Website ATCBooking.com finally ready to go!

[Shehryar Ansari]

After almost 9 months of development the website for controller (and pilot) time slot booking is ready.

 

http://www.atcbooking.com

 

The idea arose from many years of frustration of having been a pilot on VATSIM and not having active ATC in the area where I was flying.

 

To overcome this I had floated an idea of having a centralized website where controllers could post time slots of when they would be online and pilots could plan flights to arrive/depart within those time slots (the basic idea of VATSIM of course).

 

A sort of mini-events system but more informal so not compulsory if members don't want to post times.

 

The concept is to encourage more structure around VATSIM flying so that controllers and pilots can match up. A win/win.

 

The website is available to all regions of the world free of charge as a service to VATSIM.

 

Now, the website is ready and launched awaiting populating of positions in the VATSIM regions (Center/Approach/Tower/Ground/FSS).

 

Initially, the US ARTCCs were requested to to test the functionality. Now the website is fully ready to go for the entire world.

 

My home ARTCC KZLA and my two visiting Regions are already part of the website (Chicago and VATME). I have also started to request other ATMs of the regions to ask them to be included. Denver has provided their postions.

 

Features of the website include,

 

- Main page ATC calendar with running UTC clock line showing which ATC position is booked today/tomorrow/this week/month

- Calendar is viewable without a special login

- To make an ATC/pilot booking you login to the secure VATSIM SSO login is provided (so on initial login you do not have to worry about entering a new database)

- An ATC booking system which gets posted to a live calendar on the website

- A pilots ATC service request system and a similar calendar

- Email feature for notification of a new ATC booking. Additionally this email feature also includes the ability to select a continent which you would be interested in for notification otherwise you end up with numerous irrelevant notification emails (this has a small email database which is optional to use if you do not want emails)

 

I would encourage the many worldwide region heads to consider sending me their positions so that I may include them for booking by their members.

 

If you would like to link your ARTCC website to this let me know. Aternatively, if you would like me to link your regional website to post times to this website let me know.

 

To address some concerns that have arisen along the way here is a summary of answers,

 

- I am the webmaster/admin for this website and being a senior member/Network Supervisor you can trust that the website privacy and confidentiality will be paramount.

- If you do not want to be booking on the website no problem, at least the option is there. Remember, other regions might get a lot of traffic because of the predictability of timing of slots. I certainly will look first when/where a controller is planning to open

- You can always cancel a booking

- If you cannot make a time slot pilots will understand that your real world obligations took over

- You can remove yourself from the email list

 

Let me know of any other concerns and I will answer them.

 

I will certainly encourage pilots to visit the website and maybe even VAs can use it to coordinate with regions for ATC coverage.

 

This success of this initiative is certainly dependent on momentum. The more users use it the more regions will come on board.

 

Right now I am still filling in new regions as they write to me so the calendar is going to be slow to populate. Please ask your regional ATM/Head to send me a list of their positions to be included in the website for booking.

 

I hope you find this useful and please provide feedback for improvement. Eventually I am hoping VATSIM can incorporate this into their website

 

Shehryar Ansari

VATSIM Supervisor

[Magnus Meese]

Looks promising! Do you plan to facilitate for it to show bookings from Vatbook as well, which European controllers already use to promote their planned online time? That could be quite beneficial.

[Sean Harrison]

It doesn’t seem to allow the end time to be before the start time?

 

I just tryed 24 mar fm 2200 until 25 mar at 0200, and it said finish time can’t be before start time.

 

I also only had a choice of two artcc’s.

[Wygene Chong 1089621]

Looks promising! Do you plan to facilitate for it to show bookings from Vatbook as well, which European controllers already use to promote their planned online time? That could be quite beneficial.

I second this. Vatbook is already a major database of bookings and is linked to vRoute and many local vACC websites and booking systems. However, it does not provide a single global view like your website. I think the database + the website would be a good combo - and the Accomeap project could show the bookings visually.

[Andreas Fuchs]

VATBOOK is NOT a "European" booking-database, it was simply created and then hosted in Europe. It can and is being used by members worldwide.

 

Is your new website and database connected to VATBOOK's database?

