Please reconsider single-facility FNOs...

[Robert Shearman Jr]

Before I launch into my opinion below, I want to ensure I make absolutely clear that every single individual controller I encountered in tonight's FNO was top-notch.  They all did an amazing job, and the concept of a "Roulette" event where you get sent to an unknown and non-pre-planned destination was a great outside-the-box idea.

That all having been said...

VATUSA and ARTCC Event staff, please reconsider whether single-facility FNO events are a good idea.  They were "outlawed" after the mass influx of new VATSIM members stemming from the combination of COVID lockdowns and MSFS2020's release.  However, it does not seem to me that the number of pilots flying on Friday nights has diminished, so I'm not sure why it has seemed to be a good idea to allow single-airport events again.  Please reconsider returning to the post-COVID policy of having all FNOs feature at least three airports so that one set of controllers does not go down the tubes for four solid hours through no fault of their own.

Civil discussion welcome.

[Shane O'Neill]

Hi Robert,

I understand the argument against single field FNOs, and I feel for the pilots last night that encountered heavy delays.

The change was made last year to allow single fields after consultation with facilities. I think it is important to note that there have been around 10 single field/facility FNOs in 2023, and most of those have not seen delays of more than 30 minutes. These types of FNOs are doable post-COVID, and I do not think one night of severe delays should cause us to rethink everything.

There were flaws in the planning and execution of this event, not talking about controller performance, and we have debriefed those flaws and will fix them for the future.

[Robert Shearman Jr]

I'm not sure I completely agree with the notion that most single-facility FNOs run fine.  But, I appreciate the response and the knowledge that the overall question of event design with acceptable versus unacceptable capacity is being considered.

On a separate topic, one additional thing I appreciate is the placement of "placeholder" events on the calendar indicating in general terms what FNOs are on tap.  For nutjobs like myself who literally plan what sorts of flights I'll be doing earlier in the month based on what events are coming up later in the month, it's good info to have.  Thanks sincerely for that.

[Shane O'Neill]

On a separate topic, one additional thing I appreciate is the placement of "placeholder" events on the calendar indicating in general terms what FNOs are on tap.  For nutjobs like myself who literally plan what sorts of flights I'll be doing earlier in the month based on what events are coming up later in the month, it's good info to have.  Thanks sincerely for that.

You are welcome, Robert. It was long overdue.

[Robert Shearman Jr]

ZJX did a beautiful job with "Halloween Horror Ops" at MCO tonight.  I was initially nervous seeing the volume coming in to another FNO with only one featured field.  But I had minimal to no delays getting in, and basically the same getting back out.  I'm eating my words, but, happy about it, LOL.