ATC CAREER PROCEDURE

Effective: 26 JAN 2023 (AIRAC 2301)

Approved by:
George Enciu, vACC Director

1. Introduction

The purpose for this document is to regulate how users, hereinafter referred to as Student, can advance between ratings and how the members of the Training department of the Subdivision, hereinafter referred to as VATSIM Romania or ROvACC, are chosen.

This document is addressed to VATSIM users who wish to become virtual Air Traffic Control Officers within ROvACC, the subdivision of VATSIM that manage the virtual airspaces of Romania (Bucharest FIR) and Moldova (Chisinau FIR).

2. General Rules

2.1. Any user of VATSIM which seeks to control within VATSIM Romania must have a minimum knowledge level of English, both written and spoken.

2.2. The user who wants to become a virtual ATC in VATSIM Romania must be a local member of our vACC.

2.3. If a student fails a theoretical ATSIMTEST exam, the student must retake it as follows in the table below. If the second test fails, the student must redo the training process.

2.4. If a student fails the practical examination (CPT) another one can be taken in 2 weeks from the initial one. In case of another failure, the third one will be taken in one month from the second one.

2.5. The student will be assigned to a mentor based on the current availability and load of active mentors.

2.6. The student and mentor will work a schedule for the training according to the student and mentor’s available time.

2.7. At least one session every two weeks (14 days) is mandatory, otherwise, the student is considered inactive. \ Exception: The student must inform ATC Department when they are not available for training, when the period of time exceeds two calendar weeks.

2.8. It is mandatory that between two consecutive training sessions there should be at least two days off so that the new information can be fixed.

2.9. Non-participating without prior notice on the part of the Student in two training sessions results in an investigation initiated by the Training Department and after the third repetition, this can become a subject to end of the training process.

2.10. From the moment a student is informed that a mentor has been assigned, the Student has 3 weeks to contact their mentor to schedule a session. If the student fails to contract their Mentor during the stated period the student's training process is cancelled.

2.11. Not contacting the mentor for an absence of more than 6 weeks determines the withdrawal of the training process, and its renewal constitutes the resumption of the entire process.

2.12. During the SOLO validation, the student is not allowed to control other positions for the current training rating than the assigned one. \ Exception: the students allowed to control LROP_GND (Otopeni Ground) under SOLO GND validation can also connect on LROP_DEL (Otopeni Delivery).

2.13. The vACC will consider the number of planes controlled in the required controller hours when advancing to the next phase.

2.14. SOLO validation will be performed by the Training Director, vACC Director or any other approved mentor that was not involved in training the student.

3. Training Timeline

3.1. Tower Trainee (S1) – Delivery / Ground Controller

3.1.1. The student must complete a minimum of 6 Sweatbox sessions in order to be allowed to request the S1 ATSIMTEST theoretical exam.

3.1.2. After the student passes the S1 ATSIMTEST and receives the S1 rating, the mentor is allowed to issue a SOLO DEL validation for Delivery position.

3.1.3. The student must complete at least 5 useful hours as SOLO DEL online before connecting online under Mentor’s supervision on Ground position.

3.1.4. The student must pass the solo validation in order to be granted SOLO GND status in ROvACC.

3.1.5. The SOLO GND status is valid for 90 days.

3.1.6. The average training time is 4 weeks.

3.2. Tower Controller (S2)

3.2.1. Any S1 member needs to complete at least 25 hours during a period of at least 14 days after receiving the SOLO GND status in order to request to move to the next training phase and request S2 ATSIMTEST.

3.2.2. After the student passes the S2 ATSIMTEST, a mentor is allowed to start the theoretical and practical training with the student. They are required to complete at least 6 Sweatbox sessions before the mentor is allowed to connect with the student online under the supervision of the Mentor.

3.2.3. The student must pass the solo validation in order to be granted SOLO TWR status in ROvACC.

3.2.4. The SOLO TWR status is valid for 90 days.

3.2.5. The student must complete at least 50 hours during a period of at least 21 days after achieving SOLO TWR in order to request the Controller Practical test (S2 CPT).

