[JUN 20 18:00Z - JUN 21 14:00Z] Cross the Ditch 18

[Nick Johnston]

Cross the Ditch 18: Winter 2020

Winter has returned to the Southern Hemisphere, and even as the nations of the South Pacific begin their recovery, the region's skies are eerily quiet.

But on VATSIM, pilots from around the world will once again pack Oceania's skies as they continue their mission to Cross the Ditch!

 

Check out the official Cross the Ditch website

Apply to provide ATC

Book your Flights now!

View the Event Schedule

Check out the Virtual Airline Leaderboard

Grab the recommended add-on scenery for each of the event airports

What's it all about?

For twenty hours this June, the skies over the Tasman Sea between Australia and New Zealand will be filled with aircraft all on a mission to Cross the Ditch.

An example of that typical down-under understatement, this "ditch" is over 1100nm wide. The flight routes all range from three to four-and-a-half hours flight time.

Throughout the event, the Oceania region's two divisions – VATNZ and VATPAC – will be providing full ATC coverage, in the Southern Hemisphere's premiere oceanic event.

This is a great opportunity to experience Oceanic flying without the need to commit to an eight-hour flight!

If you're new to Oceanic Flying, our reporting tool makes taking part a breeze.

Event Times

This twenty hour event is timed to allow pilots from all over the world join the fun:

• UTC: Saturday 20th June 2020 18:00 - Sunday 21st June 2020 14:00
• AEST: Sunday 21st June 2020 04:00 - Monday 22nd June 2020 00:00
• NZST: Sunday 21st June 2020 06:00 - Monday 22nd June 2020 02:00

Waves

This season's event is organised in waves. Each airport will have a two-to-four hour departure window, during which time flights will be able to leave for the next destination. As the window closes, the departure window will open at the next destination.

Given each of the flights is 2 - 4.5hrs in length, the previous wave's flights will be arriving at the same airport as the next wave departs, maximising the amount of traffic at each airport.

NOTE: in order to ensure that you have ATC coverage throughout your flight, you MUST fly the wave route that is active at the time of your departure.

The individual routes are designed to ensure as much opposing traffic enroute as possible.

Each flight passes from one Oceania division to the other, and the result is six mini-flyins over the course of twenty hours!

The Waves for Cross the Ditch 18 - Winter 2020 are:

Wave	Flight	Departure Window
		UTC	AEST	NZST
1	Auckland, New Zealand (NZAA) to Port Vila, Vanuatu (NVVV)	1800-2000	0400-0600	0600-0800
2	Port Vila, Vanuatu (NVVV) to Hamilton, New Zealand (NZHN)	2000-2330	0600-0930	0800-1130
3	Hamilton, New Zealand (NZHN) to Hobart, Australia (YMHB)	2300-0300	0900-1300	1100-1500
4	Hobart, Australia (YMHB) to Christchurch, New Zealand (NZCH)	0300-0700	1300-1700	1500-1900
5	Christchurch, New Zealand (NZCH) to Adelaide, Australia (YPAD)	0530-0930	1530-1930	1730-2130

Calling all Pilots and Controllers

Flight plans are available from the Flight Plans section.

Book your flights now from the Flight Bookings page. Bookings made on this site help us plan for the event, and will also show up in vroute.

Controllers wanting to get in on the action can also apply now at the event's ATC Applications page.

[Deon Mathews]

Published on the #VATSIMEVENTS calendar and VATSIM Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/vatsimevents/

https://www.vatsim.net/events/cross-ditch-18

[Nick Johnston]

 

Cross the Ditch 18 is just over two weeks away!

 

• Check out the details at the official Cross the Ditch website
• Apply to provide ATC
• Book your Flights now!
• View the Full Event Schedule
• Check out the Virtual Airline Leaderboard
• Grab the recommended add-on scenery for each of the event airports
• Get the official promotional material and promote Cross the Ditch within your community/organisation/contact list!

 

Pilots:

Bookings are running ahead of where they usually are at this point in the lead up to a Cross the Ditch, so it looks like we're on track for a record turn-out. Move quickly to book your flights and make sure you get slots that suit your plans. Your bookings help us better allocate ATC and as a reminder, they also ensure that you'll receive all of the briefing material for your intended flights in the days before the event.

