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Can anybody do the course?
Do I need to have good English comprehension and speech?
What does VV Approach™ teach?
How does VV Approach™ teach these skills?
How long will it take me to do the course?
How will I know if I am progressing satisfactorily of if I am wasting my time?
Will I need to redo the course regularly to retain my skills?
Does it teach other types of Air Traffic Control, or only Radar Approach?
What qualifications does the course give?
Does it guarantee selection for ATC training?
Does it teach Air Traffic Control as it is done in my country?
Will the Speech Recognition understand radio transmissions as used in my country?
What comes with the course?
How do I know I will be getting value for my money?
Can I share the course with my friends?
What does it cost?
Can I find out more?
The course is available for private use by individual students in a non-commercial environment. It assumes that the user has no Air Traffic Control training or experience, and limited knowledge of aviation in general. However, it requires a large amount of time and effort to complete, and that makes it doubtful that persons without motivation would progress very far. The course is identical for novices and for controllers experienced in other ATC streams. The latter will need to view every lesson and demonstration, and perform at least some of the simulation at each learning step. They will find Phase 1 of the course quite basic, possibly even simplistic, because of the wide range of student abilities being accommodated by a single course. However, the structure of the training is established in Phase 1, and it would be very difficult for even experienced students to attempt the later phases if it is not clearly understood. Back to top.
Do I need to have good English comprehension and speech?
The course is delivered entirely in English. The instruction materials contain some 140,000 words of spoken English in an ATC context, and the pace of delivery may pose some difficulty to students to whom English is a second language. However, the narration can be replayed at will to assist understanding. It is divided into paragraphs that can be identified from a display on the edge of the radar screen. Pausing a lesson, then reverse-searching to the start of the current or previous paragraph is quite simple. The simulator requires correct spoken grammar, and that develops the English-speaking skills of the student. The exact words to say, that is the radio phraseology of transmissions to aircraft, are taught in detail by the course. Overall, Visual Vectoring™ believes VV Approach™ is an excellent tool for the development of Aviation English skills, quite aside from its ATC training value. Back to top.
As its name implies, the course teaches Approach Control in a radar environment. Specifically, it teaches the sequencing of high-density jet and prop-jet aircraft onto a runway with any magnetic alignment. That is arguably the most difficult job to master in all Air Traffic Control, and the skill to do it one of the most valuable in the profession. The use of both radar vectoring and speed control to achieve the required result are taught. The effects of wind are also covered in detail. To pass the course (that is, to be able to manage the traffic levels at the end of it) the student must be able to sequence aircraft for a two-minute landing spacing, with an average tolerance of no more than fifteen seconds over a full hour of simulation. Two minutes is a common landing spacing worldwide, but smaller and larger spacings are easily achievable using techniques taught by the course. The aircraft are inbound from all directions and in all conflict configurations. An average of 85% of the aircraft in later exercises will require control action by the student (radar vectoring or speed control) to achieve correct spacing onto the runway. Planned future versions of the course will include the processing of slow aircraft and departures. Back to top.
The VV Approach™ course is structured to teach a very complex task in a series of easy steps, each adding to those that preceded it. The theory of vectoring and traffic control is taught in lessons. After most lessons there follows a demonstration of how the theory taught is applied to actual traffic situations. The demonstration is followed by a series of simulator exercises to be performed by the student on the supplied VV Simulator. Very high levels of realism are afforded by the simulator, which incorporates speech recognition technology. There is a total of approximately 20 hours of lesson/demonstration material spread over 21 lessons and 11 demonstrations. The material is in the form of DVD-style movies that are run and re-run as required by the student to absorb the concept being taught. Lengths range from 17 to 75 minutes. Each lesson, demonstration, and exercise series is preceded by a written Student Brief. A total of 100 hours of simulator exercises is provided during the course, adding up to a nominal 100 hours of simulation. However, that can be reduced for skilled students by bypassing some exercises or running the simulator clock at higher than normal speed; or, it can be extended by repetition of exercises, slowing the clock speed, or adding variety by changing parameters such as wind components. So, the training is structured and self-paced. A virtually limitless variety of traffic scenarios is available for the student to master control skills and practise them to perfection.
The student's progress is self-checked at critical stages of the course by written Checklists and simulator Test Exercises that must be run at normal clock speed and without pauses for thought. This gives an indication that he/she is coping with the traffic levels and complexity required at a particular step, and so whether further practice is advisable before moving on to the next. Back to top.
How long will it take me to do the course?
