VATEUD Training Department PILOTS

[Peter Ingerslev Nielsen]

Fellow members,

 

For years ATC training was the main and only focus of our division. We have been concentrating on ATC related training, ATC related Ratings; how to

- make this fall into line across Europe and indeed VATSIM as whole,

- make the Theory tests more open, more useful more specific to local situations.

 

VATEUD staff has in essence been focused on ATCo, which is natural as VATSIM stands for Virtual Air Traffic; and it is this Traffic which more often than not has been left to do more or less, with a few notable exceptions, what they feel like.

 

But the number of members in Europe has increased drastically. Was it the power of new PCs, a different interest into the hobby, the launch of new FS and aircrafts or all together, who knows, however the number of active pilots every evening has showed us the need for a qualified training for the flying crews too before a number of them find out that "flying" is simply a most complex theme.

 

Having all that in mind, it is my pleasure to announce the imminent launch of a brand new VATEUD initiative commencing on November 1st 2008.

 

VATEUD Training Department PILOTS

 

The TD Pilots will be tasked over the coming months to develop, implement and manage a uniform Pilot Training method that can be used across the Division; this department will start small with only two people but it is our sincere hope that all vACC's will embrace this new initiative and the new Training Director Pilots will shortly contact the local vACC Directors to ask for volunteers to staff the various support groups that will be created.

 

VATEUD Pilot Training Department will be a stand alone department with new dedicated space on the VATEUD-TD website, Forum Boards on this Forum; with its own support teams, examination teams, and instructor teams reporting to the Director of PTD (VATEUD3) who in turn reports to VATEUD1.

 

This initiative also brings about a change in VATEUD staff Structure in so much that Pilot Training Director takes over the VATEUD3 position, historically having been the VATEUD [Mod - Happy Thoughts]istant TD position.

 

VATEUD2 at this time Training Director VATEUD becomes Training Director ATCO who also reports to VATEUD1.

 

The two Training Directors respectively ATCO and PILOTS will work on same level, side by side and in close cooperation and coordination.

The respective [Mod - Happy Thoughts]istants (Pilot and ATCO) will be VATEUD11 and VATEUD12 respectively.

 

In this particular instance we have found, offered and appointed the person who will lead this new department, and I am very proud to announce that Mr Gerd Lichtenthäler as the Director of the VATEUD Pilots Trainings Department (PTD).

For years, Gerd has been in charge of the Pilot Training Department of SAG(without any doubt) the largest such department in VATEUD. Gerd has accepted to take up this new challenge but this time with a VATEUD perspective.

 

We all fully realize this is not going to be a miracle solution happening over night, this will be a long, at times frustrating process that eventually should result in VATEUD TD Pilots being in a position to award Pilot Ratings following both a Theory as well as a Practical Test. This is future, for the immediate time the idea is that VATEUD TD Pilots will be able to help those areas of VATEUD that do not have a Pilot program in place and alleviate pressure of the existing vACC Staff, then roll out new programs, mentoring and challenges which ultimately should have the desired effect of seeing us retaining more pilots, get them more on line, get them to be more proficient with procedures, get them to understand ATC instructions and this in turn will lead to our ATCO's being able to enjoy the entire hobby much more.

 

Stand by for news and links to the relevant material, courses and forums over the next weeks

A warm welcome to Gerd and his team.