Logan Informer

Trouble reading this email? Visit our forums to read articles from this month's Logan Informer.

BVA’s 19th annual Boston Tea Party took place earlier last month, from August 10-12. More than 30 air traffic controllers came together near the site of the real-world Boston Approach and Center facilities to provide more than 7 hours of live, in-person air traffic control for our pilots. From 12-7pm ET, Boston Center was lit up with 4 Center sectors, 8 people working the Boston Approach facility, and 5 controllers on Boston Tower. Meanwhile, we had top-down staffing at KACK, KBDL, and KPVD, as well as coverage at many of our other Class C regional facilities.

Boston saw almost 280 takeoffs and landings during the event. It proved to be an interesting afternoon at Massachusetts’ busiest airport, with low ceilings and poor visibility forcing the airport to use just a single arrival runway. Controllers worked hard to sequence all aircraft, from 747s to Cessna 172s, onto the single instrument approach in use, the ILS Runway 4R.

Members like you helped keep smaller airports busy throughout the event; feedback from the Class C Approach controllers is that they were just as busy as the rest of us, and were grateful to the many aircraft that took the time to visit their facilities.

Tea Party Poker happened throughout the event, with almost 40 pilots taking advantage of the opportunity to win great prizes. 9 pilots were able to achieve a complete hand (at least 5 cards). BVA is pleased to have given out the following prizes:

1. A HiFi Simulations Product
2. A FS2Crew License
3. A FlightBeam airport Scenery
4. The X-Crafts E170/190 Combination
5. The TFDi Boeing 717
6. A QualityWings Simulations Aircraft
7. A JustFlight Product

Congratulations to prizewinners Kyle W., Chris S,, Dmitrii E., Kyle R., Mark M., Chris B., and Jackson R., as well as the many other participants in Tea Party Poker.

Before and after the event, our controllers were treated to tours of the real-world Boston Tower and Boston Approach facilities. It’s always fun for us to see just how realistic our operation actually is, and to give our controllers the chance to complete exercise on the real simulators that are used to train and certify Boston controllers.

Please visit us on Facebook to see more photos from the event.

Thank you to everyone who participated in the event—from home or in-person. Tea Party is the biggest event BVA hosts, and this year was no exception. See you in the friendly skies over Boston, and again from Nashua in less than a year for the 20th Annual Boston Tea Party!

Read full article >

Bradley Bash 2018

Saturday, September 8, 7pm-11pm ET

Regional Circuit: KALB-KMHT

Thursday, September 20, 8pm-11pm ET

To see all of our upcoming events, please visit the Events Calendar.

Upcoming Events

By: Krikor Hajian

Fresh on the heels on Boston Tea Party, our events team is at it again, planning some exciting ZBW events in the coming months.

Firstly, on September 8, we invite members to join us from 7-11pm ET for Bradley Bash! A ZBW tradition and favorite, we staff up Connecticut for this event, with ATC at Bradley TRACON airports KORH, KHFD, KCEF, KBAF, and—of course—KBDL. All aircraft types are welcome to fly into the TRACON and across the entire ARTCC as we shoot for a busy Sunday night at BDL.

Save the date: on November 30 at 11am ET, we’ll be kicking off our annual 60 Hours of ATC event! During 60 Hours of ATC, our controllers light up Boston Center, non stop, from 11am ET on Friday to 11pm ET on Sunday. In addition to 60 Hours of ATC, we’re also hosting our fall FNO on Friday, November 30 from 7-11pm ET, which will feature KBOS.

Many of our members flew or controlled in the Holland-America Line, which featured full air traffic control for a transatlantic flight from Amsterdam (EHAM) to Boston. On December 15, join us for Across the (Triple) Seven Seas, the return flight: KBOS to EHAM starting at 8am ET. Boston will have a full staff of controllers ready for the line of departures, and for flights within our ARTCC.

Read full article >

2018 Member Survey

By: Evan Reiter

As you may know, Boston Virtual ARTCC conducts a survey of our members every two years. The survey is designed to help gather the pulse of the community and to set organizational priorities for the organization.

We are asking all members of the community to complete our 2018 Member Survey now. The survey should take 5-10 minutes, and provides an opportunity for you to share your feedback, suggestions, and ideas for the future of our community.

The Administration Team carefully reviews the results of the survey, down to the individual comment. We look forward to reading your thoughts about BVA!

The last formal membership survey took place in May 2016. Results from that survey indicated BVA members were extremely satisfied with the community, the professionalism and realism of air traffic controllers, and the many volunteers who contribute to the community’s administration. Furthermore, members are pleased with the way the community is managed and believe that BVA provides a strong social atmosphere for pilots and controllers alike. Members provided a series of great ideas, that translated into changes that are part of the community today.

