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Events & Bookings

Scope

This document outlines the procedures both home and visitor controllers shall follow when creating ATC bookings through the VATSIM ATC booking system bookings calendar and when controllers and visitors are interested in controlling a slot during a VATSIM pre-planned event.

General bookings policy

General

The VATSIM ATC booking system allows rated home or visitor members to book an ATC position within their vACCs. This indicates a home or visitor intends to man a position during the desired timeslot. The ATC booking submitted through this system is also submitted to the vRoute booking system.

Booking a position

Home or visitor members shall only book positions they have been approved for or if given permission by an instructor or mentor to book a position ahead of a mentoring session.

ATC booking rules

Home and visitor controller shall adhere to the rules listed below:

  • An ATC booking does NOT mean the home or visitor has the right to control that position.
  • Fellow home and visitors should adhere to the VATSIM Code of Conduct: Section C5.
  • Home and visitor members shall be expected to be courteous of each other and respect one another’s controller bookings.
  • Only home and visitor members rating Student 1 (S1) and higher may submit a controller booking.
  • ATC bookings for events shall not be booked using this method. Event bookings shall follow the events booking procedure detailed in this document.
  • Home and visitor members shall not repeatedly book the same position(s). If this is found to be the case then Arabian vACC staff may intervene and prevent that controller from being able to book ATC positions.

Controllers no showing to a booked position

Home or visitor controllers who book a position should always ensure they complete the booking as published, if the controller is unable to make the booking due to circumstances changing, that controller shall cancel the ATC booking.

Home and visitor controllers who repeatedly book positions and do not show up to complete the booking may be subject to having ATC booking privileges revoked.

Event ATC bookings

General

The Arabian vACC has enabled the ATC booking system for the Events. This system is incorporated into the VATSIM ATC booking system which shall be used by the Arabian vACC for planned events on the VATSIM Network. The intention of this is to provide an indication of where and when the ATC is likely to be online, to provide the participating pilots on the network with professional and undisrupted ATC services.

For the purposes of this policy, a home or visitor member who has “booked” for an event is a member who has put a request to control a position in the VATSIM ATC booking system Events ATC booking page. A home or visitor member will be considered as “confirmed” when the booking has been approved by the Arabian vACC staff to control that position.

Event booking and confirmation process

Controllers shall follow the procedure below when making a booking for an event.

  • VATSIM event is created and published by the marketing department
  • VATSIM event is advertised on the Arabian vACC Discord
  • Controllers can express their interest in the relevant Discord forum post
  • Between 3-12 hours before the event the marketing staff publishes a roster on Discord

Booking to control a published event

A published event will have an ATC bookings section attached with it. Home and visitor members who wish to control the event shall “book” their positions at the times they are able to control through this section in the VATSIM ATC booking system. Home or visitor controllers wishing to control a published event shall do this to ensure their name is considered for a rostered slot. All times are expressed as UTC (“Zulu”)

Event roster

Members can expect the Arabian vACC Marketing Director or Marketing Deputy Director to release a roster around 12 hours prior to the event. All members will be confirmed on the positions they are rostered within the VATSIM ATC booking system. If this is not possible, a roster shall be published a minimum of 3 hours prior to the event start time.

The event roster shall be posted to the “rostering” channel of the Arabian vACC Discord server. This shall serve as notification to home or visitor members of their rostered slot and they shall be required to attend this rostered slot.

Event booking rules

  • Only approved rated home or visitor controllers shall make ATC bookings for events and shall only book positions they have approvals to control.
  • Home or visitor members shall only book their preferred positions on VATSIM ATC booking system. Bookings made anywhere else shall not be accepted for consideration to the events roster.
  • Home or visitor controllers can make multiple bookings for their preferred positions but only one shall be approved dependant on the demand for the particular event.
  • The Event staff shall have the right to re-assign and confirm positions based the requirement for positions needed during that event.
  • Arabian vACC staff shall give all controllers an equal chance to control. Staff shall ensure home or visitor controllers who have booked but not been confirmed in the past 3 events are given a chance to control before considering other members.
  • During events, controllers who have booked and are confirmed by the event staff shall always have priority to complete their rostered slot. In case the controller is disconnected during the event, a standby controller shall control in their absence. Once the original confirmed controller comes back online, he/she shall have priority over the position again
  • Under no circumstances shall a controller log on to cover a missing controller during an event. Unless permission has been given by either the Arabian vACC Events Director or the Arabian vACC Events Deputy Director.
  • Home or visitor controllers shall only book the times that they are available to control during the event. If a controller is unable to make a certain time(s) they shall only book the time(s) they are available for.
  • Abuse of the VATSIM ATC booking system Events Booking System is disrespectful to other vACC members and a violation of VATSIM Code of Conduct , Section A.1, “Members should, at all times, be courteous and respectful to one another”.

Controllers unable to attend their rostered slot

Home or visitor controllers who are unable to attend their rostered slot shall inform the Arabian vACC Marketing Director or the Arabian vACC Marketing Deputy Director as soon as practicable. Controllers who repeatedly are unable to attend their confirmed slots shall be not considered for events going forward.

Controllers no showing to an events slot

Home or visitor controllers who are unable to attend their rostered slot shall inform the Arabian vACC Marketing Director or the Arabian vACC Marketing Deputy Director as soon as practicable. Controllers who repeatedly are unable to attend their confirmed slots shall be not considered for events going forward.

Event briefings

When a visiting or home controller registers an interest in an event by adding their booking to VATSIM ATC booking system, they are agreeing that, if confirmed through means of an event roster, they shall be available for the specified times and the event briefing.

The event briefing shall take place in the Arabian vACC Discord server no later than 15 minutes before the commencement of the event. Briefings shall include all controllers rostered to control the duration of the event and shall discuss “hot topics” along with any relevant briefings with regards to weather or special procedures. Ideally the briefing shall be led by the ATC Training Director or ATC Training Deputy Director, however, this can be conducted by any Arabian vACC staff member.