Skip to main content

Training Policy for Students

Purpose

ThisThe documentVATSIM Scandinavia Training Policy for Students establishes proceduresgeneral thatrequirements, aretraining toprocedures, beand followedresponsibilities byand expectations of all students training to achievefor ATC ratings inand VATSIMendorsements. Scandinavia. ThisThe training policy is builtbased on top ofthe VATEUD'sVATEUD Division Training Policy (DTP)DTP) and the VATSIM'sVATSIM Global Controller Administration Policy (GCAP)GCAP).

Requirements

All

    students should be able to converse
  1. VATSIM and provideVATEUD air traffic control services in English, the internationally accepted official language for air traffic control.
    The student must also fulfil the requirements described in GCAP and DTP.


  2. Good standing 
    The student maymust onlybe in good standing with the VATSIM Scandinavia training department, mentors and the VATSIM Scandinavia FIR communities.

  3. Language 
    All students should be able to communicate and provide air traffic control service in English, the internationally accepted language for air traffic control.

  4. Number of training requests 
    VATSIM Scandinavia students have possibility to control in any other country within VATSIM Scandinavia as visiting controllers after having completed familiarisation training. Consequently, in general there should not be any need for internal transfers between the countries within VATSIM Scandinavia. Thus, if a student has completed an internal transfer from one country to another within VATSIM Scandinavia, there will be a cooling off period of one (1) year before any training request atin the previous country will be accepted.

  5. Readiness 
    If the student is requesting training or, is in training for a time.

    higher rating or endorsement, the student must be ready for further practical training. Specifically, the student should have been actively controlling, be up to date, and have working knowledge and reasonable practical controlling skills at the student's current rating level.
    1. Active
      The student must have been controlling actively at least 5 hours within 30 days before scheduling any practical training session(s).
    2. Current
      To be considered current, students must:
      • know the latest operating procedures at the current rating level, and
      • have installed prescribed controlling software versions and necessary additional files, for example, the latest sector files package.

General Training ProgressionProcedure

Requesting training

The student should request training from ourVATSIM Scandinavia’s training management system Control Center (CC), found onat ourthe websites.VATSIM Scandinavia website.

WaitingTraining forQueue

training

Expected waiting time

The student will nowinitially be placed in the training queue. The time spent in the queue will vary severelysignificantly depending on mentor availability, training demand, seasonseason, and other factors. Waiting times are often difficult to predict, and students are kindly asked not to repeatedly contact staff members asking for estimates. They are instead encouraged to study procedures, observe active controllerscontrollers, and engage in other ways do workactivities that will later benefit their training process.

Confirm interest

While waiting for an available mentor or assignment, the student will also receive a monthly training monthly confirmation e-mail.email. To maintain their place in the queue, the student has to confirm their training interest within two weeks of receiving the e-mail.email. Failure to confirm will automatically close the training.training request. It is the student's responsibility to check their inbox, spam folders,filter, etc., to make sure thethat confirmationcontinued interest for training is confirmed. It's also possible to loglogin intoto Control Center and directly confirm ongoing interest for training in the training portal and accept it from there.system.

Training assignment

Depending on the trainingtype type,of training, the student will be assigned a mentor or anenrolled assignment forin a training programme. Upon assignment, the student is required to establish contact with the mentormentor, the Training Lead, or otherTraining assignedTeam meansmember within 7 daysdays. orOtherwise, the training request will be closed without any prior warning.notification.

Practical training

Students are expected to study theory between sessions and always be prepared when showing up for training sessions. Mentors spend considerable amounts of their spare time mentoring students, and an even balance between time spent in practical sessions and time spent on self-studies is expected byfrom the student.

Local procedures

Training Procedures

All countries in VATSIM Scandinavia mightmay have local procedures building upon this policy. This policy can notcannot be overwritten,overruled, but it may be elaborated upon and impose additional deadlines or expectations.

ItThe isstudent should read and adhere to the student'slocal responsiblitytraining toprocedures look through the documents offor the FIR youwhere they have applied training in for details. By accepting this policy, you accept the local policies as well.training.

