Represent Boston Virtual ARTCC and “fly the tower” with our new repaint for the PMDG Boeing 737 NGX! BVA member and air traffic controller Sean Doyle has created a repaint for the popular add-on Boeing 737 that allows our community members to fly a BVA-themed Boeing 737.
To fly the aircraft, you’ll need the Prepar3D add-on Boeing 737 from PMDG. However, anyone using the latest version of the FLAi model matching software will see the repaint depicted correctly when it’s being flown.
For more information about how to get and use the repaint, please visit our forums.
It has been a very busy start to the new year for the air traffic control training staff. We have been busy updating documentation for our controllers and for 2 months we have been operating at nearly 100% capacity for training new and current controllers with little to no delays. Between January 1 and February 28, 19 certifications have been completed by new and current controllers (that's a rate of nearly 120 certifications in a year).
Congratulations to all of you who have recently received certifications, and thank you for being part of our strong controller group! I especially want to thank our fantastic Mentors and Instructors. Their dedication, hard work, and passion have produced this strong start to the year, and they are the ones who truly keep our training program running smoothly and successfully.
I would also like to welcome back Camden Bruno as an Instructor. Most recently Cam was our Air Traffic Manager and an Instructor until the first half of 2018. After taking some personal time to spend with friends, family, and furthering his professional career, we are delighted that Cam asked to come back to the training staff, and we are looking forward to his continued contributions to this outstanding team.
For those of you who are not controllers but are interested in becoming one, please visit the Become a Controller page of the website. We are always looking for members who want to take the next step and give back to the community as controllers.
As the new Training Administrator for BVA, I would like to thank everyone for being very helpful and supportive during this transition, and I'm looking forward to our continued fun and success!
FlightSimExpo 2019 takes place on June 7-9 at Renaissance Orlando at SeaWorld®. Boston Virtual ARTCC expects to be well-represented alongside VATSIM as part of more than 40 exhibitors who are confirmed at North America’s community-driven flight simulation conference.
The event is also BVA’s biggest member meet-up of the year. During FlightSimExpo, BVA members help run the conference while flying and controlling “live and in person” throughout the weekend. More information about how to get involved will be available later this year.
For now, BVA members who are planning to attend FlightSimExpo should:
- Register for the event: https://flightsimexpo.regfox.com/2019 - be sure to list -your organization as “Boston Virtual ARTCC”
- Check out airfare and travel deals: http://flightsimexpo.com/venue.html
- Book your hotel room: http://flightsimexpo.com/hotel
If you have any questions about FlightSimExpo, visit our forums.
VATSIM’s largest annual event, Cross the Pond, is coming up! The westbound edition of the event, where aircraft fly from Europe to North America, is scheduled for March 30, 2019, beginning at 1100Z (7:00am ET).
More information about Cross the Pond, and about BVA’s involvement with the event, will be posted on our forums.
Last month's question was: What does "dead foot, dead engine" mean? How does that relate to "identify/verify/feather" in a multi-engine airplane?
Answer: suppose a twin-engine airplane's left engine fails. It now has asymmetric thrust from its operating right engine; thus, there's a natural yaw to the left. The pilot's right foot is pressed on right rudder, and the left foot isn't doing any work; thus, "dead foot, dead engine". This relates to "identify/verify/feather"; the last thing you want to do during an engine failure is accidentally "fully secure" (shut down) the wrong one! On many light twin aircraft, you identify the failed engine with "dead foot, dead engine", and you verify it by pulling back its throttle. You should see no change. You then secure the engine and feather its propeller to reduce drag.
Challenge question: according to the Federal Aviation Regulations, only flight instructors with instrument privileges (CFIIs) are allowed to give instrument training. However, flight instructors without their instrument privileges are allowed to train a private pilot student under simulated instrument conditions. How come?
