2011 Flight for the Fight

[Evan Reiter]

In 2009, BVA hosted a charity event called the "Flight for the Fight" that generated almost $1,000 in donations to BVA and the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation. In 2009, we fully-staffed KBOS and had controllers available at KALB and KBTV. Each flight plan generated donations, as did every flight plan status change (for example, when it passes between controllers). You can find a summary of what happened in 2009 here: http://bostonvirtualatc.com/dnn/Portals ... _Final.xls.

 

This year, we are thinking of hosting another Flight for the Fight. We want your input as to which event concept might be most popular. You'll see this question on our Poll Question of the Week that you can vote on by signing in to the home page. A description of each of the concepts follows. In each of the concepts, money would be generated for each flight plan and all of the strip status changes. We'd like to know which of the concepts you think would be most popular. If you have any other suggestions, please feel free to post those to this thread.

 

48 Hours of ATC

ZBW_C will be staffed on a shift basis consistently for 48 hours. Other controllers will be online during peak hours. This event would be targeted toward everyone but would be beneficial for those in other time zones who do not normally get to fly with BVA. It would likely be held on a weekend so most people can take advantage of ATC as much as possible.

 

Pack the Pattern + Regional Circuit

This event would operate like a normal Regional Circuit but would also encourage pilots to "Pack the Pattern" at each of the endpoint airports. That should allow for a nice mix of arriving and departing traffic as well as circuit traffic to keep controllers busy with merging traffic from opposite directions.

 

Stuff the Circuit

A regular Regional Circuit between KBOS and KJFK (or some other NY airport). The draw here would be that if we can get a large number of pilots (we had around 50 for the original FFTF), we should have a very intense experience for everyone, especially if pilots are encouraged to fly as many flights as possible.

 

Original Flight for the Fight

Like the first FFTF, this concept would feature a fully-staffed KBOS along with two other satellite airports.

[Gilles Lagace]

I voted for a 48 hours of ATC.

 

Adding to the merit of the other choices I would suggest having only KBOS as our featured airport and having this airport only (staffed with ATC) for DEPARTURES and ARRIVALS| leaving the planning of destinations leaving the Boston area, and the planning of departures for incoming flights... to the pilots themselves.

 

Each aircraft entering the 30 nm mode "C" veil or leaving it would do the trick... that is : build traffic for controllers. A 48 hours' staff of 5 controllers at a time, or less, could cover the KBOS airspace and the whole ARTCC.

 

Hopefully, as a STC Mentor, I will fly from KBAF to Boston and back many times for the FFTF| with STC students brought together as the " Learning and Fighting for the Fight" squadrons. Mornings and afternoons with flying Europeans and Americans and evenings with all others, who will want to Share the Cockpit, or fly their own plane along with me.

 

This would first, Pack the Pattern, around KBOS. Then, this would certainly Stuff the Circuit too. In the end it would bring money for a good cause keeping the original FFTF concept alive.

 

But let's wait for the member's votes, for now.

 

Thanks for bringing the FFTF back! :)

[Phil Coyle]

I really like what Gilles said above.

 

I personally think there is too much thought that goes into planning events and trying to make them just right so that pilots are interested. Some of the busiest nights I've ever seen here have occurred with no planning| the pilots and ATC just show up, and everybody has a good time.

 

Let's stop being so high maintenance for just one event. Staff Boston to the fullest capacity possible (multiple towers, grounds, approaches, departures, and different sectors of center,) and let the pilots go where they want to go. Who cares if they stay inside of ZBW ARTCC or not? If they're headed to Boston, which most pilots will, then every controller will eventually get a piece of the pie.

 

I'm not suggesting that we do what I just stated as for the next FFTF concept, since we won't be able to staff Boston for 48 hours, but I'd like to see something like this as a more 'low key' event.

[Guest Brandon Carter]

As Phil said, I personally like the non-structured events better.

In fact, there may even be a better turnout at these from those who cannot commit beforehand.

 

In my 48-hour Event idea, at least ZBW center would be online for that duration. So, pilots would be able to fly to any airports in the airspace, as usual.

