Understanding sector coverage

[John McPherson]

I fly using xPilot across Europe and I sometimes find it difficult to know which controllers I should contact, particularly when sectors get split into sub-sectors.

I use SimBrief for my flight planning, and this indicates on the OFP where I'm going into a new FIR, but it doesn't correspond to VATSIM sectors and sub sectors

What is the best browser-based Vatsim map (I need browser-based as I will use it on an Android tablet rather than on my Sim PC), that offers:

• accurate boundaries for the control sectors and subsectors
• Up-to-date info on active controllers and other aircraft (i.e. regular and frequent refresh of info)

I'm looking for something I can cross-reference with the controller info provided through xPilot. I used to use vattastic but it is out-dated and slow to refresh, as is the vattastic beta V2.

VATSIM UK website has a good section describing the London control sectors and how and when they are used.  Is there a central resource anywhere where I can read up on sector arrangements across Europe?  I really want to improve my knowledge so I can be as efficient and prepared as possible, to help the great controllers I meet online.

 

John

 

[Martin Loxbo]

In many FIRs it's not that easy, as the sectors within each FIR or AoR can be split or collapsed in various ways, sometimes on an ad-hoc basis (controllers agreeing between themselves that for whatever reason they are applying a non-standard sector configuration).

My home FIR Sweden is a good example of this. The FIR is "ESAA", however we never use this identifier for ATC positions. ESAA FIR is divided into ESMM AoR and ESOS AoR. Our primary ACC sector is ESOS_1_CTR, and normally this ATC position covers the entire ESAA FIR (i.e. ESOS and ESMM AoRs). If an ESMM_CTR controller comes online, you might assume that this controller would cover the entire ESMM AoR, but this depends on what sector he is logged in on (in other words, it depends on which specific ESMM sectors the ESMM and ESOS controllers have agreed that the ESMM controller should take control of).

Other examples of how this can be fairly complex are APP positions which may cover several airports. In Sweden we have for example ESSA_APP, ESGG_APP and ESSP_APP. Each of these cover up to 4 controlled airports, which may not be obvious unless you check the TMA charts to find out that the airports are in the same TMA.

To make a map that displays these complex sector configurations with any kind of accuracy, you would need the map to apply the same rule set as we have in EuroScope to define the sector ownership rules. Since these rules can be overridden by controllers even that would not be accurate all the time.

You can always check the Controller Information (aka "text ATIS") to find out if a particular controller has included any useful information about which area the position covers. If that doesn't help, a chat message will clear up any doubts. Finally if you're already airborne, as a controller I will simply send you a contact message if you haven't called me by the time you enter my sector.

[Sachin Gnath]

Hi John, 

Please have a look at the newly updated VATSpy beta client. It should clear up a lot of your doubts on Sub-sectors of a FIR. 

Link: VATSpy 

Regards, 

S G