 

ATC:

The initial cut of ATC Roster will be getting drawn up next weekend so please be sure to apply to provide ATC as soon as you can. We try to cater to everyone's preferences as best we can, but all else being equal, the early applicants will get first preference.

 

 

 

Mark your calendars, book your flights, and join us as we celebrate the shortest day of the longest year by taking to the skies to CROSS THE DITCH!

 

[Nick Johnston]

 

Cross the Ditch 18 is next weekend!

 

• Check out the details at the official Cross the Ditch website
• Apply to provide ATC
• Book your Flights now!
• View the Full Event Schedule
• Check out the Virtual Airline Leaderboard
• Grab the recommended add-on scenery for each of the event airports
• Get the official promotional material and promote Cross the Ditch within your community/organisation/contact list!

 

Long Range Weather Forecast

The first long range weather forecasts are in, and they are showing a relatively calm situation for most of the event airports with a large anticyclone stationed over most of the Australian mainland and the the Tasman. Only Hobart shows significant chance of adverse weather.

Of course, that said, long-range forecasts are notoriously unreliable, so watch this space: I'll update the post with a fresh forecast towards the middle of next week.

 

Pilots - Claim your slots now!

Pilots should book your flights now to ensure you get the pick of the landing/departure slots. History has shown that over the final week leading up to CTD, the bookings tend to explode as pilots firm up their plans, and slots for the busier times of day start to run out. Now is your chance to lock in the slots you want before they're gone.

 

ATC Roster Out Soon

The first iteration of the CTD18 ATC Roster will be out shortly. Controllers wanting to join in the fun and spend some time behind the scope should register their availability via the ATC page on the Cross the Ditch website as soon as possible to make sure you don't miss out.

 

[Nick Johnston]

 

Cross the Ditch 18 is this weekend!

 

• Check out the details at the official Cross the Ditch website
• Apply to provide ATC
• Book your Flights now!
• View the Full Event Schedule
• Check out the Virtual Airline Leaderboard
• Grab the recommended add-on scenery for each of the event airports
• Get the official promotional material and promote Cross the Ditch within your community/organisation/contact list!

 

Weather Forecast

As predicted, the weather forecasts for the event are evolving quite quickly as the event day nears. The large anticyclone that was prominent in the long range forecast is now expected to be weaker, and there is an increasing chance of wet weather in Auckland and Hobart. The other airports look to remaining clear.

The Pilot Briefing mails that will be sent out the day before the event will contain detailed forecasts for each airport along with the expected active runways.

 

Pilots - popular slots running out

Pilots should book your flights now to ensure you get the landing/departure slots you're after.

All pilots who have booked flights by Saturday 0200z will receive the Pilot Briefing mail providing routing and weather information for you specific flights.

 

ATC Roster Out Now

The CTD18 ATC Roster has been sent out. Thanks to everyone who applied - with three dozen controllers on the roster, this has been one of the largest controller turn outs we've had in years.

If you applied to provide ATC and haven't received a link to the roster, please contact Eric via the Contact page on the Cross the Ditch website asap.

 

[Nick Johnston]

 

Cross the Ditch 18: Only a day and a half to go!

 

• Check out the details at the official Cross the Ditch website
• Apply to provide ATC
• Book your Flights now!
• View the Full Event Schedule
• Check out the Virtual Airline Leaderboard
• Grab the recommended add-on scenery for each of the event airports
• Get the official promotional material and promote Cross the Ditch within your community/organisation/contact list!

 

Two Day Weather Forecast

The latest forecasts suggest relatively dry conditions in Auckland and Christchurch, with showers in Port Vila and Adelaide, and rain in Hobart.

The Pilot Briefing mails that will be sent out tomorrow will contain detailed forecasts for each airport along with the expected active runways.

 

Pilots - Briefing Mails go out Tomorrow!

Pilots should book your flights now to ensure you get the landing/departure slots you're after.

All pilots who have booked flights by Saturday 0200z will receive the Pilot Briefing mail providing routing and weather information for you specific flights.