Of course, we welcome members to share their ideas and suggestions with our Administration Team on a regular basis. Our Contact Us page provides various options to get in touch with us, including anonymously, and members are always welcome to post on our forums, visit us in TeamSpeak, or message us on Discord.

Read full article >

Welcome Ian Fisher to the Administration Team

By: Evan Reiter

Earlier this month, our controllers welcomed Ian Fisher to the team as the Air Traffic Manager (ATM) of Boston Virtual ARTCC. Ian comes to us with an extensive ATC background, including experience as Events Coordinator, ATC Instructor and, most recently, Deputy ATM of Houston ARTCC. Ian joined VATSIM in 2010, and began controlling in 2015 in the Houston ARTCC.

Ian takes over the role from Camden Bruno, who had served as Air Traffic Manager since 2015. Camden remains active as an air traffic control on our roster.

The Air Traffic Manager works closely with the Administration Team to lead the air traffic control community. In this role, Ian intends to follow in Camden’s footsteps, working with feedback from controllers and the membership to continue BVA’s tradition of excellence.

For more information about Ian, visit our forums, where he posted a brief biography and more information about his priorities for the air traffic control team.

Read full article >

Missed Approach Points

Last month's question was:

As a flight instructor, you must be familiar with how students learn. What are the six laws/principles of learning? Which is arguably the most important?

Answer: the six laws, or principles, of learning can be summarized by the acronym REEPIR: recency, exercise, effect, primacy, intensity, and readiness. Law of recency: things most recently learned are best remembered. Law of exercise: things most often repeated are best remembered. Law of effect: if learning is accompanied by a satisfying feeling, that learning is strengthened. Law of primacy (arguably the most important): things shown/learned first create a strong, almost unbreakable, impression; this is why initial maneuver demonstrations must be done correctly. Law of intensity: a sharp, dramatic, or exciting experience teaches more than a routine or boring one. Law of readiness: individuals learn best when they are physically/mentally/emotionally ready to learn.

Challenge Question: you are flying the RNAV GPS-B approach into Chatham (CQX). How do you know that you have arrived at your missed approach point (MAP)?

A) Your altimeter shows 600' MSL, which is your MDA
B) You have crossed the outlined coastline inbound from NUNKE and you have the airport in sight
C) You have crossed the "RW24" waypoint displayed on your GPS

The answer to the challenge question will be included in next month's Pilot Tip.

August's screenshot contest winner was Jim Dalgleish:

You can always find current and archived editions of the Logan Informer on our forums.

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.

Trouble reading this email? Visit our forums to read articles from this month's Logan Informer.


BVA’s 19th annual Boston Tea Party took place earlier last month, from August 10-12. More than 30 air traffic controllers came together near the site of the real-world Boston Approach and Center facilities to provide more than 7 hours of live, in-person air traffic control for our pilots. From 12-7pm ET, Boston Center was lit up with 4 Center sectors, 8 people working the Boston Approach facility, and 5 controllers on Boston Tower. Meanwhile, we had top-down staffing at KACK, KBDL, and KPVD, as well as coverage at many of our other Class C regional facilities. Boston saw almost 280 takeoffs and landings during the event. It proved to be an interesting afternoon at Massachusetts’ busiest airport, with low ceilings and poor visibility forcing the airport to use just a single arrival runway. Controllers worked hard to sequence all aircraft, from 747s to Cessna 172s, onto the single instrument approach in use, the ILS Runway 4R. Members like you helped keep smaller airports busy throughout the event; feedback from the Class C Approach controllers is that they were just as busy as the rest of us, and were grateful to the many aircraft that took the time to visit their facilities. Tea Party Poker happened throughout the event, with almost 40 pilots taking advantage of the opportunity to win great prizes. 9 pilots were able to achieve a complete hand (at least 5 cards). BVA is pleased to have given out the following prizes: 1. A HiFi Simulations Product 2. A FS2Crew License 3. A FlightBeam airport Scenery 4. The X-Crafts E170/190 Combination 5. The TFDi Boeing 717 6. A QualityWings Simulations Aircraft 7. A JustFlight Product Congratulations to prizewinners Kyle W., Chris S,, Dmitrii E., Kyle R., Mark M., Chris B., and Jackson R., as well as the many other participants in Tea Party Poker. Before and after the event, our controllers were treated to tours of the real-world Boston Tower and Boston Approach facilities. It’s always fun for us to see just how realistic our operation actually is, and to give our controllers the chance to complete exercise on the real simulators that are used to train and certify Boston controllers. Please visit us on Facebook to see more photos from the event. Thank you to everyone who participated in the event—from home or in-person. Tea Party is the biggest event BVA hosts, and this year was no exception. See you in the friendly skies over Boston, and again from Nashua in less than a year for the 20th Annual Boston Tea Party! Read full article >


Bradley Bash 2018 Saturday, September 8, 7pm-11pm ET Regional Circuit: KALB-KMHT Thursday, September 20, 8pm-11pm ET To see all of our upcoming events, please visit the Events Calendar.

