Evan Reiter

Read more about our 2020 Boston Tea Party and other community news in the May Logan Informer.

Welcome to the dark side!

I'm not aware of a way to do what you've described, other than by flying an add-on aircraft and using Navigraph to update its navigation data (at least for P3D/FSX). Not sure if the same is true for X-Plane.

Good idea! We're just starting the process of re-writing those documents for the modern age. Will incorporate some of this content.

We look forward to staffing Boston (KBOS) and Bradley (KBDL) for HONK!, beginning at 7pm ET on Friday, April 17. In partnership with VATCAN, Toronto (CYYZ) will also be fully staffed. As pilots who have flown in recent VATSIM events will know, traffic is very busy on the network these days! Recent FNO events have seen record levels of traffic that, in many cases, exceeds the real-world capacity of the airports. We want to ensure everyone who flies in our HONK! FNO has a great experience. To do that, we are asking for the cooperation of VATSIM pilots to help spread out the traffic. By following some of the recommendations below, you’ll help ensure everyone gets the benefit of busy frequencies but smooth air traffic control experiences. If you are planning to fly in and around our airspace on Friday, please consider the following: Boston Center (ZBW) has planned staffing for pilots to fly: Into KBOS Into KBDL Between CYYZ and KBOS, in relatively limited numbers We encourage pilots to plan flights from other places and various directions into each of CYYZ, KBOS, and KBDL. This is not a crossfire! You don’t need to exclusively fly between these airports and if everyone tries to fly between the airports, there will be significant delays and airborne holding—all of which we want to avoid. Please strongly consider flying into Hartford (KBDL) instead of Boston (KBOS)! This makes for more interesting traffic: you’ll be descended early to avoid other flows, but will still hear all the busy Boston arrival streams. We have a full staff of controllers at KBDL throughout the event and want them to be just as busy as the crews at CYYZ and KBOS. If you are planning a virtual airline or group flight, don’t fly between the featured airports. You’ll be taking up slots from other pilots. Instead, split your group into 3 and plan arrivals from various airports into each of CYYZ, KBOS, and KBDL from different directions. Take on the challenging of timing your flights to arrive about 5-10 minutes apart so you land together but haven’t flown the whole way with each other. It makes for a much more interesting experience and helps balance traffic – plus it allows the other facilities who are providing supporting staffing to see some departures. Please read our Letter to Airmen, which includes important reminders for flying on the network and links to scenery updates for our airports. We will also be trying out some traffic management techniques we haven't used in the past, such as limiting departures from nearby airports, including Toronto. This means that if you start a flight of our New York, Washington, Toronto, or some other nearby airports, you might be asked to wait for a few minutes on the ground before being cleared for takeoff. This is all to help smooth the traffic flow and to try to give you an optimal arrival experience once you reach our airspace. We appreciate your cooperation and look forward to hosting a great event!

As you may have heard in our livestream today, FlightSimExpo 2020 has been canceled due to the global health pandemic. It was a difficult call, but aligned with the feedback we received from attendees, developers, and partners from around the world. https://fselite.net/news/flightsimexpo-2020-cancelled/ BVA obviously will continue to be a major partner in the show. Phil and I are working on a 2021 date and location, and will share that with you and the rest of the simulation community as soon as we have it. For any BVA members who were registered to attend: firstly...THANK YOU! We were on track to have the biggest event yet. Secondly, please check your emails for information on the 2021 All-Access Pass option. If anyone needs to know a date and location for 2021 before making that choice, we absolutely can extend the offer beyond the April 30 date. Just send me an email (info@flightsimexpo.com) and I'll hold off on processing your refund until we know. Otherwise, refunds will begin to be issued on April 30 and should hit your cards 5-10 days later. As a founding partner of FlightSimExpo, BVA shares the disappointment in the announcement. We know it was the right thing to do, even though it was a tough call. As FlightSimExpo is also BVA's biggest member meet-up of the year, we know this means it may be some time before we see each other in person again. However, I'm comforted by the fact that flight simulation is playing a huge part in people's lives right now, and that we can get together and fly online any time we want to. Thanks for all the support, this year and for the past two. For those I won't see at Tea Party and between...see you in 2021!

