Good morning ladies and gentlemen.

https://my.vatsim.net/learn

I wanted to take some time to write up a debrief on following approach clearances properly. I spent over 2 hours on SoCal approach yesterday during FNOscars, and it was EMBARRASING the amount of pilots messed up their routing onto the ILS to 25L and 24R.

I am going to run through how these procedures specifically are meant to be flown, but please remember a few cardinal rules of VATSIM that apply to ALL procedures, during ALL flights, in ALL regions of the world:

1. Familiarize yourself with your filed or cleared route. Verify that the route loaded in your FMC is INDENTICAL to the route that you filed or were cleared via. Remember it may change during your flight.

2. If you receive a clearance that you are unsure of how to fly,  ASK for clarification. Do NOT just assume you can figure it out. 

3. Familiarize yourself with the automation of your aircraft. If you are unable to fly assigned headings, altitudes or airspeeds with a 100% success rate, you should avoid flying into events of any type until you are able to do so. 

4. If your autopilot is not doing what it is supposed to do, you should be able to disconnect it and hand fly almost as good as the autopilot would be able to. We can accommodate automation failures just fine, but there's very little we can do if you are unable to fly headings, altitudes or speeds as assigned.

https://my.vatsim.net/learn

Now to the fun stuff:

LAX Approach plates: These are publicly available for FREE for all airports in the US. Therefore: You have NO EXCUSE for not having the chart.

https://airnav.com/

ILS 24R: https://aeronav.faa.gov/d-tpp/2402/00237IL24R.PDF
ILS 25L: https://aeronav.faa.gov/d-tpp/2402/00237IL25L.PDF

All jet arrivals from the east to LAX are either on the ANJLL arrival or the HLYWD arrival. The ANJLL ends at CRCUS, and the HLYWD ends at SEAVU.

Notice, approaches to both 25L and 24R have those two fixes on them. Meaning you will receive a clearance such as "At SEAVU cleared ILS runway 24R". This clearance means you are cleared to proceed from SEAVU, Direct SKOLL, then via the localizer and glideslope down to the runway 24R.

You are NOT cleared to proceed from SEAVU direct MERCE. This is a common problem that would be solved by following rule number 1 above.

These charts are designed to be very easy to read. Literally just follow the arrows. Every fix you are meant to fly to is shown on the map view with arrows connecting them together. If something doesn't make sense, follow rule 2 above, and ASK.

Here is another helpful graphic: https://laartcc.org/uploads/downloads/KLAX_ANJLL_HLYWD_Arrival_Briefing_Card.png

https://my.vatsim.net/learn
https://my.vatsim.net/learn

QUIZ time!

You are descending via the ANJLL arrival. You check on with approach and they tell you, "SWA123, SoCal approach, information P is current, at CRCUS cleared ILS runway 25R."

a) What should the next waypoint after CRCUS be?

b) What altitude and speed should you be at CRCUS?

c) What altitude should you be at the fix after CRCUS?


If you've made it this far, thank you. You are contributing to the improvement of VATSIM. If you know anyone who needs help with this stuff, feel free to send the link and have them participate.

Remember, VATSIM has decent resource to learn this stuff too. Next time you're bored at cruise, take some time to explore. You might learn something accidentally. I'm a real world IFR pilots and air traffic controller, and even I find stuff in here that I didn't know. https://my.vatsim.net/learn

The ground and tower positions on VATSIM are typically a student's first exposure to working airplanes. So, as expected the controllers you usually encounter on these positions when flying through are slightly less versed in air traffic control concepts than the radar controllers. I'd like to break down some rules that can be used by tower controllers during high volume situations so that newer controllers might be able to more easily understand their options and can be well equipped to excel during events at the tower level.

I remember when I was first starting out on the network, it sometimes felt like ground and tower were just fillers, and that approach and center were the actual "money makers." During events, especially with high departure counts, a ground controller has the power to make or break the airport... being the difference between a line at the runway 20 deep, or no line or delays at all. So to all the S1s and S2s out there: take pride in your job as a ground and tower controller. Make the effort now and that work ethic will flow into your higher level training in the radar environment.

What do I mean ground can make or break an airport? I'm talking about the departure sequence. Many major airports have multiple "tracks" that aircraft use to exit the terminal airspace. This is usually in the form of multiple SIDs, but sometimes they are just fixes or canned routes that aircraft are assigned to fly before joining their filed route.

