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Messages - Justin Alderman

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1
The Control Room Floor / Re: FAA Digital ATIS Text
« on: January 14, 2020, 12:06:13 PM »
Quote from: Brad Littlejohn on January 13, 2020, 06:21:11 PM
Quote from: Dhruv Kalra on January 13, 2020, 04:30:26 PM
Thanks again for this, JS!

FWIW, I support the decision not to integrate it into vATIS, and I’d be cautious in rushing to duplicate the r/w ATIS to a fault for VATSIM use. We don’t need non-pertinent NOTAMs about cranes, construction equipment, laser strikes, etc. in the VATSIM ATIS unnecessarily. This is useful for reference to duplicate the framework for your own vATIS profiles, but I think it’s important to respect the barrier between simulation and reality.

But on the other hand, it would help (to a degree). For example, for those airports that have a particular set of noise abatement procedures, especially those with runway configuration changes, or density altitude or performance due to weather, having that info in the ATIS especially if an airport is unstaffed could add to the realism.

That said, having an ATIS running at an unstaffed airport is an issue in and of itself, but there you have it.

BL.

Just like in real-world when airports close, have the ATIS become an AWOS with remarks. Be great to have AWOS at a lot of airports. Surprised that not even PilotEdge has done that yet. Be a nice thing for VATSIM to claim to have done first.

2
Events / Pendleton Round-up [10 SEP, 2359z-0400z]
« on: August 19, 2019, 01:24:53 PM »


A perfect time for pilots to visit KPDT in Eastern Oregon, during the areas biggest annual event each year, the Pendleton Round-up. Even AOPA has featured articles about this event being a great thing for real-world pilots to check-out. While you may not see an actual rodeo flying on VATSIM, we know many of you are good at using your imagination!

If you recently got the new True-Earth Washington and/or Oregon packages from ORBX, then this event will just be perfect for you!

The Round-up is one of the most popular rodeos in the country and includes many Indian cultural events. We will also be staffing the Pasco Tri-cities, Yakima, and Walla Walla airports to make this event perfect for such GA flying. Besides this, we may have coverage at a few other airports as well after we staff up these locations.

'LET ‘ER BUCK!'


Pilot Tips for the event:
  • Reference current airport diagrams and event consider comparing your current scenery in advance. X-plane users generally should have updated airports thanks to the gateway projects, so this is mostly for FSX/P3D users.
  • These airports are Class Delta, so be sure if you want flight following to request it with your clearance or simply pick it up with the appropriate controller once you're airborne and out of the tower's airspace. Ref airport info to know if who provides your radar service.
  • Be sure to brush up on how to enter a pattern and basic pattern instructions. This is typically a major issue with our VFR events and many pilots not understanding the basics of flying in the pattern, how to enter per instructions, etc.

3
Events / Portlandia Live | FNO [16 AUG, 2359-0400z]
« on: July 22, 2019, 11:46:09 AM »


The ZSE controllers will be controlling live from the Summer Meetup 2019 at the Shilo Inn Portland Airport! This will be the kick-off event of the entire weekend meetup and we're happy to have KPDX (along with KTTD, KHIO, and KUAO) be the featured airports! This FNO will be great for some VFR traffic into these others fields to bring some realistic traffic and great flying in the PNW.

We're happy to announce that Bill Womack of ORBX, also known for his KPDX FlightBeam Scenery, will be attending the Summer Meetup over the weekend as well. With ORBX's recent True Earth Washington release, and soon to come Oregon, we know the flying opportunities will be great with this area. So be sure to fly in and/or out for this epic event.

Remember, the Summer Meetup 2019 is not just for our controllers but is a VATSIM wide event where many of those attending are also just pilots. If you're able to make it to Portland for the weekend be sure to register for this great meetup which will feature not only this FNO, but another Live event on Saturday the 17th.  Click below for more information!

https://zseartcc.org/forums/viewtopic.php?f=13&t=5098


4
General Discussion / Summer Meetup 2019 - Aug 16-18 (Portland, OR)
« on: July 11, 2019, 06:02:23 PM »



Hey everyone,

Just a reminder that the two live events, which includes an FNO on the 16th, and then another event on the 17th, ZSE is hosting a meetup where our controllers will be staffing up in Portland Oregon. However, this meetup is not just for controllers of ZSE or even just controllers! We're encouraging all VATSIM members to attend who may be in the northwest or who wish to fly in.

