CTP Slot Awards Released

[Matthew Crawford]

13 hours ago, Robert Shearman Jr said:

Eric -- previously, the system favored first-world, high-speed internet connections in the booking process.  The people getting "screwed" were those who got locked out EVERY time, because their ISPs would just hang on the first "refresh" request and by the time the second one was redrawn, all the slots were gone.  EVERY time.  At least now, everyone has a week to put their preference in rather than 30 seconds, and everyone has a fair chance to participate in at least every 2nd or 3rd one. 

Regarding the concerns about the wording being misleading -- the process was pretty well spelled-out under "Slot Allocation" in the announcement post (linked below) so even if the website wording was unclear, expectations shouldn't have been for anyone who saw the announcement.  It is good to get that wording adjusted, though, to make it more clear for future. 

 

I agree that the word Lottery is used under the "Slot Allocation" section is there. However, the way the post was worded can be read as to imply that you are entering a lottery by selecting three city-pair options, and that you would get one of those selections given to you at random. Nowhere does it say that users that entered this system specifically would potentially get flat-out denied a slot. The final sentence at the end of that section, which does say that users who are unable to secure a slot this year will be prioritized next year, also does not specify that this also includes the lottery draw.

That paragraph was also the only place where the word Lottery was used, versus many, many uses of the word Reservation, including on the very page the user would visit & input their three preferred choices for CTP EB 2020. So while you are correct that one place did use the word Lottery, its use was very ambiguous, and directly contradicted by multiple uses of the word Reservation elsewhere.

[Robert Shearman Jr]

On the other hand, it's pretty common knowledge that the last half-dozen CTPs have featured about three times as many pilots as slots... 

[Kirk Christie]

On 11/8/2020 at 4:17 AM, Timm Rehberg said:

no pos reports is the wrong way to change

VATSIM aligning itself with the real world by using space based ADSB is wrong? 

[Kirk Christie]

Magnitude of complaints about the previous system, vatsim implements a change, more complaints...🙄

The only way to see if a new system will work is to try it. 

[Alexey Wasilevsky]

Dear colleagues, 

I know that we shouldn't fly transatlantic routes during the event due to separation measurements, but may we join the traffic flying the random route under the tracks? As in rl they usually are in between FL 310 - 380, is it too shameful in this case to take FL 300, for example, with random rte through the Nat airspace? 

[Andreas Fuchs]

If you want to stay outside of the NAT HLA airspace, you will need to stay below FL280..

10 minutes ago, Alexey Wasilevsky said:

As in rl they usually are in between FL 310 - 380, is it too shameful in this case to take FL 300, for example, with random rte through the Nat airspace?

 

[Alexey Wasilevsky]

1 hour ago, Andreas Fuchs said:

If you want to stay outside of the NAT HLA airspace, you will need to stay below FL280..

 

Well, below FL285, but anyway, you didn't get the point 🙂

in rl we often do this trick to avoid the tracks traffic, by simply diving under the tracks, still staying withing the Nat airspace itself 

So the q is, can we do it during the CTP for making the needed separation? 

If so, we will the Vatsim tracks to be published 

Edited November 9, 2020 at 09:08 PM by Alexey Wasilevsky

[Oscar Jones]

Hi I didn't receive an email for a slot but on the pilot dashboard on ctp.vatsim.net I can see a departure time, my first choice of airfields and a flight level. Does this mean I have a slot?

Thanks

Oscar

[Nestor Perez]

It does indeed, Oscar. The website is what shows the latest/most accurate information 🙂

[Kevin Finch]

My issue with CTP is their poor communication with the community. To qualify that, I find the communication around the westbound events is always better than the eastbound events. That's my perception, anyhoo.

Why does CTP go to the effort of building a website if most of the meaningful communication/information will be on this forum or Discord or Facebook? At the very least, anything posted on any of those other media should be simultaneously available on the CTP website.

I follow the event on Twitter but I've been spending less time there than in the past. Just checked... Twelve hours ago, VATSIM CTP 2020 posted a GIF of Big Bang Theory's Dr. Sheldon Cooper blowing into a brown paper bag to stop hyperventilating, and the words "Are you ready?". Next most recent post? July 23, supporting VATSIM partnering with MSFS. Next most recent post? April 4, speaking of CTP Westbound, "That's a wrap."

