Is it not time for change!

[Mark Wilson 811535]

Hi All,

 

I ask you to read this post in its entirety, not just comment on each paragraph as you read them. I'm writing this as someone whom is giving his own opinion and also wants to find solutions and ways in which we can turn this around and make it fun for both controllers and pilots, each time we logon to this great sim.

 

After reading several posts across the different VATSIM world forum boards about experienced long serving controllers wanting to leave because of the big gap between controller and pilots and some other issues, I can understand exactly where all of your comments are coming from! Being a member for many years, I have taken breaks because it all started to stop being fun, pilot standards where getting worse, not better, there was too much politics, forum posts where getting nasty, why was I spending so much time to provide a service to something, apart from a few, that really didn't seem to care, so on so forth. I have to add, this can happen with any game that involves sometimes intense p[Mod - Happy Thoughts]ion from its members, not just this one.

 

The present situation is controllers have to spend hour upon hour trying to make it as realistic as it can be for the pilots only to be faced with the fact that there is only so many pilots who actually give the same effort back! The rest either don't care or are given no other alternative or restriction by the system, where it is a requirement to at least p[Mod - Happy Thoughts] something or where new pilots are restricted to flying to cl[Mod - Happy Thoughts]ed airports until....as examples. It is all starting to seem a bit one sided. At times, it can actually seem we are not here to control but to just teach pilots how to fly.

 

The big question then always enters our mind as controllers, Why do we have to follow procedures to the letter or be corrected for it, why do we have to start rock bottom, at some distant low traffic airfield and earn our way up the ladder, Why do we have to take exams, organise mentoring, spend all of our free time just to get it right, whereas, on the other side of the scope, what is the online pilot required to do? In short, Nothing! The CoC that has been put in place allows any person wishing to fly, the chance to do so, without any enforced requirement other than he should sq mode C on first contact which nearly 80% don't. The rest of the CoC is a should do item, and left to interpretation by the individual at that moment and more than often, leading to confrontation at the end.

 

I do not blame the Pilot for any of this, no. I blame our own system and point of view, as members of VATSIM. Yes, without pilots there is no reason to control, on the other hand with good, well trained online controllers also leaving, is there any reason to fly? Look at our own stats, where are our VATSIM pilots flying? They are flying in areas where good controlling is available across the board. I don't need to point out these areas, they are obvious and well known.

 

Is it not about time an effort was made to consider both sides and propose some change to this? We should not be asking for overnight anarchistic change but what about taking a few steps at a time. Why not ask new pilots to take a simple pilot/system related questionnaire when signing up, just as STD1 controllers have to take one, checking they at least know or will make the effort to find the basics before being allowed to just jump online, anywhere, anyhow and do anything just because they didn't know or have too know even something that makes logical sense! The CoC should possibly be reviewed, adding more compulsory requirements. A multinational task team, of both known regular controllers and pilots should be set up to review, test and look at all possibilities of giving more compulsory information and implementing new requirements for pilots and if needed, controllers.

 

I honestly believe our new pilots want and would enjoy their online flying experience so much more if given more requirements before flying and further ones after, to share achievements as controllers do. This would make it an even more realistic game for everyone.

[Sean Reedman]

Mark

 

Absolutely spot on and I agree with you 100%.

[Mark Lee 855721]

Mark,

 

Great post, behind you 100%. Some sort of compulsory pilot training needs to be introduced. Sooner, rather than later.

[Richard Hennessy 869493]

While it is a good post and I agree with most of what has been said, I have to express my fears that when you introduce any sort of test or qualification to allow you to fly online, then you will more than likely reduce the numbers of people willing to fly. While you may argue that this is a good thing and will only allow people really interested in online flying to log on, it may reduce the numbers and leave us with even emptier skies.

 

If the correct balance can be struck in this questionaire, and if it is kept simplistic enough not to scare people away, yet thorough enough to ensure that perspective pilots are at least in some way knowledgeable then I am all for it!

[Russell Creel 835096]

I votes to make that Antarctica place the sandbox for all new pilots ..

 

appear, move, slew, or fly anywheres else and ya get booted (with appropriate automated warnings first).

 

Add a few airports here and there, and we're all set up. Real hands on expereince, testing, and training there in Antarctica until ya is certificated.

 

[Terence Pereira 852893]

I like the idea of having some osrt of basic compulsory training for pilots throughout VATSIM this is only going to make it better for everyone and not just one group of people. They don't have to be chastised with all the in depth stuff about flying, just basic RT and what to do when will go a looooong way.

 

Secondly, we have to face the facts, im pretty sure only 20% of the new members read the "Code of Conduct" page, which in turn leads to lots of conflicting opinions from a pilot and controller alike, so this should also be emphasised in some sort of orientation thing.

[Jan Naslund]

Hi,

 

Perhaps a starting step would be to introduce a voluntary pilot test covering the basics of flying with ATC with the additional function that it can be seen online who has p[Mod - Happy Thoughts]ed it and who has not.

 

It can be visible in for example Servinfo and perhaps also in ASRC somewhere that this pilot has p[Mod - Happy Thoughts]ed the test.

 

Personally i think that it would entice more newbie pilots to study a bit and wanting to p[Mod - Happy Thoughts] the test just like their buddies to be able to show to everyone online that they are qualified pilots.

 

Most of the newbies i have seen lately are quite young and this approach might just work on them.

 

For the older pilots usually it is not necessary as they usually have a bit more experience and are more likely not to be too faced by a test.

 

There is an additional benefit to this also if it could be implemented and it is that the controllers would be able to see who has p[Mod - Happy Thoughts]ed the test and who hasn't.

 

The VA's should also be able to help in this matter. Problem is that they are more focused on the actual flying

 

Best regards / Jan N

[Chad Black]

Great post Mark! I couldnt agree more. Hopefully the big wigs look into your suggestions.

[Grant Christensen 810317]

I think this is something defintely worth looking at. The problem I have is that a lot of new pilots connect and never even look at their local regions website. Most of them have never got past the signup page at Vatsim. Then as a controller we have to walk them through each step of the flight, all because they have not even looked at the basics like preferred flight routes or basic radio procedures.

 

I myself was probably like that when I started flying, though I had some real world experience. But some of this is just a basic curtesy to be able to get more out of their flying.

 

The problem is I guess that people just want to jump online and fly without worrying about anything, they just want to see some traffic. But doesn't the microsoft game network provide that without controllers. Vatsim should possibly be the next step, where the pilots are willing to put in a little more effort to be able to get more out of it and make it easier for all of us.

 

If someone just wants to login and buzz around a major airport, then we must consder is this really what we want to allow.

 

I don't have any answers, but I think the post was a good start to get discussion going.