Pilot-Focused Ground School Seminars from BVA

[Evan Reiter]

Boston Virtual ARTCC is proud to announce the return of Ground School: focused, 1-hour training seminars designed to offer discussion around common virtual aviation topics. The sessions, which will take place via Google Meet, are open to all VATUSA members, and are specifically designed for pilots (recently certified S1 or S2 controllers may also find the subject matter valuable).

Ground School topics include VFR Procedures, Weather, RNAV, Radio Communications, Holds, and much more! The sessions will be hosted by real-world flight instructors and VATSIM controllers Alec Liberman and Krikor Hajian. Each is designed to offer new pilots and experienced VATSIM members learning opportunities about flying within the air traffic control system.

The first session is scheduled for Wednesday, July 15 at 8:30pm ET, with sessions continuing weekly on Mondays and Wednesdays. Recordings of each session will also be published on BVA's YouTube channel for those who are unable to participate in the live discussion.

2020 Ground School Topics and Dates
Schedule Subject to Change

The Google Meet link for each seminar will be posted below approximately 15-30 minutes prior to each session.

• Radio Communications - Wednesday, July 15, 8:30pm ET
• Weather - Wednesday, July 22, 8:30pm ET
• VFR Procedures - Wednesday, July 29, 8:30pm ET
• IFR Clearances - Monday, August 10, 8:30pm ET
• Oceanic Procedures - Monday, August 17, 8:30pm ET
• Holds - Monday, August 24, 8:30pm ET
• Instrument Approach Procedures (Part 1 of 2) - Monday, August 31, 8:30pm ET
• Instrument Approach Procedure (Part 2 of 2) - Monday, September 7, 8:30pm ET
• RNAV Procedures - Monday, September 14, 8:30pm ET

This topic was posted with the approval of VATUSA1.

[Evan Reiter]

Friendly reminder: the first session (Radio Communications) is scheduled for 8:30pm ET tomorrow (July 15). The Google Meet link for any VATSIM member to join/participate will be shared on this thread about 10 minutes prior to the session.

[Evan Reiter]

The first session of Ground School, covering Radio Communications, will begin in approximately 15 minutes. All VATSIM members are welcome to join using the link below. When joining, please ensure your mic and video (camera) are muted (off)

Please note that the session will be recorded for a future upload to YouTube.

[Evan Reiter]

When it is legal to fly VFR? How do you decode a METAR? How can you improve the weather depiction in your simulator? Join CFIs Alec and Krikor in Ground School as we discuss Weather. The session begins in about 15 minutes and all VATSIM members are welcome to join using the link below. When joining, please ensure your mic and video (camera) are muted (off).

Please note that the session will be recorded for a future upload to YouTube.

[Evan Reiter]

In tonight's Ground School, we'll have a detailed look at VFR patterns, arrivals, and departures, both for fixed-wing and helicopter aircraft. The session begins in about 5 minutes and all VATSIM members are welcome to join using the link below. When joining, please ensure your mic and video (camera) are muted (off).

Please note that the session will be recorded for a future upload to YouTube.

[Evan Reiter]

In tonight's Ground School, we check out IFR clearances: SIDs, routes, and clearances. The session begins in about 5 minutes and all VATSIM members are welcome to join using the link below. When joining, please ensure your mic and video (camera) are muted (off).

Please note that the session will be recorded for a future upload to YouTube.

[Evan Reiter]

We're covering Oceanic Procedures tonight! All VATSIM members are welcome to join the session using the link below. When joining, pelase ensure your mic and video (camera) are muted (off).

Please note that the session will be recorded for a future upload to YouTube.

[Evan Reiter]

If you start thinking "which entry should I fly" when someone answers the phone with "please hold", tonight's Ground School is for you! Join Boston Virtual ARTCC's Alec Liberman for an in-depth discussion on flying Holds. All VATSIM members are welcome to join the session using the link below. When joining, pelase ensure your mic and video (camera) are muted (off).

Please note that the session will be recorded for a future upload to YouTube.

[Evan Reiter]

Tonight is the first of a two-part series on Instrument Approach Procedures. We'll discuss types of approaches, minima, landing variations, course reversals, missed approaches, and more! Then, on September 7, the second half of the series will look at some of the considerations that appear when flying different approaches.

Please note that the session will be recorded for a future upload to YouTube.

[Evan Reiter]

It's Part 2 of 2 on Instrument Approaches! All VATSIM members welcome.

Please note that the session will be recorded for a future upload to YouTube.

[Evan Reiter]

Does "descend via" cancel a previously-issued speed restriction? If VNAV tells you to descend, do you have to ask ATC for lower first? Do you have to meet an "expect" crossing restriction? These questions and many more are the subject of BVA's last 2020 Ground School seminar on RNAV Procedures.

Please note that the session will be recorded for a future upload to YouTube.

[Evan Reiter]

We wrapped up our 2020 edition of Ground School with a discussion on RNAV Procedures last night.

For those who joined us live or who have been following along on YouTube, thanks for the support! A huge thank you to CFIs Alec Liberman and Krikor Hajian. In addition to busy college schedules and teaching students, Alec and Krikor were excellent hosts throughout this series of pilot-focused discussions.

Boston Virtual ARTCC hosts Ground School live about once every two years. Until the next one, you can find recordings from each of this edition's seminars on BVA's YouTube!

[Gerald Thulbourn]

And many thanks from those of us unable to attend live, great job chaps.

Note to others who followed along and got something out of it (Boston vartcc won't push this): Boston V ARTCC have a donation page to help offset their costs; something to consider. Or maybe you could thank them by donating to a charity - do good things and good things happen, and goodness knows the world could do with more good things at the moment.

Looking forward to hearing you all in the virtual skies,
Gez