Well done!

Unfortunately, the slot was given to another VATSIM member. But, you're still welcome to fly the event (and that route) as a non-event aircraft. Keep an eye on this thread as we'll be posting the routes for non-event transatlantic aircraft to fly.

BVA’s Air Traffic Control Training Department is excited to announce ATP! Until now, controllers have had to rely on volunteer staff members to provide training. Because sessions were happening on evenings and weekends, progress through the training program was sometimes hampered by scheduling. That’s all changed with ATP! Starting immediately, student controllers will be able to book guaranteed training sessions with Mentors and Instructors for a fee. Once the fee is paid, the controller will receive training within the next 48 hours. The rates for guaranteed training range from $30/hour to $5/hour, depending on the calibre of the Mentor or Instructor being booked. For pilots, the new system means controllers will be trained faster, resulting in even more coverage on the network. But the real value is to student controllers, who will be able to benefit from improved consistency and better access to training. Controllers looking for more information about ATP should visit the ATC Hub.

Read more about Cross the Pond and other community news in the April Logan Informer.

If anyone wants a slot, let me know. LIRF-KBOS is available. We'll need to coordinate how to make the swap.

Well done!

Welcome aboard!

Are you joining us at FlightSimExpo 2020? Boston Virtual ARTCC is a founding partner of FlightSimExpo, North America’s community-driven flight simulation conference. In addition to being the largest flight simulation show on the continent, Expo is also the biggest member meet-up of the year. Like last year, BVA will be exhibiting at the show in partnership with VATSIM. Our community’s controllers will be providing air traffic control live from the event and pilots are welcome to bring their simulator setups to the show too. Want to get a sense of what Expo is like for BVA members? Check out articles in the 2019 and 2018 Logan Informers for recaps and pictures. FlightSimExpo 2020 takes place on June 12-14 at Tropicana Las Vegas. Most members arrive on Thursday, June 11 and leave on that Sunday or Monday. Many of our members are also asked by FlightSimExpo to volunteer with the conference. As a result, several of us will spend parts of the weekend preparing materials, assisting with check-in and registration, directing attendee traffic, and supporting the show. (In exchange, last year, the conference provided thank you gifts, a free dinner, and an open bar on Saturday night!) To join us at the show, register at www.flightsimexpo.com/register using the code “BVA” (also list “Boston Virtual ARTCC” as your Organization/Affiliation). Registration is just $80, which includes all-weekend event access, a goodie bag, drinks and appetizers, a 6-month EAA membership, and more. To view the full schedule and see the list of more than 45 confirmed exhibitors, visit www.flightsimexpo.com.

Sam Bolvin (BI) is BVA's newest fully-certified Class B Tower controller! Join me in congratulating Sam on his successful completion of the OTS at KBOS. And pilots: beware. This means he'll be starting to train on Approach in the next few weeks...

Members, Given the wide availability of additional file sharing services, we have elected to remove access to the "file browser" in TeamSpeak. It's a very arcane way of transferring files, and the resulting clutter (including several 2+ GB files) takes up a lot of space on the server. Looking through the channels as we went through and made this change, it doesn't seem like many of the files being transferred were particularly important or valuable. I'm sure any of the other services like Google Drive, Mozilla's file transfer service, Dropbox, etc. will be more than sufficient for any file sharing needs. However, if that's not the case, or if there are any questions or concerns, please feel free to express them. It would be a very easy change to undo, if need be.

Hi Chris ... obviously I'm biased (being one of the co-founders of this event) but I think you'll find the experience in Vegas to be bigger, better, and all around more fun (but very similar in theme) than what we did back in CT. To give you a bit of a sense of the event, we put together a quick video with some clips and interviews from attendees (see below). Perhaps some of the other BVA members who have attended this (or both) event(s) in the past can comment on their experiences.

Well done RI!

Well done! You managed an OTS with Jay. Not an easy thing to do. By the way, we do offer support for mental health counselling...

