Pilot and ATC Future Schedules

[Gerry Hattendorf 935415]

I was jus wondering if VATSIM could post a page that would allow Pilots and ATC personnel the "planned" times for their flight plans and hours of operatio, but.

 

I know my filed flight plan is only good for about 3 hours, and using ServInfo, can see the active ATC personnel, but it would be cool to be able to know when the "rush-hour" starts, as a pilot, would like to fly with ATC.

 

I enjoy flying with VATSIM, but it's frustratintg to take-off, and have ATC "sign-off" only to fly the remainder of the flight at "pilots discretion".

 

I know nobody is getting paid for this, but a 12-24 schedule available would help us all! (and of course, no gurarantees from Pilot or ATC)

 

Thanks so much to let me yak!!

 

Gerry Hattendorf

Edited July 28, 2005 at 09:54 PM by Guest

[Chad Black]

IN Europe they do have what you are talking about. Its called Eurobook, and I saw a post just the otherday that said they are working to expand it to include the rest of the world.

[Manuel Hernandez 923212]

Personally I dont like a flight to be "at pilot's descretion" BUT if we implemented a "schedule" on when I was going to fly or someone was going to be controlling at a certain time, there is a risk that the atc or pilot may not show due to real world stuff, and then there might be a person who is mad that atc or pilot didn't show.. Seems like that would be water that shouldnt be crossed, just to keep things friendly.

[Jeff Thomas]

The VATUSA website has a very obscure and underused feature called ATCBook.

 

http://www.vatusa.org/atcbook/index.php

 

I am not sure how many people actually know it exists, or who actually use it, but it is there.

 

Jeff Thomas

VATUSA10

VATUSA Website Director

[Robin Goodchild 928027]

Hi,

 

I think this is a good idea, and I would use it if I knew more people were using it as well (catch 22 huh? ), but ultimately, I don't know when if I'll be flying or controlling, and for how long until I actually start to fly or control!

 

I think a "booking" system would work much better if it was called "Pilot/ATC Tentative Schedule", this way everyone knows there *might* be a pilot/ATC available, but they would definately know it *might* only happen. Calling it a booking system implies it will happen, whether it is meant llike that or not. I also think there should be one central booking system, rather than "per division" booking systems, as many flights start on one continent and end on another. You'd have to check TWO places to cover, say, Heathrow to JFK.

 

Whatever system is finally devised, it needs to be a central one.

 

Best regards,

Robin.

[Alan Withers 923603]

Could not the flight plan prefile be utilised more, in that 2 hours does not seem long enough to hold it on the VATSIM network to enable ATC and pilots to measure future activity in their area, could it not be extended to, say, 12 hours?

[Lance Williams]

The VATUSA website has a very obscure and underused feature called ATCBook.

 

http://www.vatusa.org/atcbook/index.php

 

I am not sure how many people actually know it exists, or who actually use it, but it is there.

 

Jeff Thomas

VATUSA10

VATUSA Website Director

 

As the Website Director, shouldn't you make it less "Obscure" then?

[Scott Bickford]

As the Website Director, shouldn't you make it less "Obscure" then?

 

There's a link right on the home page.

 

And an FYI, this data gets put into ServInfo. Just click on the EuroBook icon and switch to the USA view.

[Lance Williams]

My post should only be taken with a slight chuckle as it was meant to be a bit of a joke since the Web Director himself said it was obscure, nothing more.

[Gerry Hattendorf 935415]

Thanks to all your replies, and Jeff, that seems to be exactly what I was looking for. I do aggree that it's "underused", and Robins idea that people would use it more if more people used it is very true.

 

I wonder if VATSIM could recruit pilots from V/A's to start using it, bet it would generate some interest!

 

Thanks again!

 

Gerry

[Lance Williams]

Here's my take on the subject. How often to you find yourself in a position to know the exact, or even an approximate time that you will be flying or controlling on a given day. I don't ever really have a good idea, other than I make it a point to make most of our TGIF events.

 

With that said, I would only use the booking system to book a flight I'm about to do, which pretty much makes using the booking system useless as I'm not giving any ATC advance notice that I'm coming. All they have to do is look at servinfo at that time to see who's coming to their airport. I'd venture to guess, many are in the same boat as I when it comes to a booking system because we do this as a hobby and only fly or control when time permits. For this reason I find the current and any other booking system pretty much useless and is why I don't use it.

[Alan Withers 923603]

Yep, dead right, Lance. Which brings me back to my point about the FP prefile. If I know I've got a block of time to fly, I've got to hit the tarmac within 2-3 hours of filing with VATSIM. With a longer retention time on the system, I could delay flying off for a while longer to give ATC chance to muster some troops if they so wish.

[Gerry Hattendorf 935415]

Here's my take on the subject. How often to you find yourself in a position to know the exact, or even an approximate time that you will be flying or controlling on a given day. I don't ever really have a good idea, other than I make it a point to make most of our TGIF events.

 

With that said, I would only use the booking system to book a flight I'm about to do, which pretty much makes using the booking system useless as I'm not giving any ATC advance notice that I'm coming. All they have to do is look at servinfo at that time to see who's coming to their airport. I'd venture to guess, many are in the same boat as I when it comes to a booking system because we do this as a hobby and only fly or control when time permits. For this reason I find the current and any other booking system pretty much useless and is why I don't use it.