 

Let's not split up our booking systems, that would be counterproductive. We need to have all data in one single database, you can still use your nice website as front-end for users, but you would need to get in touch with vroute's Michal Rok who also hosts and maintains VATBOOK. He will provide you with access-details. You can already start reading on VATBOOK's support forum: http://support.vroute.net/viewforum.php?f=3

[Daniel Hawton]

I'd encourage you to open your data for consumption, so that it could be easily accessible and read by others. At least an API if you could, that is openly docomeented and available.

[Shehryar Ansari]

I'd encourage you to open your data for consumption, so that it could be easily accessible and read by others. At least an API if you could, that is openly docomeented and available.

Absolutely. I will ask the developer for this. The idea was to in future openly connect with regional websites so that bookings there could be posted at this website and vice versa.

 

What else do you think is needed?

 

Shez

[Andreas Fuchs]

Sheyrar,

 

you should better communicate with the developers of VATBOOK. Are you even aware that we already have what you have created?

 

Therefore it would be cool if you would team up with us and feed data in the already established VATBOOK database.

[Andreas Fuchs]

However, it does not provide a single global view like your website.

Then you don't seem to know Qutescoop. Do you? It does show you ATC bookings both in tabular and graphical form, for the entire world: https://sourceforge.net/projects/qutescoop/

[Daniel Hawton]

I'd encourage you to open your data for consumption, so that it could be easily accessible and read by others. At least an API if you could, that is openly docomeented and available.

Absolutely. I will ask the developer for this. The idea was to in future openly connect with regional websites so that bookings there could be posted at this website and vice versa.

 

What else do you think is needed?

 

Shez

 

Consider open sourcing the project, so developers (like me) that see an opportunity to advance it can submit changes to make it happen. Making it an open system is a positive thing.

 

And more of a nitpick, but one to ensure better communication and understanding... I'd stop referring to ZLA and ZDV, et al. as "regions". Within VATSIM, regions are: North America, South and Central America, Europe, Middle East, Africa, Oceania, Asia (I think I got them all). Regions encomp[Mod - Happy Thoughts] giant geographical areas. Divisions are break ups of regions, IE in North America we have VATUSA, VATCAN, VATMEX, and VATCAR. Within VATUSA, we have facilities or subdivisions, ZLA, ZDV, ZNY, etc. If you say you share something with other regions, I read it as you're sharing something with VATEUR or VATASIA but you're meaning you shared it with Denver ARTCC. Just a nitpick, but it can help clarify communications using VATSIM terms.

[Shehryar Ansari]

It doesn’t seem to allow the end time to be before the start time?

 

I just tryed 24 mar fm 2200 until 25 mar at 0200, and it said finish time can’t be before start time.

 

I also only had a choice of two artcc’s.

Will fix that soon. Thanks.

 

There are only two divisions because I am communicating with the divisions to ask permission from them to include their positions.

 

Shez

Edited March 25, 2018 at 05:45 PM by Guest

[Shehryar Ansari]

Sheyrar,

 

you should better communicate with the developers of VATBOOK. Are you even aware that we already have what you have created?

 

Therefore it would be cool if you would team up with us and feed data in the already established VATBOOK database.

Hi Andreas,

 

Yes very aware of VATBOOK but for me the website was a better idea. I will connect with them to see if they can share data. Shez

[Shehryar Ansari]

I'd encourage you to open your data for consumption, so that it could be easily accessible and read by others. At least an API if you could, that is openly docomeented and available.

Absolutely. I will ask the developer for this. The idea was to in future openly connect with regional websites so that bookings there could be posted at this website and vice versa.

 

What else do you think is needed?

 

Shez

 

Consider open sourcing the project, so developers (like me) that see an opportunity to advance it can submit changes to make it happen. Making it an open system is a positive thing.

 

And more of a nitpick, but one to ensure better communication and understanding... I'd stop referring to ZLA and ZDV, et al. as "regions". Within VATSIM, regions are: North America, South and Central America, Europe, Middle East, Africa, Oceania, Asia (I think I got them all). Regions encomp[Mod - Happy Thoughts] giant geographical areas. Divisions are break ups of regions, IE in North America we have VATUSA, VATCAN, VATMEX, and VATCAR. Within VATUSA, we have facilities or subdivisions, ZLA, ZDV, ZNY, etc. If you say you share something with other regions, I read it as you're sharing something with VATEUR or VATASIA but you're meaning you shared it with Denver ARTCC. Just a nitpick, but it can help clarify communications using VATSIM terms.

