Great post Dhruv! I don't understand how any controller won't be able to find something to take from this that will make them a better controller. Using a real world controller as an example is also a great choice. But I have to tell you, and I don't disagree with you often, but you have my attention here. One of the first things I found missing from these examples came during the position relief briefing. Your example presumes that you and I are equals in our ability to absorb the information needed before I take over the position. But that isn't accurate. I could never absorb that information as quickly as you could. That's just your experience which is much more than mine, so already, one minute into my shift I'm two minutes behind. Different learning curves have to considered during any of this.
Also, your experience has taught you some of these tools that a new controller hasn't been taught yet. Which begs the question should we be teaching shortcuts to our new controllers. Isn't it more important that they learn how to do it for what I will for now call "the right way". Aren't more and more people lately screaming that we need to do more by the .65? I'm not saying that in the long run you aren't advocating that, I know you are, but isn't that at risk here?
Is there something our training staffs can take away from this? Yes. Meg is right when she says that using this as a training tool will be a positive for her controllers. What went unsaid is my question, for all of her controllers, or only those who can absorb the information and learn the proper time and place to use it?
Now is this something that we should be showing our controllers? At some point probably. But at what point? Where does teaching shortcuts get in the way of teaching .65. How about GRP? More importantly, and no offense intended my friend, but when does what ZMP teach or require of its controllers get to be the norm for ZBW, or anywhere else. Please understand, I'm not trying to compare your suggestions to what any ARTCC should be teaching, although I know it must sound that way. But every ARTCC has real world controllers now too, a great resource for VATUSA controllers that we never had previously. But like anything else, I would bet that even their experiences vary.
Did I happen to mention that issuing instructions to someone like AJ in his 757 and me on VATSIM are going to get you two different levels of response. One real good (I hope!), one real not so good. It just is the way it is, and it is the same thing that everyone likes to complain about and blame everything for everything on. There are pilots out there who don't know their left from their right and until Mr. Sherman and his staff deal with that, it won't matter how many pilots they certify, because they will always be out there.
I think it better that we teach the controllers to lighten up a little, learn the right way, then learn some of your tools and suggestions, and learn how to deal with ungodly levels of traffic that we see during the FNO to the best of their ability and just get over it. I know I very rarely ear controllers complain that the even they held Saturday night was ruined because there were so many bad pilots. No, those events go off just fine, because there aren't that many pilots that overflow the arrival rates.
I would advocate that we are better off, long term, if we remind our Instructors to teach their students that this is supposed to be fun.