The nominal time to complete the Full version of the course is 120 hours - 20 hours on lessons and demonstrations and 100 hours on simulation. But how long you take is entirely up to you. You will train in private and probably in your own time, so it does not matter how long you take, as long as you are learning. Like all human actions that must be done subconsciously, Radar Control requires practice, and lots of it. You must be able to look at many aircraft on a radar screen and see instantly whether or not control action is required. Do you need to take any control action now? It takes many hours of experience to gain the confidence that you are in control and that the aircraft you are responsible for are in no danger. It may take an experienced controller only 50 or 60 hours to complete the course and be able to sequence aircraft with precision. On the other hand, it may take a total novice 150 hours, or even 200. The important thing is that it does not matter how long it takes, as long as sound skills are learned; unlimited practice is available. Back to top.
How will I know if I am progressing satisfactorily of if I am wasting my time?
The course is designed to be conducted without the physical presence of an instructor, so a number of tools are provided to allow self-assessment to be carried out.
Firstly, each lesson, demonstration and exercise series is preceded by a written Student Brief on what will be encountered, to prepare you for what you are about to learn. Then, each brief contains a list of objectives, so you will have some indication of how to judge your progress.
Secondly, Test Exercises are provided as a final exercise at each critical learning step. When loaded, these exercises will be preceded by this warning:
These exercises are designed to test your ability to control traffic in real time to a level of proficiency sufficient to proceed to the next learning step.
Third, during the sequencing exercises, you are given a measurement of the spacing you achieved between a pair of aircraft:
The 'Trail' number is the distance an aircraft is from touchdown when the one it is following touches down. Ideal spacing is 5 nautical miles. Spacing cannot be less than that because Wake Vortex Separation is required. If you exceed spacing by more than about a half-mile, averaged over a full hour of traffic, you will become swamped with aircraft, so you have an ongoing self-assessment of your progress. In other than test exercises the VV Simulator has a back-step function to allow you to re-do any scenario that has not produced a satisfactory spacing result.
Finally, at the end of the exercises at a learning step there is a series of questions that you can ask yourself to check your understanding of what is expected at that point on the course. Back to top.
Will I need to redo the course regularly to retain my skills?
No. The Visual Vectoring™ concept is that Radar Control is done visually, that is, by the reading of specific visual cues on the radar screen that produce subconscious reaction. In that it is very similar to driving a car. Once subconscious skills are learned they are retained for life. After some practice you will not be aware of exactly what it is on the screen that tells you to turn an aircraft. If you don't see a radar screen for some time you will still be able to read traffic flow, even years later. However, all reactions to subconscious cues need to be practised if expertise is to be maintained. Sportspeople learn to play to a high level of proficiency, and they will always be able to play their sport, but the achievement of high levels of performance requires constant practice. So, yes, you will need to keep your hand in with radar control and for that the VV Simulator is invaluable. Very few controllers have the facility to practice their control skills other than on the job, and that is not a place for experiment. It is of great benefit to a controller also to have a facility to hone skills prior to a check shift, or to restore performance levels after absences from the job.
To summarise, it is unlikely you will want to return to the VV Approach™ course once you have developed sound control skills. But, it is very likely you will use the VV Simulator to keep your skills honed. Back to top.
Does it teach other types of Air Traffic Control, or only Radar Approach?
Radar Approach only. But, that is, arguably, the most difficult job in ATC, and to do it requires many skills that are required in all other areas, such as Enroute/Area and Tower control. For example, the course teaches time management, thought processes, aircraft recognition and performance, handoff procedures etc, all of which are very relevant to any ATC job. Persons aiming for a career in Tower or Enroute/Area Control will be given a very significant head-start by learning Radar Approach from VV Approach™ beforehand, and it will encourage them to aspire to the most complex positions. Back to top.
What qualifications does the course give?
None. It is not possible to declare a person competent to do Air Traffic Control just because he or she has done a computer-based course. ATC involves the control of moving objects; that, plus the responsibility of the job, requires one-on-one observation of the performance of a student by an accredited checking person, as happens with live training. In that, ATC is not unlike pilot (and even driver) training. So, while the course does give a significant percentage of the skills required to do the job, there must follow a period of conventional manual training after it, and then a formal check. It also replaces the present high-stress, time-constrained learning environment with one where skills are developed at the student's own pace, and under no pressure. ATC training also requires the learning of a large amount of theory not provided by VV Approach™, so the course is not a complete solution to training. Theory, however, can be taught by many methods: classroom, literature, computer-based courses etc. It can be studied at length, and in private. Theory delivery is very inexpensive compared to the manual one-on-one methods currently needed to teach the practical side of the job, which is the process VV Approach™ is designed to replace in part. Back to top.
Does it guarantee selection for ATC training?
