Event Times

[Roger Curtiss]

It can be rather frustrating to see practically every VATUSA event scheduled to occur in the same time frame 2359z-0400z.  While no doubt highly convenient for East Coast/Midwest USA members it is very much less so for those (apparently few) members logging on from the western side of the country.

I am curious as to how this came to be and whether:
a) the times chosen have been determined by analysis of user data (are the majority of pilots actually operating from an EST/EDT time zone?)

b) if the answer to 'a' is "no", could such a study be conducted or a poll taken to determine if indeed this is the overwhelmingly optimum time period?

c) there have been attempts to correlate event times to the actual time zones of the locations where the events are centered? i.e.,west coast events starting at 0300z?

[Matthew Kramer]

Literal decades of doing events have shown us that the 2359z start time is the best "catch-all" time that is neither too late for east coasters nor too early for west coasters. It's never going to be perfect. Let's say we start a ZLA event at 7pm pacific time. That's 10pm in New York, and we'll be less likely to see east coast pilots fly as they are now limited to shorter haul routes if they have a reasonable bedtime for themselves. Likewise, it's hard to ask an east coast controller to stay awake until 1 or 2 in the morning to accommodate. The 5pm/8pm time captures the most compromise to get people to show up.

Lowerkey events we'll start at more leisurely times, but the traffic levels are far lower to begin with.

Part of the FNO cram is that it's that it's a recurring event. That consistency during prime time really drives those numbers.

[Ryan Parry]

I think starting an FNO a little earlier/ later depending on time zone might actually help with the traffic congestion problems we see at those events. Yeah it probably precludes some from flying, but given the madhouse that is an FNO that might not be a bad thing. I'm not a fan of the nasty grams I get because somebody had to hold in the air or on the ground. For other events, there isn't much reason to start them all at 2359z, I think it would be nice to see more morning and midday events on the weekends.

[Ryan Pitt]

I think it also has to do with the whole zulu conversion time issue. That's why we usually see the pre-0000z starts.