ZJX Pilot Training Center

[Jonah Zieske]

FROM THE DESK OF THE PTC DIRECTOR

***PRESS RELEASE***

Over the past few months, I have been coordinating a Pilot Training Program for the Jacksonville ARTCC, much like ZLA has, but a little different.  If you would like to participate, you may shoot me an email at [email protected] with your name, VATSIM ID, and a detailed description of your online experience.  I, as the director, will then assign you to either the Beginner, Intermediate, or Advanced course.  Once you pass the course you are assigned to the next course.  Once you pass the Advanced course, you will be a fully-certified ZJX Pilot!  All Operations will be conducted on the ZJX Teamspeak.  You will receive the information once you sign up.  This program is intended to help pilots and controllers become better accustomed to the VATSIM environment.  Although the majority of you online flying will be done in ZJX airspace, we will travel to ATL, MIA, MMUN, and beautiful MSY, along with many others.  In the advanced class, you even have the option to "Cross The Pond!"  This will be a fun and educational time for everyone, so SIGN UP NOW!!!


Jonah Zieske
ZJX - C1 / Mentor
ZJX PTC Director

[Keith Smith]

Jonah,

I haven't seen any reference to this on the ZJX site or forum. Is the initiative still going ahead?

[Rahul Parkar]

Jonah,

I haven't seen any reference to this on the ZJX site or forum. Is the initiative still going ahead?

Keith, Jonah Has Recently Left ZJX And Therefore the PTC Iniative Is Not Going ahead, I Wish to start it up again but this will not be for about 1 month while i get documents and a website ready

Best Regards,
Rahul Parkar
ZJX C1 Mentor

[Keith Smith]

Thanks Rahul.  I saw that his signature had been updated with a reference to ZAU, so I suspected that might be the case.  Good luck, it sounds like an interesting initiative!

I suspect the challenging part will be finding the resources to staff the TS server with willing participants to handle the load.   I had considered something similar for ZLA when crafting the pilot cert program there, but quickly decided to use a mode of operation where controllers would simply continue doing what they do today, which is providing ATC services on the network.   Under the TS scheme, a controller will either be providing ATC service, OR he will be in TS handling testing.

Given enough resources, it's not out of the question, but my long-term experience with vatsim leads me to believe that you will be resource-constrained in this endeavor. I would be happy to be proven wrong, though!