Upcoming Events By: Krikor Hajian Fresh on the heels on Boston Tea Party, our events team is at it again, planning some exciting ZBW events in the coming months. Firstly, on September 8, we invite members to join us from 7-11pm ET for Bradley Bash! A ZBW tradition and favorite, we staff up Connecticut for this event, with ATC at Bradley TRACON airports KORH, KHFD, KCEF, KBAF, and—of course—KBDL. All aircraft types are welcome to fly into the TRACON and across the entire ARTCC as we shoot for a busy Sunday night at BDL. Save the date: on November 30 at 11am ET, we’ll be kicking off our annual 60 Hours of ATC event! During 60 Hours of ATC, our controllers light up Boston Center, non stop, from 11am ET on Friday to 11pm ET on Sunday. In addition to 60 Hours of ATC, we’re also hosting our fall FNO on Friday, November 30 from 7-11pm ET, which will feature KBOS. Many of our members flew or controlled in the Holland-America Line, which featured full air traffic control for a transatlantic flight from Amsterdam (EHAM) to Boston. On December 15, join us for Across the (Triple) Seven Seas, the return flight: KBOS to EHAM starting at 8am ET. Boston will have a full staff of controllers ready for the line of departures, and for flights within our ARTCC. Read full article >

2018 Member Survey By: Evan Reiter As you may know, Boston Virtual ARTCC conducts a survey of our members every two years. The survey is designed to help gather the pulse of the community and to set organizational priorities for the organization. We are asking all members of the community to complete our 2018 Member Survey now. The survey should take 5-10 minutes, and provides an opportunity for you to share your feedback, suggestions, and ideas for the future of our community. The Administration Team carefully reviews the results of the survey, down to the individual comment. We look forward to reading your thoughts about BVA! The last formal membership survey took place in May 2016. Results from that survey indicated BVA members were extremely satisfied with the community, the professionalism and realism of air traffic controllers, and the many volunteers who contribute to the community’s administration. Furthermore, members are pleased with the way the community is managed and believe that BVA provides a strong social atmosphere for pilots and controllers alike. Members provided a series of great ideas, that translated into changes that are part of the community today. Of course, we welcome members to share their ideas and suggestions with our Administration Team on a regular basis. Our Contact Us page provides various options to get in touch with us, including anonymously, and members are always welcome to post on our forums, visit us in TeamSpeak, or message us on Discord. Read full article >

Welcome Ian Fisher to the Administration Team By: Evan Reiter Earlier this month, our controllers welcomed Ian Fisher to the team as the Air Traffic Manager (ATM) of Boston Virtual ARTCC. Ian comes to us with an extensive ATC background, including experience as Events Coordinator, ATC Instructor and, most recently, Deputy ATM of Houston ARTCC. Ian joined VATSIM in 2010, and began controlling in 2015 in the Houston ARTCC. Ian takes over the role from Camden Bruno, who had served as Air Traffic Manager since 2015. Camden remains active as an air traffic control on our roster. The Air Traffic Manager works closely with the Administration Team to lead the air traffic control community. In this role, Ian intends to follow in Camden’s footsteps, working with feedback from controllers and the membership to continue BVA’s tradition of excellence. For more information about Ian, visit our forums, where he posted a brief biography and more information about his priorities for the air traffic control team. Read full article >



Missed Approach Points Last month's question was: As a flight instructor, you must be familiar with how students learn. What are the six laws/principles of learning? Which is arguably the most important? Answer: the six laws, or principles, of learning can be summarized by the acronym REEPIR: recency, exercise, effect, primacy, intensity, and readiness. Law of recency: things most recently learned are best remembered. Law of exercise: things most often repeated are best remembered. Law of effect: if learning is accompanied by a satisfying feeling, that learning is strengthened. Law of primacy (arguably the most important): things shown/learned first create a strong, almost unbreakable, impression; this is why initial maneuver demonstrations must be done correctly. Law of intensity: a sharp, dramatic, or exciting experience teaches more than a routine or boring one. Law of readiness: individuals learn best when they are physically/mentally/emotionally ready to learn. Challenge Question: you are flying the RNAV GPS-B approach into Chatham (CQX). How do you know that you have arrived at your missed approach point (MAP)? A) Your altimeter shows 600' MSL, which is your MDA B) You have crossed the outlined coastline inbound from NUNKE and you have the airport in sight C) You have crossed the "RW24" waypoint displayed on your GPS The answer to the challenge question will be included in next month's Pilot Tip.


August's screenshot contest winner was Jim Dalgleish:
You can always find current and archived editions of the Logan Informer on our forums.

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.