Familiarity with your SIDs as a ground controller is important not only for runway assignments, but also for your sequence that you deliver to your tower controller. If you taxi two airplanes out to one runway that are departing on the same SID or route, the tower controller must provide adequate in-trail radar separation to the departure controller. Normally 3 miles. If you taxi two airplanes to the same runway that are filed over two separate SIDs, the tower controller can launch the airplanes with minimum runway separation, which I'll probably detail in a separate post (but the jist is READ THE 7110.65!! ). Essentially, having back to back departures over the same fix is less efficient than alternating SIDs between successive departures.

How can this be easily applied? At the beginning of events, make a plan. Decide what destinations or SIDs will have the highest volume. That is, if you're working a departure airport for a crossfire event, you'll know that you'll have an extreme number of departures on that route compared to other random ones. So, the good technique in situations like this is to "feed" the departure runway in more than one way. Line up all your event/crossfire departures at one taxiway, and all the other randoms at another taxiway, maybe a parallel, or on the other side of the runway. Most major airports have the pavement to apply this technique.

For the purpose of example, look at O'Hare. https://aeronav.faa.gov/d-tpp/2007/00166AD.PDF

If departing 10L, the ground controller could line up the event aircraft on L, and the random departures on N. That way the tower controller can put non-event departures in between the event aircraft in order to not delay random flights outside of the event, and to keep the airport moving without just completely sitting still while waiting for whatever intrail restrictions are in place for the event airports.

All too often I see event airports with a line of 25 airplanes at the runway and a departure is rolling every 2 minutes. So, let's work to improve and learn all the options we have as ground controllers to help excel at events!

Discuss below your facilities' ground plans for events I'd love to hear them!

Every time I do one of these I seem to learn a subject so good that I'm never able to forget the smallest details about it. So I figure I'll just keep adding to the collection with the thought that maybe some of you learn something from them as well.

In the last one I talked about how to establish radar identification with an aircraft, so it's only natural if this time I talked about how to transfer that radar identification to another controller. This can all be found in 5-4 of the 7110.65. But I will put below the paragraphs that are relevant to the network. 

5-4-5 Transferring Controller Handoff

These are the responsibilities of the controller initiating the handoff.

a. Complete the radar handoff prior to an aircraft entering the receiving controller's airspace.
c. Prior to transferring communications:
     1. All potential conflicts have been resolved.
     2. Any restrictions issued to the aircraft are passed along to the receiving controller.

5-4-6 Receiving Controller Handoff

These are the responsibilities for the controller receiving the handoff.

b. Issue restrictions that are needed for the aircraft to enter your sector safely before accepting the handoff.
c. Comply with restrictions issued by the transferring controller unless otherwise coordinated.

It's pretty simple. Keep airplanes safe while you send them to someone else, and keep them safe while you receive them from someone else.

Phraseology For Manual Handoffs (using landline/teamspeak coordination instead of automation)

Caller: "Zanesville, Columbus, handoff"
Receiver: "Zanesville"
Caller: "Five miles east of Appleton VOR, United thee sixty-six"
Receiver: "United Three sixty-six, radar contact, A.Z.
Caller: "M.E."

This is an example of a basic radar handoff. Zanesville is initiating the handoff to Columbus. When Columbus says the magic words "Radar contact", they assume responsibility for that aircraft.


5-4-7: Point Out

The transferring controller must:

1. Obtain approval before permitting an aircraft to enter the receiving controller's delegated airspace.
2. Obtain receiving controller's approval before making any changes to the aircraft's flight path, altitude, speed, or data block information after the point out has been approved.

The receiving controller must:   

1. Be responsible for separation between point out aircraft and other aircraft for which he/she has separation responsibility.
3. Issue restrictions to the transferring controller as necessary as long as point out aircraft is within the receiving controller's airspace.

Phraseology for Point outs

Caller: "Pomona, Stadium, point out.
Receiver: "Pomona,"
Caller: "Eight miles southwest of El Monte airport, Delta seven zero two, descending to two thousand, six hundred."
Receiver: "Delta seven zero two, point out approved, A.N."
Caller: "M.L."


So those are the basics. A handoff transfers radar and communications, and a point out transfers radar but not communications.

Discuss!

...With video evidence.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6m2Tt7JrT3Q

Thanks for everyone who flew into the ZMP FNO last Friday, it could very well have been one of the most enjoyable FNO's that I've ever worked.