Responsibilities and Expectations

In summary, VATSIM Scandinavia expects the following from studentsa enrollingstudent enrolled in ATC Training:training:

  1. ThatVATSIM 
    The student should adhere to the studentsVATSIM areCode preparedof toConduct commitGeneral toRules and Controller Conduct.

  2. VATSIM Scandinavia Member Obligations 
    The Student must follow the Member Obligations in the Constitution of VATSIM Scandinavia section 4.4.1, during training, self-studychecks, and availability.while providing ATC.

  3. ThatCommunication the
    students
    1. Initial contact
      The student shall make initial contact with the assignedmentor or staff of the training programme within 7seven (7) days of assignment. 
    2. ThatRespond
      The student must maintain regular communication with the students correspond regularly with their mentor and/and training staff. Regular communication means answering emails or assignedDiscord staff.chat messages within at least seven (7) days.­

  4. Planning 
    The student is able to make and follow plans.
    1. That theTime
      The student should propose at least one date perfor two-weeka periodtraining whensession theyevery are14-day available to train.period. If availability permits, at least one session per week is a recommended average.
    2. Show up
      The student should show up on time to all scheduled sessions.
    3. Cancel
      The student should be cautious and respectful when cancelling a training session and should give as much prior notice as possible if any unforeseen problem arises. Repeated late cancellations of training sessions will result in an investigation of the student's training eligibility.
  5. Pause 
    The student should notify their mentor if they are absent and are unable to train for more than a 14-day period so that the training request can be paused. Pausing the training request is intended for shorter periods during holidays or travel. Pausing the training for longer periods than 90 days will lead to automatic cancellation of the training request.

  6. Unavailable 
    If either the student or mentor is unavailableunable to schedule a session within any 30-day period, the training staff must be involved, and the training will be marked as inactive and will result in an investigation forinto the student's training eligibility.

  7. ThatController thePractical studentsTest understandScheduling that the mentors commit their spare time to train others, and:
    • Show up well prepared to all sessions, with any questions either prepared or previously sent to the mentor.
    • Show up on time to all scheduled sessions.
    • Should any unforeseen problem arise, cancel training with as much notice as possible. Repeated late cancellations of training sessions will result in an investigation of the student's training eligibility.
  8. That the students notify their mentor if they are absent and are unable to train for more than 30 days period so that the training request can be paused. Pausing the training request is intended for shorter periods for i.e. holidays etc. Pausing the training for longer periods will lead to cancellation of the training request.

  9. It is the student's responsibility to provide dates of availability for ana examcontroller practical test in due time to the Training Manager/Assistant.Lead or Training Team Member. The student must be prepared to find an alternatealternative date basisbased availibilityon ofexaminer examiners.availability. Failure to do so will result in the removal of the Solo Endorsement until ana Examdate for the controller practical test has been fixed.scheduled.

  10. Commitment 
     
    1. Set aside time
      The student is prepared to commit to at least 5 hours each 14-day period for training, self-study, and availability.
    2. Drive to improve
      The student reads the training report after each completed training session and, to the best of the student's ability, actively works to improve knowledge, use of practical functionality, and practice based on the feedback from the mentor.
    3. Prepare
      The student should show up to training sessions well prepared with own questions and answers to study questions from the mentor.
  11. Respectful behaviour 
    The student understands that the mentors commit their spare time to train others.

  12. Feedback 
    The student accepts constructive feedback both during training and after CPTs respectfully and understands that the mentor or examiner provides feedback in order to develop the student as a controller professionally.

    An example of mature behaviour is to resist the initial reflex to start to argue and just say:

    ”Thank you for taking the time to provide feedback for me so I’m able to improve as ATC."

SanctionsViolation

IfThe Training Director or the Training Lead may impose restrictions on the training request if the student does not fulfil the expectations and responsibilities,responsibilities. the Training Staff is to impose restrictions on the training request.

AnyA training request canmay be closed after the student has twice violated the above mentioned expectations and responsibilities, and has received notat less thanleast one written warning from the Training Staff.warning.

Back to top