Online Events

[Andrew Martz 988336]

I have a suggestion for future online events. So people's systems don't freeze up because of all the tfc, only allow like 50 to 100 people sign up for the event. The super bowl event at MIA was a disaster given the fact that my system couldn't handle it and I had to quit. Unless we have a really high preformance system, these fly-ins just arn't going to work out now that more and more of us want to join.

[Eric Robertson 955135]

The Superbowl event must have been murder on frame rates. That's probably the largest event I've ever seen on VATSIM

[Mike Roth 932270]

There are some pictures of servinfo on the ZMA forum. The last one shows 158 pilots in ZMA airspace. Which if you know anything about that area, the ARTCC isn't exactly huge. That's a TON of traffic in that small of an area.

[Jeremy Moser 949051]

I have a suggestion for future online events. So people's systems don't freeze up because of all the tfc, only allow like 50 to 100 people sign up for the event. The super bowl event at MIA was a disaster given the fact that my system couldn't handle it and I had to quit. Unless we have a really high preformance system, these fly-ins just arn't going to work out now that more and more of us want to join.

 

I don't think that would seem fair to someone who might not have gotten there in time to be one of the the 50-100 people to sign up. I don't have the greatest system (1.5 GHz laptop with 768MB RAM) and I managed to make it alright.

[Andrew Martz 988336]

 

I don't think that would seem fair to someone who might not have gotten there in time to be one of the the 50-100 people to sign up. I don't have the greatest system (1.5 GHz laptop with 768MB RAM) and I managed to make it alright.

 

How do you do it, my system is the same expect I have a 2.66 GHz. I know that I seem kinda harsh with the 50-100 people, but when there is to many people, its stressfull for the controller and the pilot.

[Camilo Bernal 893284]

The overall problem of your limitation rests in your system Mr Martz.

 

If your computer "freezes up" I'm sorry, you were explicitly warned of this:

 

http://www.zmaartcc.org/[Mod - Happy Thoughts]ets/files/superbowl_pilot.pdf, check the section called "Your role".

 

Many of us know that in order to participate in an event in VATSIM, we must adjust our settings prior to avoid situations like this.

 

Lower your settings in your flight simulator and then test them in this week's friday night operations in Oakland, CA (KOAK), Sacramento, CA (KSMF).

 

Please note gentlemen, absolutely NO pilots were diverted last night because they didn’t meet an arrival slot, or just because they didn’t have an arrival slot but had a valid IFR flight plan.

 

For your information Mr Roth, VATSIM Miami ARTCC provides service to 500,000 square miles which makes your point invalid. Facts can be found at http://www.zmaartcc.org/index.php?id=90 and with our real world counterparts http://www.faa.gov/ats/zmaartc/intro.htm

 

Have a safe flight,

[Brandon Van Brunt 939678]

You cant limit the amount of people who can sign up for an event. Vatsim rules and regs require controllers to provide services to all aircraft regardless of if an event is going on or not and regardless if the pilots have signed up in advance or not.

[Mike Roth 932270]

For your information Mr Roth, VATSIM Miami ARTCC provides service to 500,000 square miles which makes your point invalid. Facts can be found at http://www.zmaartcc.org/index.php?id=90 and with our real world counterparts http://www.faa.gov/ats/zmaartc/intro.htm

I'll be sure to not give you credit next time. Keep up the bad work.

[Luca Zuccarini 928584]

Yesterday's superbowl event, as far as I know, was a complete success. In ZMA ove 300 aircraft where seen in 4 hours, and I did not hear 1 complaint from any pilots regading their frame rates nor connection. In fact I think it was one of the few times where there were no server splits in such an event or communication issues with Squawkbox or FSInn. Pilots were warned long time BEFORE the event in the ZMA webpage what could happen to their frame rates if they didn't modify some of their settings in Flight Simulator. Those that complied with instructions had absolutely no problems.

 

The amount of planning and time spent by the members of the ZMA Artcc for this event was absolutely terrific. Pilots that had a smooth ride, and those that didn't have one but got into any ZMA airport destination is because of all the planning that went on before the event. For instance, Miami Final Approach was CONSTANTLY communciation with 5-10 planes at a time. These events are great because of both sides: controllers and pilos. But the latter need to comply with requirements to enjoy it fully.

 

Hope to see more events like this in VATSIM.

[Andrew Martz 988336]

Ok for me, if I reduce my settings any more, I can't have taxiway signs. Then what, I can't know where I'm going.

