Take the chance!

On VATSIM everyone has the chance to experience the work as an air traffic controller. Due to the global coverage of the network, you can select your favorite region and start controlling there. But keep in mind, we always try to simulate reality as real as it gets. To start controlling, you need to run through our controller training program where you learn how to handle voice communications, how to guide airplanes safely through your part of the virtual sky and how to operate a whole airport in different weather conditions.

Additionally you will get in touch with the most complex Radar Simulator out there. You can operate a technology very closely modelled after the real radar software, used by many european atc facilities. In contrary to just sitting in front of a simulator, with VATSIM you will always be one step closer to reality. Every aircraft you guide through the VATSIM sky is commanded by a real human being who is connected with his flight simulator.

What qualifications do I need?

We don't require much previous knowledge. You will learn a lot of things throughout the training program and additionally we provide a huge number of pdf-documents, wich cover basically everything an air traffic controller needs to know. There are two things though, that are very useful. First it is a great advantage, if you like to learn new things, because you will learn a lot of comepletely new things as a controller. Secondly you need to like talking english. You will have to handle pilots from all over the world, flying to your airport and the main language in aviation is English. Additionally, if german is not your first language, you need a minimum knowledge about german as well, because VFR traffic (that are the smaller, mostly private planes) will also be handled in german, depending on the pilots preferences. But keep in mind, these are basic recommendations, you don't need any of them. We are all doing this, because we want to have a lot of fun.

Where do I start?

Join VATSIM and select the correct region! VATSIM Membership is completely free, as well as all the required software, but there are very strict regulations about your membership. Because of very different procedures in different countries, it is required that you choose one region and stay there for the rest of your training. Once you complete a level of training, you can then start controlling in different areas as a so called "visiting controller". It is the most common practice to select you main region by the location you live or want to control most of the time. So if you want to be a controller in Berlin, you need to join VATSIM, select the division "Europe (except UK)" and then the "Germany vACC/vARTCC".

1st Step: Basic Lesson

The Basic Lesson (BL) is basically where you learn the basics :) We start by introducing the controller software in a teamspeak session, tell you about the fundamental resposibilities as an air traffic controller and show you how the software can help you to do your job correctly. It is recommended, that you have already installed the software and know how to login as an observer, before you take the basic lesson. How you do this, is explained in our Euroscope Step-by-Step-guide (german). Or you can get all these infos directly from the website of Euroscope.

2nd Step: Eurotest

In this stage of the training, you can already signup for the Eurotest, wich is a written exam you have to pass in order to get promoted by the network. Once you signup, you get presented a questionnaire and have 30 days to answer all the questions. This means you can answer a few questions, then save it whenever you like and come back later to answer the remaining questions. During these 30 days, you should start reading the training documents available on the VACC Germany website. These documents cover all the things you learn in the Tower Lesson and they will also give you the answer to most questions of the Eurotest. We recommend, that you prepare the Eurotest before you go to the Tower Lesson, but use the Tower Lesson to ask your instructor, if you have any questions you were not sure about. You can finally send the test, after all things are sorted out.

3rd Step: Tower Lesson

With a completed Basic Lesson, you can signup for the Tower Lesson. Here you learn a lot of theoretical stuff about aviation, meteorological conditions and most importantly aerodrome procedures. You learn how to operate an airport and process an aircraft from the checkin on the gate through pushback, taxi and finally the takeoff, where your responsibility as a tower controller ends. During the lesson you will participate in a simulated training session where our trainers will present you 'fake' aircraft to show you the procedures and finally let you take over control to have your first experience as a tower controller. With this lesson completed you get a recommendation to promote your VATSIM ranking to the level "Student". From this moment on you are really a part of the community and ready to start controlling on any of our airports.

4th Step: Training on the job

The recommendation you receive after the Tower Lesson can take a few days to process in the network until you get a confirmation sent by e-mail. As soon as you recieve the confirmation mail, you can log on to the network, but you still need to know some things. Until this moment you have only controlled simulated planes and maybe never talked to some people on the real network. Additionally every airport has its own distinctive procedures, what makes it really interesting to control on different airports. To get to know these procedures, we do a "Training on the Job". You pick an airport and start controlling together with one of our trainers. The trainer will brief you about local procedures and also, you have someone to talk to, when you are online for the first time. This training on the job is repeated for every new airport you are interested in controlling.

Complete the training

Once you have done your training on the job you can control whenever you want, on all the airports you are cleared for. There are no limitations whatsoever. As time goes by, you maybe looking for some new challenges. The next thing on VATSIM is to become a Radar controller. To start controlling on Arrival or Departure positions, you need to pass the controllers practical test (CPT) on the Tower Position. This means you have to control one evening while two VATSIM instructors look over you and check how you handle a lot of traffic. A CPT usually means a lot more traffic than usual, so we offer any controller to participate in one or more simulator sessions (the same kind of simulation you got in the Tower Lesson but with a lot more traffic) to increase your skills. Whenever you feel ready, you may request a PreCheck, to see if can also handle that much of traffic with real pilots. And finally you request the CPT where you will have a real challenging evening with a lot of traffic and a lot of fun. The CPT and the PreCheck are usually Events that pilots are looking for, because it is so much fun when many pilots fly to one airport in the same time. Compared to reality the CPT's usually provides more traffic then aircraft flying to Berlin in reality on a busy day. So be prepared and we promise, that you will never forget this evening ;)