 

You are right. Divisions it is.

 

So I will make it open source no problem. Let me work with the developer.

 

Shez

[Andreas Fuchs]

Hi Shez,

 

preferring a website and still wanting to use VATBOOK do not exclude each other, in fact.

 

VATBOOK is just a database and any external operator can create a user interface, just such as your website, to download&view, add or delete bookings. For your web frontend basically nothing would change, all the needed work would be done in the background. All you may need from Michal Rok/VATBOO is a p[Mod - Happy Thoughts]word/access-code to add/delete bookings directly from your service. That's the whole trick.

 

If you need to help to contact Michal, let me know.

[Shehryar Ansari]

Hi Shez,

 

preferring a website and still wanting to use VATBOOK do not exclude each other, in fact.

 

VATBOOK is just a database and any external operator can create a user interface, just such as your website, to download&view, add or delete bookings. For your web frontend basically nothing would change, all the needed work would be done in the background. All you may need from Michal Rok/VATBOO is a p[Mod - Happy Thoughts]word/access-code to add/delete bookings directly from your service. That's the whole trick.

 

If you need to help to contact Michal, let me know.

Sounds good. Will connect immediately to download the data. Shez

[Wygene Chong 1089621]

However, it does not provide a single global view like your website.

Then you don't seem to know Qutescoop. Do you? It does show you ATC bookings both in tabular and graphical form, for the entire world: https://sourceforge.net/projects/qutescoop/

Ah I had forgotten about Qutescoop It was a couple of years ago that I wrote to them asking to update sectors but I never heard back so I haven't used it for a while. Qutescoop and Accomeap seem to have similar aims - I wonder if a cooperation there might be worthwhile? In any case, it is good that ATC bookings are getting attention internationally!

[Kirk Christie]

This website connects VATSIM pilots with VATSIM ATC controllers.

 

You know the C in ATC stands for controller, so what you have written is Air Traffic Controller Controllers.....

[Robert Shearman Jr]

This website connects VATSIM pilots with VATSIM ATC controllers.

 

You know the C in ATC stands for controller, so what you have written is Air Traffic Controller Controllers.....

... who enjoy attending MLB Baseball where they spend money they got by putting their PIN number into an ATM machine...

[Andreas Fuchs]

[Sachin Gnath]

[Shehryar Ansari]

Hi Shez,

 

preferring a website and still wanting to use VATBOOK do not exclude each other, in fact.

 

VATBOOK is just a database and any external operator can create a user interface, just such as your website, to download&view, add or delete bookings. For your web frontend basically nothing would change, all the needed work would be done in the background. All you may need from Michal Rok/VATBOO is a p[Mod - Happy Thoughts]word/access-code to add/delete bookings directly from your service. That's the whole trick.

 

If you need to help to contact Michal, let me know.

Hi Andreas,

 

Could you [Mod - Happy Thoughts]ist in connecting me with Michal. The problem I see is that when we were looking at the VATBOOK data the only data we see is pilot data and no controller data since 2007.

 

Shez

[Andreas Fuchs]

Sure will. I am currently out flying and will be back home on Wednesday.

 

Btw. all global ATC booking data is here: http://vatbook.euroutepro.com/servinfo.asp

[Shehryar Ansari]

Sure will. I am currently out flying and will be back home on Wednesday.

 

Btw. all global ATC booking data is here: http://vatbook.euroutepro.com/servinfo.asp

OK interesting. It looks like online ATC data not bookings?

 

Shez

[Andrew Ogden]

Hi Shehryar,

 

Here is the link to the booking data in XML. Hopefully this will prove easier to p[Mod - Happy Thoughts] on your end.

http://vatbook.euroutepro.com/xml2.php

 

Cheers,

[Shehryar Ansari]

Hi Shehryar,

 

Here is the link to the booking data in XML. Hopefully this will prove easier to p[Mod - Happy Thoughts] on your end.

http://vatbook.euroutepro.com/xml2.php

 

Cheers,

Thanks! So is this real time data? Can it actively be read by my site? I am not a webmaster so just clarifying. Regards.

 

Shez