[Tom Seeley]

For your information Mr Roth, VATSIM Miami ARTCC provides service to 500,000 square miles which makes your point invalid. Facts can be found at http://www.zmaartcc.org/index.php?id=90 and with our real world counterparts http://www.faa.gov/ats/zmaartc/intro.htm

I'll be sure to not give you credit next time. Keep up the bad work.

I don't think the reply was intended to sound quite like it came out. ZMA's airspace is not as large as some others, that's a fact. And we appreciate the point you were trying to make. The airspace was indeed pretty saturated during this event.

 

Thanks for your input.

[Nicholas Bartolotta 912967]

Ok for me, if I reduce my settings any more, I can't have taxiway signs. Then what, I can't know where I'm going.

 

Then it's just a bummer, you unfortunatly might want to avoid these m[Mod - Happy Thoughts]ive events in the future. But limiting the aircraft is simply impossible. Sure you can limit arrivals by holding or diverting, but what about people connecting at KMIA, who plan to depart? Should VATSIM ban connections in that area for the event?

 

Don't have a good computer to particpate in the event? Dang. But keep in mind there are other places on these big event days that are staffed with ATC that you can always enjoy flying into.

[Steve Ogrodowski 876322]

Ok for me, if I reduce my settings any more, I can't have taxiway signs. Then what, I can't know where I'm going.

 

If you're using Squawkbox, you can also decrease the number of position reports for each aircraft per second, and what range you have for displaying aircraft. Shrinking the distance (to like eight miles or so) would help keep the draw rate down for FS, as well as loosen resources used by SB3 (to be able to help FS run better)...or in the worst situation, you could just turn off traffic altogether. (You would absolutely need to put a remark in, though, that advises ATC of this limitation).

 

You would still experience the harried ATC, and would hear all the radio comms and busy routes (you just wouldn't be able to see the other traffic...however sparing your computer the strain).

 

The problem with what I've gathered from this post, though, is that your computer can't handle the load of traffic [it causes too much strain on FS]. The ONLY way you can alleviate this is through how much SB3 will send to FS (through the multiplayer settings I mentioned), or turning off the traffic. You would have to restrict events to less than 50 people, because once you get near the final approach phase...the traffic is just dense. Once you get over forty pilots or so, there is just a lot of traffic density around the host airport. You're never going to be able to avoid m[Mod - Happy Thoughts]es of traffic during events (of over forty people or so), unless you severely limit them.

 

Limiting events for the purpose of preserving pilot computers sounds kind enough, but the extent of the limitation necessary is really unreasonable to the other pilots, [and the ATC that would miss out on the traffic density they would otherwise experience].

[Andrew Martz 988336]

If you're using Squawkbox, you can also decrease the number of position reports for each aircraft per second, and what range you have for displaying aircraft. Shrinking the distance (to like eight miles or so) would help keep the draw rate down for FS, as well as loosen resources used by SB3 (to be able to help FS run better)...or in the worst situation, you could just turn off traffic altogether. (You would absolutely need to put a remark in, though, that advises ATC of this limitation).

 

Next time there is a big event, I will try that thank you.

[Mike Roth 932270]

I don't think the reply was intended to sound quite like it came out. ZMA's airspace is not as large as some others, that's a fact. And we appreciate the point you were trying to make. The airspace was indeed pretty saturated during this event.

 

Thanks for your input.

Sorry if I came off the wrong way as well Tom.

 

I just meant the main portion of your airspace, which to me is the part covering the southern part of Florida, and the surrounding waters, isn't a very big area of space. To jam all those planes into that little area, (How many do you think were in the oceanic control area, probably not very many.) and not have a single complaint from what I can tell, is AMAZING work. That's what I was trying to get at when I was saying "small". I just wish I could have participated in it, because I'm sure it was amazing.

 

 

Speaking of which, do you guys know the arrivals per hour number you had going? I'm curious as to how it stacks up with the real world during their busy season.

[Tom Seeley]

Speaking of which, do you guys know the arrivals per hour number you had going? I'm curious as to how it stacks up with the real world during their busy season.

I'm not really good with stats Mike, but during the five hours of the event, we saw over 400 aircraft in the airspace.

 

Our real world counterparts can do 60 per hour under ideal conditions, to the best of my knowledge. We figured we could handle 40 per hour into KMIA with two parallel runways active, and then only if everything went smoothly ... not always a realistic hope on the system. That puts arrivals three minutes apart, and more than that is unrealistic given our environment. It works out to around 200 aircraft.

 

We put a lot of traffic into the other airports, and it really was a lot like the old, "ten pounds of ---- in a five pound bag" thing.