 

Lance,

 

I have to agree with you that it would be difficult for me to know exactly when I want to fly, but I have a pretty good idea of the date. Robin mentioned "a tenative" flight plan method, say Gerry's planning a flight from XXX to XXX on Saturday AM for example. Or ATC could plan to work CTR in the PM (I see some ATC folks doing this already, i.e. from 1600Z-0000Z). Of course, with the lack of participation, people tend to avoid "empty parking lots".

 

This is a difficult puzzle to solve, I know myself if I saw that 7 controllers were planning on manning stations tonight, I would plan to fly then. And of course if ATC saw lots of pilots to fly in a given time period, ATC might want to join the action too!

 

I understand (haven't participated yet, I still a newbee) that TGIF, and fly-ins, are popular with V/A's and have seen some posts amoungst the different ATC forums, advertising these events, seems to be a good way to drum up busisness!

 

Robin mentioned that to "centeralize" this activity would benifit the cause. I have to agree.

 

I don't mean to imply that "I HAVE THE SOLUTION", just tossing out some thoughts (I'm sure you've heard this before!)

 

Thanks for your input!

 

Gerry

[Lance Williams]

Yeah, good points Gerry. I think ATC posting in the Booking system is always a good idea, regardless of how much notice is given.

[Gerry Hattendorf 935415]

Yep, dead right, Lance. Which brings me back to my point about the FP prefile. If I know I've got a block of time to fly, I've got to hit the tarmac within 2-3 hours of filing with VATSIM. With a longer retention time on the system, I could delay flying off for a while longer to give ATC chance to muster some troops if they so wish.

 

Question to Jeff,

 

I haven't tried the pre-file option, (I [Mod - Happy Thoughts]ume it's posting my flight plan with VATSIM) but what if the prefile is just a "notice of intent" for schedluing options, and not the flight plan itself which should be filed when the pilot is in the "cockpit". I'm sure database programming issues arise, but again it's just a thought...

 

Thanks,

 

Gerry

[Nicholas Fredrich 827138]

Note: The cool thing about the VATUSA booking system, your booked flight or ATC time is displayed on "Eurobook" which can be accessed via servinfo

[Stephen Sculley-Beaman]

Ok...Let me first ask.....Is this a thing where you have to sign up ahead of time to man an atc position and fly? Like you have to schedule hours where you can only control then or what? Sorry just a bit lost

[Craig Moulton]

No, it is just a planning tool. If you sign up ahead of time, and you go to log in and someone else is already controlling that position, guess what, you can't just tell that guy to leave. It doesn't work like that either.

[Gerry Hattendorf 935415]

Note: The cool thing about the VATUSA booking system, your booked flight or ATC time is displayed on "Eurobook" which can be accessed via servinfo

 

Thanks Nick, just one other question, is the Eurobook server in any way tied to VATUSA servers?

 

I mean if I made a flight reservation on VATSIM, (which looks like a flight plan) it would be displayed on Eurobook? (sorry, still pretty new to online flying)

 

Cheers!

 

Gerry

[Chad Black]

I recently did a long haul flight from KEWR (Newark) to LSGG (Geneve) Switzerland. I used the Eurobook system and was VERY impressed on how it works! I especially liked the page that showed a map and the atc and or traffic percent expected...tons of neat features, just wish it was geared for everyone around the world and not just central europe.

[Andreas Fuchs]

Hi Chad,

 

we are working on that, we want to make EUROBOOK become VATBOOK. But as this is a one-man-show (the programming) it will take some time. We are going to have worldwide eventually. I just cannot say when.

[Ethan Stein 890841]

The NY ARTCC is working to implement a scheduling system linked to EuroBook into our website. Some other good ARTCCs have done it, like ZLA.

[Arkadiusz Olesiak 814462]

HI ALL !

 

We are going to expand EUROBOOK for the next World Region => North America. In this case last week I sent mail to Dane Penington (VATUSA1) and Richard Durocher (VATCAN1). No replay yet. Maybe they have a vacation.

We are waiting for registrations from VACCs/ARTCCs of USA & Canada.

After this I could setup EUROBOOK to fully support flight bookings over USA&Canada. I mean the Traffic Forecast and all other features in EUROBOOK ... ok VATBOOK

 

I am in contact with Ian Elchitz (SimRoutes) and ... SimRoutes`s users could send booking into EUROBOOK and EUROBOOK`s users could lookup Flight Plan Routes from SimRoutes too.

 

 

BTW: EUROBOOK`s hosting is on the server in USA I hope you will have a bigger problem to make a virtual aviation traffic forecast in EUROBOOK than problem with traffic to the server

 

Best Regards,

Arek

EUROBOOK`s author

[Samuel Polvado 935975]

That's a pretty neat idea for the guys that want to use it but if it were to be made manditory then someone better start paying me 125K a year.

[Steve Ogrodowski 876322]

Some other good ARTCCs have done it, like ZLA.

 

What's that supposed to mean?

 

Some other good webmasters and website directors have done it, I think you should be much more keen to say. Cleveland ain't somethin to snuff at, like most other ARTCCs, although we have an older website. Still very functional, but we are revamping it anyway. Not every ARTCC has a super talented/dedicated web guy to program this kind of stuff, and web programming ability has nothing to do with the ARTCC quality itself ...

 

 

-Steve O

ZOB Chief Instructor