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For the past several years, the January edition of our Logan Informer has featured an article that wraps up the year that was, and looks ahead to what’s on our artificial horizon for the next. Normally, the Administration Team seeks to set out goals for the upcoming year and give the community a sense of what to expect in the next twelve months.
Reading over the 2014 year-in-review we published this January, we sure missed that objective! There were probably only two people who had even a thought about the potential of a merger with VATSIM when that article was written, and even for them, it was still only a distant possibility.
On January 1, 2015, Boston Virtual ATC—an FSX-only community of pilots and controllers—was on the verge of opening a new “base” of ATC operations in the New York ARTCC, looking to increase the number of events, and seeking to grow the Pilot Ratings Program. But much like Maple Leafs goal scorers, we went 0 for 3.
When Boston Virtual ATC’s A-Team set those goals for the year, they were based on an assumption that the community would continue to operate as it had previously: incredibly effectively, but limited by the 2006 technology in FSX. While every intention was to achieve the goals we set for ourselves, there was also a shared understanding that something had to change in order for our community to survive.
Pack The Pattern: KPVD
Tuesday, January 5, 8-11pm ET
Regional Circuit: KBTV and KMHT
Tuesday, February 9, 8-11pm ET
To see all of our upcoming events, please visit the Events Calendar. You can also add 'events.bvartcc.com' as a subscribed calendar to see our events on your phone or desktop calendar.
Tuesday, January 5, 8-11pm ET
Regional Circuit: KBTV and KMHT
Tuesday, February 9, 8-11pm ET
To see all of our upcoming events, please visit the Events Calendar. You can also add 'events.bvartcc.com' as a subscribed calendar to see our events on your phone or desktop calendar.
The FlightSimCon team is working away on things. See the more in-depth article below.
BVA Recognized as a VATSIM ATO
By: John Girard
By: John Girard
Boston Virtual ARTCC's Pilot Ratings Program (PRP) has just been certified as a VATSIM Authorized Training Organization, or ATO. This certification enables Boston Virtual ARTCC to grant VATSIM Pilot Ratings P3, P4, and P5. We are one of only two organizations in North America authorized to issue the P5 rating, and one of only 5 ATOs across all of VATSIM eligible to issue it.
BVA's own Pilot Ratings Program is still available to all members as a self-study training program. Pilots who participate in our PRP review the material for the relevant rating online and then attempt to fly it when ATC is available. There is no requirement to sign up or schedule a flight; just find a night with ATC available and ask the controller to monitor your flight. If you meet the test standards associated with the PRP flight, you'll pass the rating. The PRP program can be found on our website at www.bvartcc.com/prp.
FlightSimCon 2016 Update
By: Jonathan Asher and John Girard
By: Jonathan Asher and John Girard
FlightSimCon 2015 was, in the view of many members, the most memorable and exciting event of the year. BVA looks to further build upon the FlightSimCon tradition in 2016. Taking place the weekend of June 11 and 12, the event will again be held at the New England Air Museum just off the premises of Bradley International Airport in Windsor Locks, Connecticut. Early registration for FlightSimCon 2016 has been open since Dec 1 and will continue through the end of January. Standard early bird admission for the entire weekend is $50 and students and student pilots have a $40 early bird discounted price.
In addition to the FlightSimCon Saturday night dinner ($25 on the registration website), we will be hosting an official BVA group dinner on Friday, June 10. We will release more information on that in the coming months. This year’s conference will be the first at which various vendors and food trucks will be on site for lunch, giving attendees more options than our traditional pre-paid lunch.
Cape Air Virtual's Pilot of the Month is:
Richard Wang, KAP441
Richard had 6 flights this month at the highest rating available - 125.5!
BVA's ATC Instructors have recognized:
Krikor Hajian, S2
as Air Traffic Controller of the month for December for his outstanding dedication and service
"Contact versus Monitor"
These two terms, while both used quite often, have very different meanings. When an air traffic controller tells you to "contact" another controller, he expects you to change to the other's frequency and tell them that you are on said frequency.
Example:
"Delta 4816, contact Boston Tower, 128.8"
"Contacting tower, Delta 4816"
[change frequencies]
"Boston Tower, Delta 4816 crossing runway Four Left."
When a controller tells you to monitor, you are expected to do a similar thing, except:
"Delta 4816, monitor Boston Tower, 128.8"
"Monitoring tower, Delta 4816"
[changes frequency, but does not call in and remains silent]
These are often used during busy times where the next controller does not have time for extra transmissions on frequency; there will have been prior coordination and he will know that you are with him as per said coordination; be sure to not mess this one up!
Challenge Question: What is the correct FAA aircraft equipment suffix for a plane that is not RVSM certified, has DME with a Mode C transponder?
The answer to the challenge question will be included in next month's Pilot Tip.
Each month, we run a contest on our forums to determine who has the best flight simulator screenshot. This month, the winner of the contest is Sean Doyle for his shot of a MetroAir A320 over Boston,
shown below.
Be sure to check the forums for the next month's screen shot contest!
New Look Logan Informer
By: Logan Informer Team
By: Logan Informer Team
BVA's Logan Informer has a new look! We're proud to debut the first edition of our online Logan Informer, which will be delivered directly to your inbox instead of as a PDF. Shorter articles will be included in each email, with the full text of longer articles available on our forums.
Alongside the new look comes a new team responsible for helping with our monthly community newsletter. John Girard, Alec Liberman, and Jonathan Asher make up the new Logan Informer team, and will work closely with our administration to draft articles and create and distribute the newsletter each month.
You can always find current and archived editions of the Logan Informer on our forums.
Questions, comments, or concerns? Feel free to email us.
Jonathan Asher, Writer: [email protected]
John Girard, Editor: [email protected]
Alec Liberman, Layout and Graphics: [email protected]
Evan Reiter, Training Administrator: [email protected]
You are receiving this message because you are a registered member of Boston Virtual ARTCC. Boston Virtual ARTCC is an integrated community of pilots and air traffic controllers on the VATSIM network that you applied to join. All members receive emails from us approximately one to two times per month, which include major announcements and our community newsletter. Members signed up for Event Reminder emails will receive emails from BVA more frequently. To delete your BVA account and stop receiving communication from us, please visit the Account Management page.