But for goodness sake. Can we please figure out how to intercept the localizer? Go ahead and watch that timelapse linked above... Someone counted 44 (FORTY-FOUR) localizer overshoots. Our final controllers got their butts handed to them because of how much extra hand holding they had to do on the final because of people that can't be bothered to hit the APP button on their autopilot.

Also, fly your assigned speed please.

Also, X-Plane users with slow frame rates: https://forums.x-plane.org/index.php?/files/file/26517-autospeed/

Notice how much of an impact every overshoot has on the aircraft behind them. It snowballs really fast and if the traffic flow doesn't have natural breaks to allow the final to recover, poop hits the fan really fast.

But anyway, it was fun, thanks for flying in.

"DAL2168 Heavy, Minneapolis ground, runway 30L taxi via A."

OR

"DAL2168 you can either have 30L, for the shorter taxi, OR you can have 17... but I don't really recommend that because it a much longer taxi. And I have to issue a new departure routing that is specific to that runway. But it's really up to you."

Please ask yourself: Which controller would you rather be, and which one would you rather have working you as a pilot? I've noticed a trend lately on the network where controllers tend to think the more words, the better, even though 90% of the words are useless. The example above is merely that: an example. But I have heard many many different types of situations where this happens, and they get way too complex with controllers and pilots playing 20 questions on the frequency during an event where many airplanes are either waiting for clearances, or waiting for instructions.

Folks, I'm all for being nice on the frequency, but we aren't customer service representatives. I constantly hear people push for realism, then I immediately hear this weird technique online that usually involves phraseology that is found nowhere in the .65.

And to everyone who agrees, be part of the solution. Sometimes people making these mistakes don't even know they're doing it wrong because its the way they've been taught. File feedback, its what the system is for!

Discussion is always welcome.

Sorry to everyone that flew to the FNO at MSP tonight who had to fly a 30 mile downwind, followed by a 5 mile base and a 30 mile final, only to be sent around because the guy departing on the runway didn't roll in a timely manner.

But nevermind that, I want to talk about how to meter airplanes on the network and start a discussion about how some other facilities manage volume during events. We spent most of tonight with the final out to 30-35, sometimes 40 miles, just barely keeping it all within the TRACON. The final spacing was about as consistent as what they hit at the real building, so at a glance, it seems clear that we stumbled along with more traffic per hour than they see IRL.

Every airport has an Airport Arrival Rate they can handle per hour, and it's always changing depending on weather. How does a facility on the network meter arrivals so that we never surpass, say, 80-85% of the real AAR (Less than 100% to account for voice latency issues, disruptive pilots, and and controller inconsistencies)?

We all know that there isn't any particular program design specifically for metering arrivals, so we have to improvise. I'd love to hear everyone's methods and opinions.

Hey everyone. I hope you all had a great and safe new years celebration.

I wanted to open a discussion about making initial contact with a controller. This is based on an experience I had while controlling yesterday evening.

First off, here's what happened. I was plugged in as Minneapolis center. It was slow, but steady. Definitely more than usual for a Monday night. I noticed a target flying eastbound over eastern Montana, eventually entering my airspace over the Dakotas. In the neighborhood of 30 miles from the border of my airspace, I sent the aircraft a contact request message. Seconds later, the pilot checked on my frequency. Great! Except what they had to say was the following: "I'm still outside of your airspace, and I will contact you when I enter it."

Folks, that isn't how this works. In a nutshell, the Code of Conduct says pilots shall watch out for Air Traffic services, and contact them when appropriate. But it also says that the bottom line is if the pilot receives a contact request message, the pilot should immediately contact that controller. Normally, I hardly ever send contact request messages. I put the responsibility on the pilot to make such contact, because, well, that's what the COC says. The reason I sent this one was because the pilot happened to be apart of a group flight. In order for me to maintain positive control of aircraft within my airspace, contact with the aircraft was required, albeit a little early.

I invite everyone to discuss below.

ZMP's Annual Last Minute Shopping event featuring MSP and FCM. 2359z-0400z

ZMP knows you waited until the last minute. Don't worry, we won't tell!

Lucky for you, the world famous Mall of America is right across the street from Minneapolis/St. Paul International Airport!

ZMP will be providing full ATC service to KMSP as well as to Flying Cloud Airport (KFCM) in Eden Prairie, MN, home of the Eden Prairie shopping center.

More than enough time for you to fly in, hit the malls, and fly out...before anyone else knows how long you waited!