No. There is more to ATC than just traffic handling. You must have the 'right stuff'. You will be interviewed by people skilled at assessing your suitability to do the job. You must, for instance, be able to work in a close team environment, and must be able to accept responsibility for handling aircraft that carry many hundreds of people. However, we are usually able to self-assess these qualities, or to seek the opinions of others. Nobody would contemplate a career as an Air Traffic Controller without the belief that he or she could do the job. What we cannot self-assess is our ability to think quickly enough and to handle multiple tasks at one time, along with many other unique aspects of high-complexity control of aircraft that can only be tested by actually learning the job. It is those qualities that VV Approach™ gives you the opportunity to test for yourself. You will no doubt face a series of aptitude tests for selection for training, many of which will be computer-based. Having completed VV Approach™ does not guarantee you will pass them, but it certainly will give you a different attitude to the testing than you would have with no prior indication that you probably have the necessary skills. It is anticipated that VV Approach™ will in time replace other aptitude-testing programs.
So, to summarise, the successful completion of VV Approach™ does not guarantee you will be selected for an ATC course, nor does it guarantee that you will pass the selection testing. But it does help prove to yourself and others that you have some of the most important skills needed to do the job. If you find you cannot understand and complete at least Phases 1 to 3 of the course (the Basic Version) it is a fair indication that you might not have those skills, and perhaps save yourself wasting time and money, only to find out you were not suitable in the first place. Having been selected, VV Approach™ will have given you a significant component of the skills that you would have had to learn under very stressful and time-limited training conditions, and it will give you the confidence to cope with whatever is presented to you. Back to top.
Does it teach Air Traffic Control as it is done in my country?
The training is done on a neutral platform, so it does not conform exactly to any real airport. It teaches basic skills that are applicable to all airports. Once those skills are learned it is a simple task to adapt to local conditions, and that is done in formal training. Basic skills constitute a large percentage of what is required to do a particular ATC job, which is why a controller, once trained for an airport, has no difficulty transferring to a similar job at another airport. To put it another way, to be a qualified Hong Kong Approach Controller, the skills required are split at something like 75% Approach Controller and 25% Hong Kong. To assist the change, the final lesson in VV Approach™ teaches how to adapt to runway alignments other than the training one (Runway 27), and the simulator map can be rotated to any alignment to afford practice on runways that will be encountered in real life. At the training airport (called Valley View, or VV for short) specific local standards are prescribed. They may differ from other locations, but the differences will be minor and will always be on the side of safety.
To summarise, every country has its own set of rules and regulations governing the provision of an Air Traffic Control service, all based on standards set down by the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO). You will need a thorough knowledge of them as they are applied in your country. But, the actual control of aircraft does not change from country to country, other than within different airspace arrangements and slightly different radio communication phraseology. To put it simply, runways and aircraft are the same everywhere, and, once sound control techniques are learned, a controller can work in any country after a brief conversion course. Back to top.
Will the Speech Recognition understand radio transmissions as used in my country?
The course is structured around standard ICAO phraseology, and that is taught and used throughout. However, every country has its variations. For example, a descent instruction is taught by VV Approach™ as simply 'ABC descend to three thousand'. In some countries the same instruction may be one of these:
The VV Simulator is programmed to recognise many variations,
and they can be used in practice if they are known to the student,
but the lessons are based on ICAO phrases, and that is what is recommended for
novice students. It is a minor task to adapt to local phraseology during
live training. It is very similar to a pilot doing an aircraft type-conversion.
It is difficult to learn to fly an aircraft. But, once having learned to fly an
aircraft, it is easy to learn to fly another aircraft. Back to top.
What you must supply:
How do I know I will be getting value for my money?
VV Approach™ is a totally new method of teaching practical Air Traffic Control without a formal training environment. Never before has training been done without an instructor to this level of complexity. Visual Vectoring™ believes you will be very satisfied with what you learn from the course (and, in fact, enjoy the experience) and we offer a money-back guarantee if the software does not function correctly, or if you do not believe it is teaching you real and valuable ATC skills. Our offer is limited to thirty days after you receive the installation, and requires the software to be returned. The package will be shipped from Australia, so average transit times will be allowed. Back to top.
Can I share the course with my friends?
The VV Approach™ Home Learning Edition is licensed on a single user basis for a fixed time period. User details are stored on the USB security device and another user will be unable to run the course. For this reason, the course cannot be shared with friends nor may it be sold to a third party on completion. Back to top.
Pricing is as follows:
| Home Learning Edition Basic | $US650.00* |
| Home Learning Edition Full | $US1250.00* |
| Upgrade to Full Edition (for Registered Users of Basic) | $US850.00* |
* The product will be dispatched from Australia, and GST (10%) is added for sales to
purchasers in that country. Import and/or state taxes may apply upon delivery to purchasers
in other countries and regions. These taxes are the responsibility of the purchaser. Prices are
inclusive of postage by registered mail. Back to top.
If you would like more information about the VV training methodology or any other aspect of the VV Approach™ course we invite you to contact us at info@visualvectoring.com. We can offer advice on which version of the course would be most suitable for your individual circumstances and how this new training concept can benefit your ATC career. Back to top.