New Person Here, tips for good habits?

[Mia Kollia]

Hello,

My name is Mia, and I love listening to live ATC and thought I try my hand at it! I was curious how can I learn to be a good ATC, I am planning on observing but terrified of actually contemplating guiding planes. Any tips for a beginner to be clear and understanding to all pilots? Any good habits to have?

Mia

[Eric Kollat]

Hello,

My name is Mia, and I love listening to live ATC and thought I try my hand at it! I was curious how can I learn to be a good ATC, I am planning on observing but terrified of actually contemplating guiding planes. Any tips for a beginner to be clear and understanding to all pilots? Any good habits to have?

Mia

Welcome to VATUSA! I always got taught that patience is the key, and that's how it really is. If you have a pilot that seems to not understand what you're saying or doesn't really know how to execute your command, give them a bit of time. Sometimes you may need to explain a procedure to a pilot. Whether it is breaking down a takeoff clearance to allow the pilot to comprehend your instructions or just simply being friendly and helping them out, there are tons of ways that you can put a smile on a frustrated pilot's face. Who knows, you may be able to teach them some things that they didn't know before, either!

Hope that makes sense.

[Matthew Ulmer]

Hello,

My name is Mia, and I love listening to live ATC and thought I try my hand at it! I was curious how can I learn to be a good ATC, I am planning on observing but terrified of actually contemplating guiding planes. Any tips for a beginner to be clear and understanding to all pilots? Any good habits to have?

Mia

Mia,

On behalf of all the controllers within VATUSA and the VATSIM network, I'd like to welcome you. It's always exciting to see new people show interest in virtual ATC and ask for help as a new member.  It shows that you want to do a good job and that's a very important part of controlling.  Please don't hesitate to ask questions about anything.  We were all in your shoes at one point and most of us came out unscathed.   Listening to live ATC is exciting and can get you familiar with how controllers and pilots communicate with each other.  Just remember, that is real world ATC.  Now don't get me wrong, we try and emulate real world ATC every time  we control but ATC on the VATSIM network is a little different.  I would suggest joining an ARTCC first and proceed from there.  While every ARTCC is governed by VATSIM, each one is it's own entity and has different SOP's.  While phraseology is the same network wide, each ARTCC handles things according to the facilities in which they control.  The ATC training in VATUSA is excellent and a great place to get familiar with all the aspects of virtual ATC.  Your local ARTCC will also have facility specific training as well.  My advice would be observe and listen.  Most pilots flying on VATSIM have a good understanding of how ATC works and will communicate with you accordingly.  There are times when you have a new pilot who is looking to you for guidance and that's exactly what you are there for.  Remember, this is meant to be fun and most of us know that.  It's not only a hobby but a passion as well.  Practice and repetition are key.  Learn the proper phraseology, study and know your facilities SOP and ask questions. And most of all have FUN. That's what we are all here to do.  Good luck and hope to see you on the scopes real soon.

[Zachary Beard]

Hi there:

Speak clearly, don't mumble. Say things the same way format wise, everytime; change it up for clarity if needed. This is why we have such laid-out phraseology. Spot conflicts early and make corrections; don't wait until two aircraft are 10 miles from each other to try to fix it. Tell the pilots what they need to know, and they'll never ask questions. Get in their head and be able to expect what they might ask you. This saves time and helps you to: control the radio, set the pace for the pilots, it's like a ballet sometimes. This is most important.

Just a couple general tips, and welcome to ATC.

Cheers
ZY

[Brad Littlejohn]

To go along a bit more with what ZY has said, here's something I learned a long time ago from those that mentored me.

Own your frequency/own your position, and speak confidently and with conviction.

What I mean by that is that you are the controller. Some pilots may think that you are there to serve them; that they are the one in charge, because they are flying and their aircraft is important. That may be the case; as PIC, their duty is to their aircraft. However, your duty is to the airspace that their aircraft is in, and to keep them separate from other aircrafts in your airspace. This means that you have to prioritize. If you have handled situation C to the point where you need to handle situation A, followed by situation B, but aircraft D calls in, A and B may take priority, though aircraft D may think that you're ignoring him, and tries to step in on things. Still handle your business as you need to, then address the new aircraft coming in.

You are in charge of the space they are coming in, and the frequency used in that space. as long as you know how to effectively manage your time and priorities, you will be fine. Have a listen to anyone higher up in the facility you are going to be assigned to; instructor or higher would be preferred. Listen to them, and look at how they manage their airspace, aircraft, and priorities while on frequency. That is what you are wanting to achieve.

BL.