New Controllers

If you have not already done so, please the time to read the ARTCC's Facility Orientation Guide.  This letter contains information you will find important toward your career as a virtual air traffic controller.

Welcome to the scopes of vZTL! There is no doubt that you made the right decision in joining us. You are now part of one of the best ARTCCs within the VATUSA community, and we are both happy and excited to have you with us. In case you are wondering how or where to begin your controlling duties, please follow the instructions listed below on how to get started.

To access our TeamSpeak server, download and install the TeamSpeak 2 Client.  Open TeamSpeak and click on "Connection" select the "Local Addressbook" tab, in the area below right click on "Servers" choose add server, enter whatever you wish for the new server name. In the server address box enter "vztlartcc.net:8760". In the Nickname field enter your First and Last name. Check "registered" and fill in your Login Name and Password as per the Welcome email that you will have received from the Training Administrator.

To access the forums, click on the forum link. Once you are on the forum page, register with the forums using your FIRST LAST name. Once you are registered, appropriate forums permissions will be granted. Allow up to three days for this to happen.

The Virtual Radar Client is used to connect to the VATSIM network. VRC simulates the radar system used by air traffic controllers to guide aircraft along their routes through the simulated world on VATSIM. VRC is the preferred radar client at vZTL and can be downloaded here. Once you have downloaded and installed VRC, follow the instruction in the VRC Quick Study Guide to get started.

You will need the following files to complete the setup. Download and save/copy to the main VRC Folder on your computer:

-Atlanta Files (includes Sector File, POF, and Alias) Repository

-VRC Server Address File VRC Servers File (Select “Save Target As”)

Once you have completed setup of the radar client, you can log on and observe traffic and operations in the Atlanta airspace. Please keep your visibility range set to no more than 20nm while observing. Observers should log in with the call sign ZTL_XX_OBS with "XX" being the operating initials assigned to you on the Roster page (e.g. ZTL_AB_OBS)

Those joining us as New Controllers (OBS):

New students, with the rating of OBS, must enter a course of study for basic Air Traffic Control in order to receive their S1 rating. We call this part of your training Phase One, and you will spend much of your time at our training website. Your training will included reading materials online, taking "in-house" quizzes and tests, scheduling practical training sessions with Instructors and Mentors, undergoing Over The Shoulder (OTS) examinations, and taking VATUSA certification exams.

Those joining as S1s or higher:

-Students on the Atlanta roster holding the rank of S1 can control at any Clearance Delivery or Ground facility that is not Atlanta Airport.

-Students on the Atlanta roster holding the rank of S2 can control at any ATCT (Air Traffic Control Tower) facility that is not Atlanta Airport.

-Controllers on the Atlanta roster holding the rank of S3 or higher can control at any ATCT (Air Traffic Control Tower) facility or TRACON facility (Approach Control) that is not the Atlanta Airport or the A80 TRACON.

Facility specific training (S1 and above) is scheduled using the Scheduler on the training website.

When logging in please be sure to set the appropriate visibility range for the position you are operating. This will help with various issues concerning the network. As a general rule 10-20 nm for DEL/GND, 30-50 nm for TWR, 100-150 nm for APP/DEP and 300-600 nm for CTR.