Congratulations RI, and welcome to the team! I'd like to echo Clif's comments about how humbled and impressed we felt with the strong interest in the FE position. Although I wasn't part of the interview committee, I know it was a difficult decision between a number of very qualified candidates. It's great to know there's a large group of members out there who are passionate about giving back to the community and I hope many of you will continue to offer support as individual projects come up from time-to-time. Josh, it's been a pleasure, and your presence on the A-Team will certainly be missed.

Advance Registration for FlightSimExpo 2020 is now open to the public. Based on the initial response, we expect the discounted $50 tickets to sell out tonight or tomorrow. Once sold out, Standard Registration will be available for $80 for both days, with single-day options also available. FlightSimExpo is North America's community-driven flight simulation conference...and BVA's biggest meet-up of the year. If you've already made plans to attend the event, you can register now for just $50! Register at www.flightsimexpo.com/register. To help with tracking and community event planning, use coupon code BVA and list your Organization as Boston Virtual ARTCC when you register. Advance Registration for FlightSimExpo, available for the first 200 attendees, includes two-day event access, seminars, drinks and appetizers, and a free, 6-month Experimental Aircraft Association (EAA) membership. As in past years, BVA will be out in full force. Whether volunteering for the show, simming together, or enjoying drinks and dinners after hours, Expo weekend has become an annual tradition for many of our members. For more information, visit www.flightsimexpo.com.

FlightSimExpo is launching Advance Registration later this week! However, BVA members are able to register now, before the link becomes public to the wider simulation community. For the first 200 attendees, registration is just $50, which includes Saturday and Sunday attendance, a free EAA membership, drinks and appetizers, and much more. To register now, visit https://www.eiseverywhere.com/flightsimexpo and use the coupon code "BVA". The code helps track BVA members who register for the event and allows our community to get free exhibit space for the VATUSA Display Team. This year, we're using a new registration platform designed to help with the on-site check-in experience. The main benefit to using the new system is that badges will be printed on-site as people check-in rather than having to be done in advance. If you experience any issues while registering, please let us know, either here via the forums or by email at info@flightsimexpo.com. Please note the registration system is fully live and FlightSimExpo's Terms & Conditions apply ($25 fee for refunds, within 88 days of purchase only). So only register now if you're sure you'll be attending. Once the Advance Registration tickets sell out, Standard Registration will be available for $80 for the weekend, with single day options also available.

FlightSimExpo, North America’s largest flight simulation and aviation conference, takes place on June 12-14, 2020 at Tropicana Las Vegas. In addition to a great show, it’s also the biggest BVA member meet-up of the year. This forum thread has been created as a central place for updates on the event. We'll be posting here when registration opens and as more information becomes available for how BVA members can get involved. Since the show’s inception, BVA members have played an integral role in FlightSimExpo. The conference is managed by BVA members and volunteers. In addition, a select group of our members has volunteered on-site in support of the show. BVA members also represent VATSIM through the VATUSA Display Team, fly and control from the show floor, and hang out for meals and other activities surrounding the event. If you are thinking about joining the community at FlightSimExpo 2020 in Las Vegas, you can book your hotel room now at www.flightsimexpo.com. On the website, you’ll also find information about airfare and ground transportation discounts for attendees. Advance Registration tickets to attend the event go on sale for just $50 later this month. This year, FlightSimExpo will be selecting individuals to volunteer in support of the conference. In past years, volunteers have managed on-site registration, helped with on-site logistics, and provided assistance to attendees of the show. A call for volunteers will be shared within the community as the event approaches. For more information about the event, visit www.flightsimexpo.com.

Please help support flight simulation developers by participating in Navigraph's 2019 FlightSim Community Survey. The survey is open until December 2. The largest of its kind, the survey aims to gauge the prevailing flight simulation trends and users' requests for the future. As a proud partner of FlightSimExpo and a member of the global simulation industry, BVA is pleased to share the survey link with our members, as we did last year. As with previous editions, this year's survey has an emphasis on the major flight simulators and also includes questions about mobile devices, combat, and helicopters. The survey should take 15-30 minutes to complete and is entirely optional.

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