VATUSA Quarterly Staff Meeting Minutes

[Kyle Ramsey 810181]

Note: Full text will be posted on the VATUSA site for download within 24 hours - KR

 

 

Meeting came to order at 0103Z by Jeff Turner. Welcomed new members.

 

Agenda:

 

1. Opening Remarks and ATM Roles

 

VATUSA1 affrimed he is here to support ARTCC staff and not to get into their business. Sometimes those roles overlap but he will work with ATM's and other staff members to resolve issues.

 

2. VATUSA Web Site

Craig - Academy web work has dominated web work. Uses Moodle (similar to PRC), other items were added. Plan RSS feeds and other enhancements as the academy work reduces.

 

Fred - Do you need extra help? Who is the contact? Are some enhancements that can be added now, like DATM's to email? Transfer requests to DATM's?

 

Craig - Yes, enhancements, as long as they are small, can be done now. EMail is easy, some others are less trivial.

 

Jeff indicates adding DATM's is no problem. Craig is the contact if someone knows of resources that are willing to help.

 

3. Training and VATUSA ATC Academy

Jason - Training section in overhaul. Deputy briught in to help, Anthony has taken primary control of the academy. First is reference guides, adding all radar clients (ARSC/VRC), update policies, instructor applications, etc. New look, updated information. If there is info that need to be added or removed, let me know.

 

Ethan - Cert center content - questions are abiguous/wrong; any plans to overhaul questions?

 

Jason - Definately, in alignment with 7110.65. All exams will get updated after the material has been updated.

 

Alex - What are you doing w.r.t. each center's info, SOP's, etc.?

 

Jason - Reference guides won't include center specific info won't be included. We will rely on each center to keep those updated and provide that training. The cert center allows each ARTCC TA to update their own position specific tests.

 

Anthony - Academy is floushing and working well. Two grads so far. Material kept to a strict standard re 7110.65. They will come out of academy with a working knowledge of any client and depth of knowledge on the positions they are trained on. We watch the wait list carefully. 97 students in the academy right now. Some go inactive but we don't have an absence policy yet although it is in the works to define what that is. Inactive list is about 50 students long.

 

Academy started ASRC specific, although at this point client specifics have been scrubbed out of the material and now their is client specific tutorial material separate from CD, GND, or TWR training. New clients can be added as they come out and new versions are released.

 

Academy web site has been given a facelift to make it more appealing and 'homey' and less 'acedemic sterile'. A presentation is coming out to give folks a peek.

 

Jeff - Tomas, can you compare academy grad's vs the 'old' way?

 

Tomas - First grad went straight to TWR, has now 40-50 hours there. Standard briefing is 1.5-2 hours, first grad went there in less than one hour. Quality so far has been "rellay, really good."

 

Keith - Not familiar with training material but - VFR training is traditionally weak; what is academy's appraoch to VFR? How to keep them into TWR airspace, spacing, etc?

 

Anthony - VFR is covered including traffic patterns and helicopter ops. VFR clearances are being amended. VFR weather minima is also covered.

 

Jason - TWR Trainer is being built to allow for this type of traniing.

 

Gary - Is military traffic covered?

 

Anthony - No, we have so far relied on ARTCC's to cover their Mil ops. If more requests come in to help ease ARTCC spin up is needed, we will be happy to include it.

 

Todd - Want to clarify, Mil ATC abide by civil ATC material. There is some special Mil ops stuff, but by far the majority is the same material. LOA's can be used to cover special handling and procedures specific to your airspace and airfields.

 

Yuri - Preferred ARTCC from grads, how to you do that?

 

Jason - Monthly reports from TA's provide me with a lot of info on who can handle student loads. Number of mentors and Instructors an ARTCC has active is also an important indicator. The first two grads did get their first choice in Seattle. We will try to make sure they get their top choice whenever possible, top three for sure.

 

Roger - I have a student I'm mentoring, ready for CD training in the academy. Does ACSim have resources for this?

 

Jason - Scenario files exist for CD on the academy site, staff resource page.

 

Andrew R. - Is there a way for us to know the number of students enrolled in the academy headed our way? How about a link in the TA site that lets us see the roster numbers?

 

Craig - Yes, we can make it available. We currently have automated emails to mentors and instructors. We'd need to figure out the content and frequency of those emails.