I learned that applications for departure and arrival airports were open, that the airports were chosen, that they were accepting applications/reservations for slots, or that the slots had been determined because I log into the website regularly.

As I write this, the latest "news" on the CTP website is that booking is closed and "lucky winners will be notified in the coming days". No idea when that was posted; there's no date/time. Nothing shows up for me on the Pilot Dashboard tab so I assume I wasn't a lucky winner; that's OK, I've been able to participate in several CTPs.

The site tells me, with a flourish, when I log on and off successfully; that's new...

Some free advice from someone with 30 years' experience in communications: make all your information clearly and consistently available through different media.

[Eric Fisher]

35 minutes ago, Kevin Finch said:

My issue with CTP is their poor communication with the community. To qualify that, I find the communication around the westbound events is always better than the eastbound events. That's my perception, anyhoo.

Why does CTP go to the effort of building a website if most of the meaningful communication/information will be on this forum or Discord or Facebook? At the very least, anything posted on any of those other media should be simultaneously available on the CTP website.

I follow the event on Twitter but I've been spending less time there than in the past. Just checked... Twelve hours ago, VATSIM CTP 2020 posted a GIF of Big Bang Theory's Dr. Sheldon Cooper blowing into a brown paper bag to stop hyperventilating, and the words "Are you ready?". Next most recent post? July 23, supporting VATSIM partnering with MSFS. Next most recent post? April 4, speaking of CTP Westbound, "That's a wrap."

I learned that applications for departure and arrival airports were open, that the airports were chosen, that they were accepting applications/reservations for slots, or that the slots had been determined because I log into the website regularly.

As I write this, the latest "news" on the CTP website is that booking is closed and "lucky winners will be notified in the coming days". No idea when that was posted; there's no date/time. Nothing shows up for me on the Pilot Dashboard tab so I assume I wasn't a lucky winner; that's OK, I've been able to participate in several CTPs.

The site tells me, with a flourish, when I log on and off successfully; that's new...

Some free advice from someone with 30 years' experience in communications: make all your information clearly and consistently available through different media.

Agree. Relying on social media is a bad move. TBH, I don't even know what Discord is!  And here is the kicker, someone in the comments on the FSElite article said they never got an email and they were awarded a slot. I never got an email (confirmed I have the correct email on file) and what do you, I have a slot as well. So for those reading this, the emails that were supposed to go out may have but not to everyone. I suggest you log into the CTP site and check for sure. 

Edited November 10, 2020 at 02:51 AM by Eric Fisher

[Nestor Perez]

We are looking into the emails thing. Eventually they'll come through to everyone! 😜

[William Wright]

On 11/8/2020 at 6:11 PM, Robert Shearman Jr said:

Will, I linked to the announcement on this forum a few posts ago.  It was also on VATSIM's Twitter and Facebook feeds. 

Hi Robert,

The link you gave to the Vatsim Forum thread did not say that the slots were announced/assigned or where notifications to individual pilots could be found.

Will

Edited November 10, 2020 at 08:41 AM by William Wright

[William Wright]

I would like to see ONE CTP thread in the Vatsim General section that gives ALL CTP information, from opening of requests for airports, through airport selection, through method of assigning slots, opening of slot requests, to slot assignment announcement.  Also, I don't believe I saw anything in an obvious place about the CTP site -- I only knew about it from participation in previous CTPs. 

Will

 

[Nestor Perez]

1 hour ago, Nestor Perez said:

We are looking into the emails thing. Eventually they'll come through to everyone! 😜

UPDATE: All emails have ACTUALLY been sent now.

 

1 hour ago, William Wright said:

I would like to see ONE CTP thread in the Vatsim General section that gives ALL CTP information, from opening of requests for airports, through airport selection, through method of assigning slots, opening of slot requests, to slot assignment announcement.

Looking into this for the remaining announcements this year. We've done it all past events; not sure why/how we've missed it this time. Talking to the team at the moment.

[Nestor Perez]

Aaand, here we go. Lets continue all CTP discussion in the following thread please 🙂