3.2.6. In order to control any other control positions allowed by the current rating, the controller should complete at least one theoretical session in order to connect on the position. (see table at paragraph 6.)

3.2.7. The average training time is 4 weeks.

3.3. Radar Controller (S3) – Approach / Departure Controller

3.3.1. Any S2 member needs to complete at least 75 hours of VATSIM control during a period of 30 days in order to request to move to the S3 training phase and request the S3 ATSIMTEST.

3.3.2. After the student passes the S3 ATSIMTEST, a mentor is allowed to start the theoretical and practical training with the student. They are required to complete at least 6 Sweatbox sessions before the mentor is allowed to connect with the student online under the supervision of the Mentor.

3.3.3. The student must pass the solo validation in order to be granted SOLO APP status in ROvACC.

3.3.4. The SOLO APP status is valid for 90 days.

3.3.5. The student must complete at least 75 hours during a period of at least 45 days after achieving the SOLO APP status in order to request the Controller Practical Test (S3 CPT).

3.3.6. In order to control any other control positions allowed by the current rating, the controller should complete at least one theoretical session in order to connect on the position. (see table at paragraph 6.)

3.3.7. The average training time is 4 weeks.

3.4. Radar Controller (C1) – Center Controller

3.4.1. Any S3 member needs to complete at least 120 hours of VATSIM control during a period of two calendar months (60 days) in order to request to move to the C1 training phase.

3.4.2. The student must complete the initial theoretical training in order to request the C1 ATSIMTEST.

3.4.3. The student must pass the C1 ATSIMTEST in order to start the practical training online under the supervision of the Mentor.

3.4.4. The student must complete a minimum 5 mentored live training sessions in order to be granted SOLO ACC status in ROvACC.

3.4.5. The SOLO ACC status is valid for 90 days.

3.4.6. The student must complete at least 100 hours during a period of at least 45 days after achieving SOLO ACC status in order to request the Controller Practical Test (C1 CPT).

3.4.7. In order to control any other control positions allowed by the current rating, the controller should complete at least one theoretical session in order to connect on the position. (see table at paragraph 6.)

3.4.8. The average training time is 3 weeks.

4. Mentorship

4.1. Any ROvACC member with a rating of at least S2 can become a mentor in the Training Department.

4.2. Naming members is done entirely at the discretion of the Training Director or the vACC Director.

4.3. Only the designated mentors will conduct training activities with the students.

4.4. No other mentor shall conduct any kind of training activities with other students other than their own, unless approved by the primary mentor, the Training Director or the vACC Director.

4.5. We expect mentors not to share personal data or student status outside of vACC Staff Members: vACC Director, Training Director and their deputies. Any unauthorised distribution is subject to the Data Protection and Handling Policy, available here.

4.6. The mentors must give each student the opportunity to do at least one training session in two calendar weeks.

4.7. Each mentor can have students as long as they can respect the rule from paragraph 4.6., but no more than 5 at once.

5. Live sessions

5.1. Students must connect using the main call sign of the control position for which they are training. (i.e. LROP_GND, LROP_TWR, LROP_APP, LRBB_L_CTR)

5.2. Mentors will connect using one of the following possibilities:

5.2.1. On the same control position to that of the student using the X in the middle. (i.e. LROP_X_GND, LROP_X_TWR, LROP_X_APP)

5.2.2. If the traffic flow allows, we accept Mentors to connect on a higher position where they can monitor their Students.

5.3. Students will manually add themselves to EuroScope before connecting on line 3 or 4 of the ATIS Controller:
Mentored by ICAO_X_POS.

5.4. Mentors will manually add themselves to EuroScope before connecting on line 3 or 4 of the ATIS Controller: Mentoring ICAO_POS.

6. Allowed positions per rating

7. Version Control