 

 

I'm not suggesting that we do what I just stated as for the next FFTF concept, since we won't be able to staff Boston for 48 hours, but I'd like to see something like this as a more 'low key' event.

 

As long as ZBW is online for 48 hours, KBOS would be staffed during this time. Although it probably couldn't be fully staffed for the entire time, I think other controllers would sign on during peak hours.

 

Still, pilots would have the same ATC coverage (clearance and upwards) for the full 48 hours.

[Erik VanderWerf]

I like Phils idea too. This reminds me of something I pitched for UALR a few months ago. What if we could staff every controller slot at Boston, but also every flight. There could be a sign up sheet (I know its more structured than hoped) and pilots would then fly the correct flight into or out of Boston. Obviously there would be a lack of aircraft we can use, so the default FSX Airbus would apply to all Airbus flights unless you have a payware version. I think it would be a sight to see (or have recorded and then time compressed) a simulated Boston airport for at least 12 hours, 24 if we can.

[Phil Coyle]

I would stay away from any sort of pilot sign up sheet, as most every event that we've done that has had moderate results at best.

 

I guess you could couple the idea of fully staffing Boston (like REALLY stuffing it with controllers, not just the usual) with the FFTF event. Perhaps you could do this for the first 3 or 4 hours only, as a kick-off to the event. I guess you could try and fully staff Boston both nights, but I think you would have significantly less traffic the second night, and the idea might 'lost its magic.'

 

But honestly, I would like to see a 'Staff Boston to the fullest extent possible' sort of event every few months, not necessarily coupled with some major event. Again, it would be very low key. Just simply have controllers sign up for positions, and then say 'Hey pilots, on this day we're going to staff Boston, so fly wherever you want, whenever you want.'

[Evan Reiter]

But honestly, I would like to see a 'Staff Boston to the fullest extent possible' sort of event every few months, not necessarily coupled with some major event. Again, it would be very low key. Just simply have controllers sign up for positions, and then say 'Hey pilots, on this day we're going to staff Boston, so fly wherever you want, whenever you want.'

Isn't that basically the Pack the Pattern event, though? Obviously pilots are encouraged to fly circuits but there's no requirement to do that. We've done KBOS about 4 times for Pp events.

[Phil Coyle]

You could probably make that argument, but when you staff several different sectors of Boston Center and don't advertise it as a Pack the Pattern event, I think you'll get different results.

[Guest Robert Martin]

How about this| Event starts on Friday at 4 oclock pm then continues to 10 oclock pm on sunday. Yes this is actually more than 48 hours but hear me out. With the extra 6 hours we would be able to restart the server and give the staff some rest. The down time would come between 2 and 5 am each morning (sat and sun). We would structure it so that atc would be credited each hour with or without aircraft in the air. Without aircrat they could receive 1 credit and with two or more aircraft(flying), they would receive 2 credits. This would a least credit atc for being online, and hopefully stimulate pilots to be there as well. We could then offer an event each day that would pack the skies with traffic. Maybe a rc could be used between jfk and bos and would create extra credit for the pilots that join in. By no means should this 2 hour event overshadow the 48 hours of atc but would give an opportunity to come together and show full support for the cause at hand. What do you think?

[Guest Lucas Kaelin]

I think an event during a specified timeframe would detract greatly from the idea of being up and running for any long period of time. However, maybe instead give a timetable of a rotation of airports that will be open.

 

10A-2P BTV

3P-7P BGR

8P-12A JFK

 

This would allow controllers to plan a little better for places, instead of opening up airports that nobody wants to fly to. It also can be made more realistic, there's next to no traffic at BGR at 9P, but JFK is in the middle of a dept push for the last outbounds. Change and stagger the times as needed, but it allows a bit more structure than everyone going helter-skelter whereever they want. It also keeps from advertising any sort of detracting event. If you want to try and pack the pattern go for it, if you feel more like running a regional circuit then you're open to it. Just my .02

[Evan Reiter]

I think if we just use the ATC Timetable -- and allow controllers to coordinate as they see fit -- we would be able to accomplish that quite effectively.