I'm also happy to announce that Bill Womack (iBlueYonder) from ORBX, also known from his KPDX scenery as part of Flightbeam, has signaled he will be in attendance.

If you were at FS Expo you may have talked to some of us ZSE controllers who showed up in force as well about this event. It was also encouraging that several VATSIM BoG and other staff, including the VATSIM President, thought that more meetups like this will be a great benefit for all VATSIM members and helping strengthen the community. ZSE hopes we can continue to do our part for VATUSA.

We're in the final days of standard registration and will soon finalize the total space needed and more. For more information and to register you can visit this link:  https://zseartcc.org/forums/viewtopic.php?f=13&t=5098

Looking forward to seeing you in Portland next month!

Regards,


5
Events / Re: Valley to Coast [5 MAY, 1900-2200z]
« on: May 05, 2019, 05:49:11 PM »
Quote from: Enrico Noia on May 05, 2019, 04:59:36 PM
Very nice event! It was really enjoyable and with the right amount of traffic, good job to all the controllers working tonight.

Thank you!!

N5665P

Thanks for flying with  us as well. You and your friend knew your stuff when it came to VFR flying which was great. That helped, especially when about half the pilots who jumped in last minute clearly needed work on basic piloting, knowing the parts of a pattern, etc.

6
Events / Re: Fly the Gorge [21 Apr, 2200z-0200z]
« on: April 29, 2019, 03:49:58 PM »
Quote from: Ben Speidel on April 24, 2019, 10:17:43 PM
+1 For a great event!  I find myself flying VFR 95% of the time I'm on the network so to have a larger event focused on the GA side is a big plus in my book. 

I agree that there seemed to be some missing knowledge by some pilots in the VFR skills based on some of the chatter I was hearing on the Center frequency.  Hopefully by getting more pilots involved with VFR procedures there will be good learning that can take place. 

Anyhow, thanks again for the event and I look forward to participating in more of them in the future!

Ben, be sure to come to our Valley to Coast event that continues the GA/VFR series this weekend then!

7
General Discussion / Re: Why flying your airplane well is the most important part of a successful FNO
« on: April 29, 2019, 03:33:06 PM »
Quote from: Clay Brock on September 04, 2018, 02:33:39 PM
Yes! Please turn the aircraft BEFORE you readback. Aviate, navigate, communicate. All too often, I see people blowing through the LOC because they take too much time reading back the approach clearance, and not turning the airplane.

#1 most common problem with pilots on the network IMHO. It's not the worst issue, but for sure the most common mistake out of the lot of mistakes.  Especially important when you only have 1 pilot trying to fly a jetliner.

8
Events / Valley to Coast [5 MAY, 1900-2200z]
« on: April 28, 2019, 06:45:00 PM »


This event will hopefully end up leading to great weather for some awesome GA VFR flying and a wonderful Sunday afternoon. This is another of our GA and VFR focused events. Come fly to and from the Southwest Oregon Regional Airport (North Bend, KOTH), Mahlon Sweet Field (Eugene, KEUG), or Rogue Valley International (Medford, KMFR), either going to and/or coming back from a great lunch on the gorgeous southern Oregon coast.

Please note that this is a GA focused event, mostly VFR (but some IFR would be ok, or as necessary due to weather). KEUG and KMFR can handle smaller regional jets, but we don't want that to be our focus. While not one of our key training events, this event may also be used as an opportunity for some training or an OTS for a controller or two!

If you enjoyed our Fly the Gorge event, even if you felt it could have been better, come support us and fly this one as we and other pilots continue to refine our VFR and GA handling skills! Great way to enjoy that virtual $100 hamburger.  ;) 8)

9
Events / Northwest Light-Up - LIVE [17 AUG, 2200-0400Z]
« on: April 28, 2019, 05:27:18 PM »


This will be a Saturday live event handled during the weekend meetup hosted by ZSE for all VATSIM members, pilots and controllers alike. The meetup will be in Portland Oregon from 16-18 August, 2019.

