Sector file downloads

[Steve Foulke]

I've seen earlier posts regarding this question but have yet to find an answer. In the very early stages of CBT one of the first steps is VRC setup. A nice video explains it but it states "...sector files available for download to the public from their website..." and that doesn't seem to be the case. The video instructs you to load the Boston sector files into VRC. It would be nice if they pointed you to a place to GET those files. I easily found the Boston Virtual ARTCC website but can't find a place to download the files. Do I really need to apply for membership to every ARTCC website and await approval to download their sector files or is there a better way?

[Brin Brody]

Hello,

Many facilities have their facility files available for all to see on their websites:

ZAN: http://www.zanartcc.net/controllers/files
ZDV: https://denartcc.org/documents
HCF: http://newsite.hcfartcc.net/controllers/files
ZLA: https://laartcc.org/downloads
ZOA: https://www.oakartcc.org/zoa-file-downloads/
ZLC: https://zlcartcc.com/downloads (No files displayed... Might not be completed yet)
ZSE: https://zseartcc.org/downloads
ZAB: https://www.zabartcc.org/files
ZTL: https://www.ztlartcc.org/controllers/files
ZFW: https://www.zfwartcc.net/documents
ZHU: https://www.zhuartcc.org/documents
ZJX: https://zjxartcc.org/documents
ZKC: http://kcartcc.com/files
ZME: N/A
ZMA: http://www.zmaartcc.net/wp/controllers/controller-downloads
ZBW: N/A
ZAU: https://chicagoartcc.org/controllers/files
ZOB: http://www.clevelandcenter.org/documents
ZID: http://www.zidartcc.org/index.php/about/zid-documents
ZMP: http://www.minniecenter.org/docs
ZNY: https://nyartcc.org/downloads (navigate via Controllers>Publications, then Controllers>Downloads)
ZDC: https://www.vzdc.org/controllers/files

ZBW just happens to be one of the few that doesn't publish their files for all to see. 

So, no!  You shouldn't need to apply for membership most places, in order to see their sector files.  You might try emailing someone on facility staff to request the files directly, should they not be displayed on the facility website.

Hope this helps.

[Steve Foulke]

Yep. Very helpful. Thanks! Looking now at some of the other sectors it's easy to find the download locations. Where I got hung up was trying to do exactly what the CBT video was instructing me to do. Maybe the video was just using Boston as an example. If that's the case they should make it clear and SAY that. Silly me...following instructions that can't be followed. This training should be pretty interesting. Almost like dealing with the REAL FAA.

Thanks again!

[Rick Rump]

Steve,
One of the slides before the video says:
"Many of the facilities in VATUSA have the sector files available for download to the public from their website."

Thanks for the definitive list there Brin.

[Dhruv Kalra]

At risk of beating a dead horse, wasn't the overwhelming directive from higher up to NOT hide your SOP/Sector File downloads behind a login wall, in the interest of making them accessible to observers/prospective visitors/etc.?

[Steve Foulke]

To be clear here, I fully understood the training video when it said, "Many of the facilities in VATUSA have the sector files available for download to the public from their website."

As I said earlier, the problem began when I followed the instructions in the video with the guy that mumbles really fast. The video explicitly says to download and install the Boston sector files. It doesn't say "install whatever sector files you can manage to find."

The fact that you are not able to do what the video instructs you to do is what prompted my question here. For those of us that are brand new to the simulated world of ATC clear instructions are pretty important but that doesn't happen in that training video. A while back I looked into this training but didn't continue. I'm starting to remember why.

Thanks again for the replies!

[Brin Brody]

The video explicitly says to download and install the Boston sector files. It doesn't say "install whatever sector files you can manage to find."

That video was put together for the division about 5 years ago by the ZBW (BVARTCC?) guys who were nice enough to help out.  Definitely might be time for a more "division-wide" update, though.  

That said, most facilities' training staff are able to help you with setting up your radar client, once you choose where to go.  And once that happens, you won't have any trouble finding files, I'm sure!

Good luck!

[Robert Shearman Jr]

If it was five years ago, it was shortly *before* the ZBW and BVA merger.