The ZAK (Oakland Oceanic) Facility Lead position is now open

[Daniel Doorgakant]

Then what do you refer it as? Center? It's vatsim after all remember..

 

Oakland Oceanic I presume

[Ian Elchitz 810151]

I believe it's an FIR

[David Walsh 811659]

It's probably HNL FSS but that doesn't mean HNL is doing the "controlling", they are just Flight Service. Oakland Oceanic controls the airspace. If you look at the Paradise VOR on skyvector.com you'll see it has [Riverside] written underneath it. This is the local Flight Service Station for that area. It has nothing to do with who controls it. Socal Approach owns that airspace and above it, its ZLA.

 

Let me just get this clear: Oakland Oceanic ISN'T a Flight Service Station.

 

Then what do you refer it as? Center? It's vatsim after all remember..

 

Oceanic controlling is interesting. The controllers are not the ones that talk on the radio. In places like Auckland, the controllers are in the same building as the guy working the radio. Therefore their callsign is Auckland Radio and the controllers are Auckland Oceanic. As I understand it, up in Oakland, the controllers and radio guys are in a separate building. The controllers are Oakland Oceanic but you are talking to San Francisco Radio which the callsign on the radio. ZLA/ZOA and ZSE centre controllers actually call Oakland Oceanic controllers for coodination but again, these guys are not talking to flights.

 

So to sum up, over the radio, in ZAK airspace, you talk to San Francisco Radio. As a controller, your coordinating with Oakland Oceanic.

[Mark Richards]

As David points out the correct callsign is SAN FRANCISCO RADIO.

 

The joys of HF Radio means that the coverage on an HF frequency is extensive and the frequencies in the pacific see a number of different operators all on the same frequency. These include:

• Auckland Radio
  
• Brisbane Radio
  
• Nadi Radio
  
• San Francisco Radio

Up until about 10 years ago, San Francisco Radio was known as OAKLAND RADIO but everyone got very confused with Auckland Radio and Oakland Radio being on the same frequency (except for the different accents) so Oakland was changed to San Francisco Radio to avoid confusion.

 

If you're ever on the West Coast of North America or in the Pacific and can get access to a Shortwave Radio, have a listen to 8,867KHz; 5,643KHz; or 13,261KHz as these are the most commonly used, depending on atmospherics. Well worth a listen if you ask me.

 

Every now and then, they are also active on http://www.liveatc.net/ as well.

 

Full information about the services provided can be found at http://www.arinc.com/products/voice_data_comm/air_ground_radio_svc/international.html

 

Mark

[Bryan Wollenberg 810243]

Its actually in the real world. If you go to airnav.com, got to airports link, and type PGUM. then look under FSS and it says Honolulu Flight Service Station. just wondering why it isnt Oakland FSS

 

The use of the _FSS callsign on VATSIM is obviously causing confusion here. Guam Cerap or "Guam Center" as is listed on the charts, is located at Anderson AFB in Guam. They're the guys you would talk to for services. Oakland Oceanic does not control the airspace.

 

The FSS listed on the charts you're looking at is the Flight Service Station frequency, which is entirely different than what we use the FSS callsign for here on VATSIM. We have to use the FSS callsign on VATSIM because it provides enough range for the huge chunk of airspace that the oceanic controllers here need. Oceanic control here on VATSIM is not a Flight Service Station.