For sure KPDX and KSEA will be staffed.  We may also feature some specific airports throughout the ARTCC, especially for smaller GA VFR traffic whom we hope will enjoy the great VFR flying the Pacific Northwest has to offer in August.

For those interested in attending the meetup which will be held in Portland Oregon, please visit this link! https://zseartcc.org/forums/viewtopic.php?f=13&p=27434

10
Events / ZSE Thursday Trainer [16 MAY, 2330-0230z]
« on: April 28, 2019, 04:03:51 PM »



This event will be focused on providing some great traffic levels with quality but patient pilots who can help our student controllers grow and further improve the skills on the scope!

We will for sure be staffing KSEA and KPDX, but we highly encourage folks to check which airports are being staffed and come up out our controllers in training so we can get them certified.

From 4:30pm 7:30pm pacific time (2330-0230 zulu time).

11
Events / Moses Lake Airshow Fly-In [13 JUN, 2359-0400z]
« on: April 28, 2019, 01:14:52 PM »
More details to be added later.

Come fly into the Moses Lake Airport (Grant County Airport) the day before the popular Moses Lake Air Show (that's happening real world on the 14th and 15th. which rings in summer in beautiful central Washington. You might even find the new True Earth WA by ORBX is released just before this event, since it's slated for a June release!

Our focus will be with mostly GA and VFR aircraft, but be sure to pick-up flight following from where you're coming in from. We plan to staff a few other airports and TRACON's in ZSE that will be announced soon which will be perfect for flying out of.

There will be a part 2 of this event on the Sunday after as a "Fly-Out" following the Air Show. The event will be from 5pm to 9pm local pacific time.

12
Events / Re: Fly the Gorge [21 Apr, 2200z-0200z]
« on: April 22, 2019, 09:28:39 PM »
That's great to hear, and I'm happy you enjoyed it. Part of why I intended to push for us to do more VFR events is they really feel lacking on the network, are the type of flying people should know even before IFR (but don't), and it really mixes it up for a lot of pilots. It can be really helpful for those working on Pilot Ratings on the network. VATSTAR has already been coming to us for support which is fantastic.

Clearly, the event did show that some of our controllers could use some brush up on VFR handling, and for sure the same could be said for many pilots.

One of the biggest issues during the event was aircraft who filed a VFR flight plan expecting to be given a clearance like an IFR aircraft, and many who also were not familiar with the requirements of radio contact before entering a Class Delta airspace, or what Class Delta even was. This was especially the case for those who did not take flight following and thus get the help of the approach controllers telling them to contact the tower.

The other issue was a lot of VFR pilots not maintaining safe visual separation, and this is not counting those who were in Flights of 2+ aircraft. The other is knowing that the Lead aircraft initiates all ATC contact, and wingmen should set transponders on standby. To many constant conflict alerts for ATC, which was annoying even for those not receiving flight following.

As we do this more though we hope everyone will use it as an opportunity to learn.

Stay tuned for some more upcoming events!

13
Events / Fly the Gorge [21 Apr, 2200z-0200z]
« on: April 11, 2019, 01:19:18 PM »


Come and fly through one of the Pacific Northwest's most beautiful sceneries, the Columbia River Gorge! If you use ORBX PNW then you'll likely enjoy the view!

We will be featuring KTTD (Troutdale) Airport just to the east of KPDX (Portland International), along with KPSC (Pasco) Airport.  For those who don't wish to fly smaller GA aircraft through the gorge, come fly in or out of KPDX which we will still be staffing up and give our controllers some additional traffic.

Please note that KTTD is not an airport with any commercial traffic and is intended to handle GA aircraft, including light and moderate corporate jets, but the route between KPSC and KTTD is intended for smaller VFR traffic. However, some jets between the two would be alright. Smaller regional flights can get into KPSC as well, but we would hope for GA VFR aircraft!

