achieved and maintained. The student should be invited to: - Vector two aircraft one behind the other and attempt to reduce spacing using speed. - Observe that even moderate speed differences (e.g. 180 kt vs 250 kt) require significant time to create spacing. - Create a situation with two aircraft nearly overhead and apply a 30° diverging heading, timing how long it takes to achieve 3 NM separation. The purpose is to illustrate that: - Speed can maintain separation but not build it. - Headings are highly effective at building separation. |
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| 3 | Using these techniques, the student should stream three aircraft for an arrival. No focus is required on controlled airspace, RMAs or release points; the exercise is designed to introduce basic vectoring. The student should also demonstrate paralleling — recognising that two aircraft at similar altitudes on the same heading will remain separated, allowing level swaps whilst maintaining separation. |
The student can: - Vector aircraft to achieve required separation and/or spacing. - Stream aircraft by achieving similar ground tracks rather than paralleling. - Apply suitable speed restrictions to maintain separation. - Vector aircraft on parallel tracks to maintain separation. - Correctly recall standard and reduced separation minima for known traffic and separation requirements for unknown traffic within controlled airspace. |
At the end of the session, the student should be directed to ensure that they revise the requirements for information to be verified with aircraft on first contact, alongside consolidating their knowledge of the required radiotelephony for block one items.
Purpose:
This lesson is intended to take approximately 60-90 minutes.
| Objective | Training Notes | Success Criteria |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | The mentor should begin with theoretical instruction on ILS and RNP approaches, using charts from an airfield other than the student’s training aerodrome. The mentor should ensure understanding of the ILS components: - Localiser - Glidepath - DME The mentor should lead a discussion covering key chart elements: - Approach type and runway - Airfield and threshold elevations - MSA - ILS frequency - Inbound course - Platform altitude - Descent point and DME - Missed approach details - IAF(s) and FAF The student should then review a chart for their training aerodrome and identify the same elements. |
The student can: - Demonstrate understanding of the constituent parts of an approach chart. - Interrogate an approach chart to identify critical information. |
| 2 | The mentor should discuss principles of establishing aircraft for ILS approaches, including: - Aircraft must be below the glidepath to intercept. - High-speed aircraft may overshoot the localiser. - Aircraft must not establish on a heading more than 40° from the localiser. - Aircraft should, where possible, experience straight and level flight before intercepting. The mentor should explain phraseology differences for aircraft establishing above versus at/below platform altitude. The student should then vector aircraft to establish on an instrument approach, respecting airspace confines, platform altitude and descent profile. |
The student can: - Vector aircraft appropriately in low-workload situations to establish on an approach. - Consistently establish aircraft at the same intercept point. - Manage aircraft speed appropriately throughout the arrival phase. |
At the end of the session, the student should be directed to ensure that they revise the local airspace of the position that they are controlling, with the intention of beginning live controlling. They should focus on the lateral and vertical constraints of their airspace and, if capacity allows, basic information regarding release points.
The S3 syllabus does not require an assessment at the end of block one. The natural progression of students is expected to slowly incorporate block two elements, although the mentor may be expected to either take control of the frequency, reject certain traffic scenarios or heavily coach the student through block two scenarios early in the live training.
At the end of block two, before a student is considered for a practical exam, an end of block two assessment should be conducted by a suitably experienced member of the training group, authorised by the Training Group Instructor, ATC Training Manager or ATC Training Director. The assessment should be conducted in exam conditions: an open book assessment whereby the student is expected to independently control appropriate volumes of traffic and demonstrate an acceptable level of competence of all competencies required within the syllabus. In normal circumstances, an examination should not be concluded until a block two assessment has been conducted and the prospective candidate demonstrated the required standard of control to pass an exam.
It is widely regarded that the learning curve from S2 to S3 is the steepest that students will undergo throughout their ATC Training in VATSIM UK. Thus, mentors must ensure that students are theoretically prepared for their training and set realistic practical expectations for the first few mentoring sessions. Below is a list of do’s and don’ts through the S3 training programme
DO:
DON’T: