I still don't know why the TSA is sticking their head into this, because this was clearly a failure of security at EHAM.

I am not sure I would go so far as to say it was a failure as it is a lack of preparation.  Having flown in and out of there a few times, it is worth mentioning that there has to be some consideration for the fact that they have not had a 9/11 style event and thus they would view airport security differently that we would.  I have found the same to be true in places like  DeGaulle airport in Paris & Prague-Runzyne, while London-Heathrow is decidedly more intense on security.  It is just a question of what the Netherlands national government perceives to be a needed level of security at their airport, which is lower than what we deem necessary here.

At EHAM, you do not get screened until you get to the gate area, and it is just a metal detector and passport check.  Once inside the gate area, you are not allowed to leave.  There are no provisions for detecting explosives, etc.  My understanding is that there was not any metal to speak of on this person.  So it is just a matter of these folks looking across the landscape and selecting a departure point that is best suited to facilitate what they are trying to do.



Happy new year!

sheesh, if 1/2 the effort would be put into some good ya know?

Have you tried contacting the ZTL staff?

VATUSA has nothing to do with this.  VATSIM owns and/or controls all of the FSD servers.  Even though there are multiple FSD servers in the USA, the division has no interaction with it.

do you have the database too?  Please send me whatever you have.  Thanks!!!!!

The wait is 7 days.  It will automatically reassign itself on the 8th day.  It is an open-book exam, so feel free to refer to your notes while you are taking it.

For some time, the future of this sector has been somewhat tentative, and I apologize that I have not effectively communicated what is happening there.  Thanks to the efforts of those who have come before me, a partnership is being developed in conjunction with the VATSIM Oceania Region and some its member divisions to provide for better coverage of the Pacific Ocean which will be managed by a six member Board with two representatives from each affected division, one of which is to be the Division Director.  We are working toward a system by which an endorsement to work Oceanic in any one of the sectors contained within the partnership would allow the member to provide services in any of the others.  This is essentially an agreement of reciprocity in training and airspace endorsement, and should not be construed as a Pacific Ocean “Super Center” type of sector.  However it will allow members from different divisions to work together in these airspaces and provide more consistency in coverage and a broader number of controllers qualified to provide services in Oakland Oceanic.    Currently, the SOP and Training Standards have been ironed out as a result of efforts that happened before my tenure as VATUSA1.  What remains are some infrastructure and organizational issues that need to be finished in order to realize this partnership as a reality.  The timetable for the completion of the partnership is somewhat ambiguous due to staffing changes and time available.  Until the partnership is fully implemented, it is my intention to reopen the ZAK airspace on its own.  Once the partnership is completed, ZAK can very easily merge into it, but there is no reason to leave Oakland Oceanic in a state of limbo while these final preparations are taking place.  It is expected that the ZAK airspace will be back up and running by November 15, 2009 at the latest.

I use the .sticky command and put a note over the area that the pirep was reported at