Depart out of KTTD and head east along the Columbia River, passing Hermiston area and the old military Chemical Depot cutting a loop to the north along the river into KPSC. You can even stop at the Dalles Airport (KDLS) along the way. Or simply do this route in reverse and enjoy the fun approach as you clear the Gorge into KTTD.

14
Events / [19 MAR 2359-0300Z] Redmond thaw Fly-In (KRDM) - (19th 1500-2000L)
« on: March 07, 2019, 07:36:09 PM »
​​The controllers at ZSE will feature one of our great Class Delta airports for a small weekday evening event. Redmond (KRDM) in the heart of central Oregon is a great airport without any TRACON that receives approach/departure services from Seattle Center. 

Redmond, like much of Oregon has experienced severe late winter weather along with cold temps. By late March it'll be time for things to thaw out!

The airport is a fun regional airport for regional jets and a great central hub for GA traffic throughout central and greater Oregon. Nearby are great GA airports in Bend (KBDN), Madras (S33), and Prineville (S39). The primary focus is GA traffic, as KRDM only has 8 airline gates for regional jets like the Embraer and Canadair, as well as the DH8-Q400. GA Traffic will find plenty of space to park at the North Ramp (Leading Edge Jet Center).

15
Events / [8 MAR 2359-0359] Charlie to Charlie | FNO
« on: March 02, 2019, 02:15:02 PM »


An event designed between the two key Charlie Class airspaces in ZSE that feature two key airports and two moderate class Delta airports that nicely complement each other. The two areas are Portland Oregon and Spokane Washington. In Portland, we will feature KPDX and KHIO (Hillsboro). Hillsboro is a great general aviation airport that features a lot of corporate jet traffic, including for the likes of Nike and Intel.  In Spokane, we will feature KGEG and KSFF (Felts Field). Fielts field is also a nice general aviation airport.

KHIO will be great for those flying light and moderate corporate jets and single/twin engine props, and KSFF for light jets and single/twin engine props. KSFF is a shorter runway compared to even KHIO.

The route between these two areas creates a perfect opportunity to balance the departing and arriving traffic and keep controllers on their toes. If enough controllers are available we will also offer to staff the Fairchild AFB KSKA for some military traffic to/from the Portland Air National Guard Base (PANG) at KPDX. Those who also want to stay local could also fly from KPDX to KHIO as well.

A few helpful and important notes:

  • Those flying to/from KPDX, please advise if using default FSX/P3D scenery and reference the current Airport. Freeware scenery is available at www.zseartcc.org by going to the Pilots tab at top. Payware includes Flightbeam KPDX and ORBX KSFF for P3D.
  • Those using FSX/P3D should note that significant taxiway changes to GEG have been made. Highly recommend using this scenery https://library.avsim.net/esearch.php?DLID=205695  or another scenery that has the current APD. Xplane 11 is good to go.
  • GA traffic from KPDX is at the north ramp areas and not the south or west cargo ramps. In P3D (even with Flightbeam KPDX scenery) you'll have to slew into position before connecting.  However, we recommend considering KHIO/KSFF
  • Alpha gates at KPDX are only big enough for DH8-Q400 which are operated by Horizon (QXE). Please don't connect as anything larger or you will block a key taxiway.
  • Much of the terminal at KPDX involves pushbacks onto a taxiway. This requires ATC clearance and expectation to have started engines and be ready to taxi promtly. Waiting 2+ minutes after pushback is not appropriate and delays other pilots
  • After arrivals at KGEG it may be necessary to ask those shutting down to disconnect due to spacing. KPDX does have more gate space that Spokane does. If you plan to fly back out and space is tight just come back on when you're ready to call ATC. I'm sure your fellow pilots trying to get into a gate would appreciate it.


PREFERRED ROUTING:

KPDX-KGEG:      BTG PAPPS ZOOMR ZOOMR1   (Turboprop or non RNAV Jets)
                        LAVAA6 LAVAA PAPPS ZOOMR ZOOMR1    (Jets)

KGEG-KPDX:      ZEGRO YENTL HHOOD4

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