VATSIM Oceania Quarterly Report

Q2 2012

As winter hit the Region, ATC service in the Region has been steady, with an increase in hours noted, particularly in VATNZ, compared to Quarter One. Traffic flows continue to be quite steady, with the Region remaining a popular destination for pilots from the Northern Hemisphere. One of the challenges associated with this is having controllers online at the correct time to provide ATC and it is unfortunate that all too often these pilots are in uncontrolled airspace as the local controllers are sleeping.

Evenings in both VATPAC and VATNZ airspace continue to be the most serviced by ATC.

During the quarter 175 members joined VATSIM Oceania, down from 205 who joined previous quarter. At the end of the quarter there were 2,072 members in the Region. Attracting newer members continues to be one of the challenges for the Region. Without the release of a new version of Flight Simulator, the critical mass of potential members is being met so both Divisions are holding regular weekly events to maintain the interest of both pilots and controllers alike.

VATPAC’s Pilot Training Department have processed a number of new pilot ratings, including a significant number of longer term pilots receiving RPL (Recognition of Prior Learning) pilot ratings. VATNZ have also begun work on establishing themselves as an ATO.

Both Divisions have had fewer controllers applying for training this quarter with only 9 controllers being certified in the quarter.

During the quarter, I have spent a significant amount of time supporting Nick Johnston at VATNZ as with the exception of two Board members, all other members of the VATNZ Board have not been active. As a result, a lot of work has fallen onto the two active members of the Board to keep the Division ticking along. To compound this, Nick has recently established his own IT company so his time has become quite limited. Nick and I are working together on a plan to replace a number of VATNZ Board members in in the coming months to ensure that the Division continues to thrive. Fortunately, VATPAC’s Board remains strong and active, so VATPAC is generally self-sufficient, allowing me time to concentrate on assisting VATNZ back into a viable Division.

Released during the quarter was an updated Region Website, which I believe is a lot cleaner and more modern than its predecessor and is much easier to administer and keep updated. The url remains unchanged: http://www.vatoce.net - pop by today and take a look.

That’s it from a wintery Oceania and look forward to the months ahead and hopefully some warmer weather!

Mark Richards Regional Director 4th July 2012

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VATPAC Quarter 1 – 2012 Report

STAFFING There were no staffing changes during the quarter. ATC TRAINING Over the quarter a total of 8 new ATC ratings were issued. Each is to a discrete individual, with no trainee promoted more then once. In addition while several other trainees commenced or continued their training this quarter the Director of ATC Training has not provided firm figures. What data was supplied is summarised below. Successful In progress Terminated

Tower Rating 3 ? ?

TMA Rating 1 ? ?

Enroute Rating 4 ? ?

Senior Controller 0 2 - PILOT TRAINING ATO VATPAC Pilot Training after months of preparation and obtaining ATO status rolled out the P1 program in late May with the program taking on candidates in the first week of June. P1 Rating Training The P1 program and P1 moodle had little impediments in the roll out and the initial delivery phase. The moodle approach (a legacy of the successful ATC training methodology at VATPAC) was quickly embraced by the pilot community. The RPL process is considered to be satisfactory for the “experienced” pilots stream. It is expected that significant numbers will pass through the training system over the coming quarter. EVENTS The VATPAC Events Department has continued to offer a wide range of events across VATPAC controlled airspace.

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OPERATIONS The Board is aware that the level of movements and controller activity is lower than in corresponding quarters of recent years. We are unable at this time to ascertain the reason for this decline and as a consequence have not been able to devise firm strategies to counter this decline. The majority of the board feel this is a cyclical phenomenon and not of real concern at this stage. The board continues to monitor the situation. UPCOMING The Director of Division, Dr Jackson Harding, has announced that he will be taking annual leave from 20 Sep 2012 until 19 Oct 2012. His spouse has indicated that he is to take what she terms a “complete break” and he is not to engage in email communication, forum browsing, or similar activities unless the matter is critical. Consequently the Deputy Director of Division, Mr Arjun Murthy, is being briefed on his responsibilities during this period.

Jackson Harding Director of Division

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VATSIM New Zealand

Quarterly Report to the Regional Director Q2 2012

The second quarter of 2012 has been a period of mixed results for VATNZ.

While flight levels have remained strong, and ATC hours have improved, there has been a noticeable decline in the number of new members passing through the ATC Training department.

Staff Changes

Deputy Division Director Long time Deputy Division Directory Leon Gibbs has taken an extended leave of absence following his suc-cessful appointment as a B1900 pilot for Air New Zealand.

His predecessor, Jason Epps-Eades has returned to the Deputy Division Director while Leon is away.

Membership There were 17 new members who joined VATNZ and become active during this quarter.

There were 16 VATNZ members who provided ATC in VATNZ airspace during the quarter. There were 101 VATNZ members who flew in VATNZ airspace during the quarter.

Overall there were 101 VATNZ members who were active in VATNZ airspace during the quarter.

These numbers are virtually unchanged from the previous quarter. Attracting new members to the VATSIM world and keeping them active within the division remains a key challenge. A large number of people join the division but never become active, and this is something that needs to be worked on.

Activity

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Airspace

The basing of the VATNZ portion of Cross the Ditch in Christchurch has driven an increase in the amount of ATC reported in the Kaikoura sector. As usual, however, Raglan sector – home to Auckland International – remains the most thoroughly covered.

Position Type The Position Type distribution shows an even greater dominance of controller hours for Enroute Control than in the previous quarter. This reflects a significant decrease in the number of new controllers passing through the ATC Training Department currently.

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Flights The majority of flights continue to involve the three main New Zealand airports. This is a reflection of the real-world traffic levels. However this quarter has seen an increased number of flights to the Pacific Island airports within the VATNZ airspace. This is a seasonal effect, and is possibly a reflection of the cooler weath-er turning more local thoughts to escaping to the islands. Christchurch has a significant edge over Welling-ton this quarter in large part due to the New Zealand section of the Cross the Ditch event being based there.

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Summary While Q2 2012 has been a relatively successful one for VATNZ, there are some warning signs beginning to emerge. While levels of flight activity indicate that VATNZ remains a popular destination among northern hemisphere pilots, there has been a decline in participation among local VATNZ members, most particularly in the local ATC corps. Stemming this decline, and indeed reversing it, will be a key challenge for the division heading forwards.

Nick Johnston

DIVISION DIRECTOR

25th August 2012