 

Jason - There are three rosters - Waiting to be [Mod - Happy Thoughts]igned, active, and inactive. Craig will need to make sure you're seeing the right list that is relevant to your needs.

 

Craig - We don't know what ARTCC they will request until they graduate and fill out the survey that has the top three request list. The info on the number of students in the queue can be provided.

 

Anthony - Biweekly progress reports on all students from mentors is coming; this info can be made available to TA's.

 

Mariano - Can the declaration of intention be made late in the process but not the end? How canwe make info available to them to help them make thier choice(s) and for us to see what may be coming?

 

Jeff - Most ARTCC comparisions we currently have are out of date and they are under rewrite.

 

Anthony - I am working to try not to have mentors overly influence a student's choices of ARTCC. I have in mind a type of 'job fair' tied in with region spotlights. Invite students to observe on these nights to check out the ARTCC; each ARTCC would provide an observer mentor to manage these students. Just an idea and I'm open to other approaches.

 

Alexander - Suggestion; Maybe have the student apply for 3-5 ARTCC's, have them have some contact with the ARTCC's like a 'campus visit' so ARTCC folks can schedule time with students to let them check out their ops.

 

Anthony - Camradire among students is important and those are good connections. Thinking about guest lecturers, have ARTCC folks to talk about specific topics, invite students, and keep room open before and after the chat to allow them to 'mingle'. We could also have 'sector nights' on the same format.

 

4. VATUSA Events

Ethan - Cross the Pond April 22, very successful, well attended. We would liketo do more of these VATUSA events. Pushing another Cross the Pacific event. Friday Night Ops; TGIF, etc. has become a little scattered and we hope this would provide a bit more order. Regional nights is also under examination and promotion.

 

Keith - Are regional nights on or off right now?

 

Jeff - They are on, Richard and Ethan are working on a web site to provide Friday night ops info and scheduling.

 

5. Discharging an ARTCC member for poor performance and/or negative attitudes

Jeff - From time to time issues do arise, ATM's need to prepare for these. VATUSA will support ATM's with problems. Please help us by providing specific docomeentation. Violations of COR/COC can be handled as well.

 

Yuri - Students who request transfers, it is hard to get background. Perhaps a forum topic or next meeting topic culd cover the logistics on getting background info to head off problems.

 

Jeff - Background checks can be done by VATUSA1 or 2 if you need them. VATUSA web site may have some capability in the future for vetting transfers.

 

Brad - It is not difficult to remove people for violations, inactivity, etc. Can you speak to VATUSA guilelines on how to gain VATUSA help or how to ID folks who are not a fit where they are? A system for ATM's to record comments on issues other ATM's can gain access to when a transfer is requested?

 

Craig - Sometimes just a move gets them where they are happier, sometimes the move only moves a problem. "Background checks" have some issues of their own and do contain confidential information. Some of it cannot be accessable to a larger group for those reasons. If someone becomes enough of a problem the systems of VATSIM/VATUSA work well to provide the forces to lean on those who are not taking our program seriously and we should use them. People should be given a chance to work through their issues and become a successful controller and the minority who can't should be handled through the conflicts systems.

 

Jeff - If you are an ATM, DATM, or TA, if you have a problem person we need to know about it. Docomeentation is key to helping us find them a new home or provide other follow up to help them resolve their issues.

 

Robert B. - Is there plans to update the VATUSA policy to provide for removals beyond inactivity?

 

Jeff - Yes, there is a policy for that currently in the works and will be published to the staff so they can see what is coming there.

 

6. VATSIM Iron Mic Returns

Jeff - VATSIM NOTAM out, I encourage your support of this program and it would be OK with me if VATUSA was #1.

 

7. Squawk Code Allocation

Jeff - VATUSA ATM forum is where this is posted on June 7. Any concerns on us not adopting it? This is the real world beacon code policy and we'd be following it. The only differences would be in ZHN due to Oceanic.

 

Mark B. - There are duplications at a few levels; secondrdary/teritary ranges (i.e. 5700's).

 

Jeff - Let me look into that more closely; we'll hash on it in the forum.

 

Robert B. - There will be duplications - we will have to make sure they don't affect the busiest centers.

 

8. VATNA

Todd C. - All are doing a wonderful job. Coming up on a year for myself and Jeff. A rocky start but we are starting to get traction and other regions are taking notice of VATUSA activity. BoG/EC is working on training; it contains a snapshot of what is going on in other places and VATUSA is being noticed.

