Wednesday, August 27, 2014
Resigned
I am moving on. I am no longer the FE for ZFW so will not continue to post here about FE issues. I have moved my primary ARTCC to ZAN and continue to hold a visitor rating at ZFW. The dottoxml program is still mine and I will keep it up to date if anyone has any issues let me know and I will get to the bottom of it. Thanks.
Wednesday, May 14, 2014
ZFW_VRC
This week the TA at ZFW, Christos K, created a new program for use with VRC call ZFW_VRC. I am going to try to give my opinion on the product and the way it can be used in the context of controlling at ZFW.
First of all I have a new computer and a new job so I have not been spending a lot of time at ZFW doing my job as Facility Engineer. Fortunately there has been little change in the last six months in the ZFW charts and have not had a huge need for my services.
That said, I sent a letter to ZFW controllers and I will copy and paste that letter here. Hopefully it will explain my position on the subject for future reference.
First of all I have a new computer and a new job so I have not been spending a lot of time at ZFW doing my job as Facility Engineer. Fortunately there has been little change in the last six months in the ZFW charts and have not had a huge need for my services.
That said, I sent a letter to ZFW controllers and I will copy and paste that letter here. Hopefully it will explain my position on the subject for future reference.
Dear Controllers:
After having seen the files that
Christos published. I will have to say it
is a great idea. However, While I did have a chance to look at it before
it was published, I did not have a chance to endorse it or give more than a
few lines of comment. The toolkit portion is a great product and I
believe should remain available. I use it while both controlling and
flying and it is a good quick way to get to a lot of information about ZFW.
The Downside is the sector file, and the alias file are not compatible with
what has been published. At this point I do not intend to support the
complete.sct2 or the zfw.sct2 file. The latter file being 180000 lines(14
MB). Problems include old names for arrivals and departures and old AIRACs
for waypoints. The KDFW_ASDEX.sct2 will be supported and I will be placing
it on the web site as a separate download after a few changes to the
executive parking area are made. Future updates in the sector files will
include individual tracon sector files like OKC2012.sct2 and D10.sct2.
Plans are for SHV, GGG, ACT, ABI, MAF, and LBB. If there is a need for
SJT, let me know. I do have the raw data but have not done anything with
it yet.
With the alias files, download the old alias file and place that on the
page and use it. There are some commands that Christos added that are good
however, he based this one on an old alias file and does not have the
updates that have been added over the last two years. Some of his added
commands only work with the zfw.sct2. file.
For old controllers, I recommend that you keep VRC the way you had it and
only download the toolbox. For new controllers, while you may need it to
help you get thing set up, I would recommend that as you move to approach
and center that you download the supported sector files and alias files and
replace them in your setup. I do recommend that all approach controlling
be with vStars. VRC should only be used if you do not have vStars installed
yet. See my video on youtube if you want to see how to set up vStars.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yZ94VkY9jeg
I am right now in the process of getting a new computer up to speed and
will be getting to the projects in the near future. Keep on controlling.
Tim Roden
Facility Engineer
fe@zfwartcc.org
is a great idea. However, While I did have a chance to look at it before
it was published, I did not have a chance to endorse it or give more than a
few lines of comment. The toolkit portion is a great product and I
believe should remain available. I use it while both controlling and
flying and it is a good quick way to get to a lot of information about ZFW.
The Downside is the sector file, and the alias file are not compatible with
what has been published. At this point I do not intend to support the
complete.sct2 or the zfw.sct2 file. The latter file being 180000 lines(14
MB). Problems include old names for arrivals and departures and old AIRACs
for waypoints. The KDFW_ASDEX.sct2 will be supported and I will be placing
it on the web site as a separate download after a few changes to the
executive parking area are made. Future updates in the sector files will
include individual tracon sector files like OKC2012.sct2 and D10.sct2.
Plans are for SHV, GGG, ACT, ABI, MAF, and LBB. If there is a need for
SJT, let me know. I do have the raw data but have not done anything with
it yet.
With the alias files, download the old alias file and place that on the
page and use it. There are some commands that Christos added that are good
however, he based this one on an old alias file and does not have the
updates that have been added over the last two years. Some of his added
commands only work with the zfw.sct2. file.
For old controllers, I recommend that you keep VRC the way you had it and
only download the toolbox. For new controllers, while you may need it to
help you get thing set up, I would recommend that as you move to approach
and center that you download the supported sector files and alias files and
replace them in your setup. I do recommend that all approach controlling
be with vStars. VRC should only be used if you do not have vStars installed
yet. See my video on youtube if you want to see how to set up vStars.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yZ94VkY9jeg
I am right now in the process of getting a new computer up to speed and
will be getting to the projects in the near future. Keep on controlling.
Tim Roden
Facility Engineer
fe@zfwartcc.org
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