ATC bookings in USA

[Patrick WEISSE]

Hello
I am flying in France and would like to know when and where I can get ATC service in the USA.
Do you have some kind of ATC bookings calendar as they have in Vatsim central for Europe ?
Thanks.

[Don Desfosse]

Sorry, Patrick, that does not exist in the US at present.  Many individual ARTCCs have their own booking calendars (as an example, upper left corner of https://forum.bvartcc.com/home) but I don't believe anyone has or is working an initiative to display a centralized calendar for the US (like VATUK does with the VATUK Central Training System, which is what I believe you were referring to). 

There have occasionally been requests by folks in the community for a truly centralized global ATC calendar, but no developers (to the best of my knowledge) have stepped forward to undertake such a project.  There are likely already systems out there that could handle bookings on a global level, but again not enough pull from the community combined with interest from any developer(s) to make it happen.

[Patrick WEISSE]

Thanks Don for your reply
Sadly it is difficult for Europeans to fly with Vatsim in the USA, not only because of the time difference.!

[Don Desfosse]

In my opinion, that's a personal opinion.  If one values rigidity in a plan over spontaneously enjoying whatever ATC is online, then I suppose that could be a valid argument.  However, many thousands of people, including many hundreds of Europeans, fly happily in the US every day.  To each his own.

[Robert Shearman Jr]

The VATUSA Events Calendar is my go-to resource for when I should expect ATC coverage.  Not only will the host facility or facilities be staffed up, but their immediate neighbors usually will as well.

[Brian Price]

In my opinion, that's a personal opinion.  If one values rigidity in a plan over spontaneously enjoying whatever ATC is online, then I suppose that could be a valid argument.  However, many thousands of people, including many hundreds of Europeans, fly happily in the US every day.  To each his own.

I would not describe this as 'rigidity vs spontaneous enjoyment'.  I would describe a schedule as predictable for planning purposes, instead of chasing ATC all over the place, only to have it shut down as you're ready for taxi.  Now that's enjoyment!  And I would not describe it as either/or - you could have some ARTCCs that have a schedule periodically, in addition to the published events.  I do find it frustrating at times when I want to practice and use ATC and it pops up and goes away before you can use it.  Having some degree of predictability would be very helpful to many pilots; Europeans and otherwise. 

[Stefan Loos]

Hello
Is there any update on this problem? I really would like to fly in USA but encountered disconnecting ATC which does not motivate you to go on.
As S1 in europe I can tell you we can add our booking in a webinterface. Why is this not possible  in USA? Why are so few stations listed in the booking sites?
Please care about bookings, thank you

[Mike Bencivenga]

Hello
Is there any update on this problem? I really would like to fly in USA but encountered disconnecting ATC which does not motivate you to go on.
As S1 in europe I can tell you we can add our booking in a webinterface. Why is this not possible  in USA? Why are so few stations listed in the booking sites?
Please care about bookings, thank you

There is no update to the problem, since it is not a problem. It is not something the VATUSA have over every ARTCC. There are one or two ARTCCs that have a sort of calender on their website for when controller plan to control but most people just hop on whenever. We are all volunteers and outside of events, don't really plan to far ahead to control. We have free time, we hop on. Not much more to it than that. Best i can say is look for controller that have just got on, or have been on less than 2 hours. Aside from that, have fun flying!

[Mike Bencivenga]

I would not describe this as 'rigidity vs spontaneous enjoyment'.  I would describe a schedule as predictable for planning purposes, instead of chasing ATC all over the place, only to have it shut down as you're ready for taxi.  Now that's enjoyment!  And I would not describe it as either/or - you could have some ARTCCs that have a schedule periodically, in addition to the published events.  I do find it frustrating at times when I want to practice and use ATC and it pops up and goes away before you can use it.  Having some degree of predictability would be very helpful to many pilots; Europeans and otherwise. 

If you would like an ATC calendar that bad, you are more than welcome to join the VATUSA tech team and help them develop one. But the tech team, as well as every ARTCCs Webmaster are all very busy rn( there are even some ARTCC with WM openings) so developing a booking calendar is not even on the workload for really any ARTCC in VATUSA.

[Stefan Loos]

Hello
Is there any update on this problem? I really would like to fly in USA but encountered disconnecting ATC which does not motivate you to go on.
As S1 in europe I can tell you we can add our booking in a webinterface. Why is this not possible  in USA? Why are so few stations listed in the booking sites?
Please care about bookings, thank you

There is no update to the problem, since it is not a problem. It is not something the VATUSA have over every ARTCC. There are one or two ARTCCs that have a sort of calender on their website for when controller plan to control but most people just hop on whenever. We are all volunteers and outside of events, don't really plan to far ahead to control. We have free time, we hop on. Not much more to it than that. Best i can say is look for controller that have just got on, or have been on less than 2 hours. Aside from that, have fun flying!

Well you are of course free to do what you want. But booking can be a win-win situation.
Pilots enjoy ATC and plan their routes according to it, what in consequence leads to more traffic for the controller

[Brad Littlejohn]

Thanks Don for your reply
Sadly it is difficult for Europeans to fly with Vatsim in the USA, not only because of the time difference.!

I disagree, But not from any obvious reason.

I have personally seen the other side of the issue: Where I have been on and controlling at times when those in Europe are on, and few of them have come to fly in the US. Case in point: for a period of a few years when I was working the swing shift, I came on and controlled overnight in the US (11pm to around 4am, GMT-8). There were times when the US is completely asleep, Europe is on, and pilots over there rarely came to fly, unless they were trying to fly some huge flight overseas. There were also times when those from France, Germany, Sweden, and others completely packed the US West Coast, and were shocked to see the noise abatement procedures that normally aren't used during the day in the US (they didn't go into effect at KLAX until 9pm LT), as they were able to experience landing and departing from LAX in different ways than what they normally see or hear.

Each time ATC was on - and should be emphasized - the traffic was built organically, not through anything that was scheduled through any booking: ATC, pilot, events, or otherwise.

So when we have had controllers available regardless of time difference, no booking, on for multiple hours of the night/day, we have had both nothing on a thin night, or have been heavily packed, when the locals to the US are asleep. None of that required scheduled ATC booking, as ATC isn't here for the pilot's beck and call just because pilots want ATC on demand.

BL.