 

Craig - The level of communication is great and continues to get better; it makes a big difference.

 

Todd C. - I hope the level of management you feel from VATNA is low and you feel empowered through Jeff to do the right thng for your organization and I work quietly in the background to help you make your organization better.

 

9. VATUSA Magazine "The Vector"

Kyle - An outcome of the VATUSA convention, we plan to regular periodical on .pdf format. We will have ARTCC Spotlights and will call on ATM's, DATM's, TA's, and Events folks to add content and give you a chance to highlight your ARTCC.

 

Jeff - Kudos to Roger Curtiss for his Computer Pilot mag article about VATUSA.

 

10. Round Robins

Brad M. - Are we going to send S1's back to academy on transfers?

Jeff - Right now academy will be new signups only, but in the future we hope to open it up to others.

 

Jason - Monthly reports from TA's; I will get it from ATM reports bi monthly.

 

Keith - Academy has taken some heat off us w.r.t. S1's and allows us to focus on S3's and focus on them. Two big items - Pilot certs (voluntary) on the ZLA web site and LA Pilot Tips with ZLA specific information.

 

Mariano - Low on INS folks but maintaining coverage most evenings.

 

Mark B. - VATUSA convention for next year; we'll start the push early.

 

Michael - new ZAB web site coming, Gary Morris is working it now.

 

Robert B. - ATM and DATM are out of town, contact is Events Coordinator if email is too slow.

 

Jeff - VATUSA Convention for March 2007, base web site is working, please link to it and push this event. Sub domains for centers are available for free, back up your web site if you like.

 

Meeting was closed at 0303Z by Jeff Turner

 

Attendees:

Jeff Turner

Craig Merriman

Andrew Rogers

Anthony Santanastaso

Bill Alderson

Bryant Andrew

Curley Bryant

Dan Everette

Dick Snaer

Brad Metzler

Ethan Klapper

Jason Sutton

Michael Graham

Robert Burkhead

Todd Cox

Tomas Hansson

Wes Kirkpartick

Micheal McClelland

Jim Thomson

Ric Ruminski

Gary Frothingham

Brandon Grchan

Mariano Buitrago

Mark Brummet

Roger Curtiss

Alexander Zayas

Yuri Soares

Keith Smith

Andrew Doubleday

Dennis Whitley

Ross Carlson

Terry Kocher

Todd Kolmodin

Paul Byrne

Bryan Wollenberg

Edited June 11, 2006 at 08:38 PM by Guest

[Nicholas Bartolotta 912967]

Can someone elaborate on this comment?

 

Mariano - Can the declaration of intention be made late in the process

but not the end? How can we make info available to them to help them

make their choice(s) and for us to see what may be coming?

 

Do new students declare their intended ARTCC at the start of the Academy?

[Kyle Ramsey 810181]

No. The current process has them make that declaration at the end of the academy cycle during a feedback evaluation survey instrument. There was a good discussion among the staff with regards to ways for ARTCC's to 'market' themselves to students during the academy cycle.

[Nicholas Bartolotta 912967]

Ah I see Kyle, thanks!

[Ian Elchitz 810151]

Kyle,

 

Thanks for posting the minutes. It is much appreciated.

[Garry Morris 920567]

I'd like to thank you for posting them as well. Keeping things transparent like this helps the rest of us understand what is being thought about and discussed, and gives the membership a feeling of movement and direction from the upper ranks.

 

[Steven Perry]

Garry, Ian, everyone:

 

VATUSA has maintained staff meeting minutes on the website for half a year now. Visit www.vatusa.org if you want to keep yourself in the know. We're certainly no know-nothing party here.

 

Also, if you have a suggestion, I'm sure there's someone here that's wanting to hear it, so speak up!

 

Steve Perry

[Scott Bickford]

Thank you for posting the minutes.

 

You are a cl[Mod - Happy Thoughts] act. I have always desired a strong VATUSA lead team with goals and specific plans to bring to fruition those plans. Keep up the good work.

[Jeff Turner]

Thank you for posting the minutes.

 

You are a cl[Mod - Happy Thoughts] act. I have always desired a strong VATUSA lead team with goals and specific plans to bring to fruition those plans. Keep up the good work.

 

Thanks Bic... You are one of the guys that help build VATUSA to this level. So, thanks to you!