Jackson H - 820457

Dear VATPAC Members, Recently I was subject to a unique set of circumstances in which events in my personal life combined with a situation on VATSIM. As a consequence, I made a regrettable outburst on an unofficial VATPAC Facebook page. I apologize for this momentary lack of control. Though I serve on VATSIM's Board of Governors and must represent the entire network, I still consider myself to still be a VATPAC member at heart as I have been part of VATPAC since its inception in 2001 and its predecessor with SATCO before that. These last few weeks have been the most turbulent times I have ever seen in our division. This turbulence combined with things going on in my personal life led to a momentary loss of restraint. As member of the Board of Governors I need to hold myself to a higher standard of behavior and I had tendered my resignation as a result of my outburst. However ,a number of people at all levels of VATSIM approached me, asking to reconsider my resignation and continue on in my position. As a result I withdrew my resignation and will be remaining the Vice President - Regions. I am grateful for the support so many in VATSIM have given me during this time. I deeply regret my lapse in judgement and can only offer you my apologies and a solemn commitment that this will not occur again. Regards, Jackson Harding Vice President - Regions

Applications are now being accepted for the position of Division Director for the VATPAC Division. In order to be considered for this role you must be 18 years or older. The Division Director is an important link of the VATSIM Network and the VATSIM Oceania Region. The duties listed below are intended for further delegation, in part, but ultimate responsibility lies with the Division Director. A Division Director is expected to be able to commit to at least 2 years to the job, and must take this into consideration before applying. Reports to: VATSIM Oceania Regional Director Direct Reports: Director, ATC Training Director, Operations Director, Events Director, IT Duties: Monitoring, reviewing, and enhancing all existing division programs, including training and membership Inviting applications and appointing qualified personnel to fill vacant staff positions Providing strong leadership, direction and vision to Division staff Responsible for overall smooth operation of the VATPAC Division of VATSIM Establishes and publishes VATPAC policies and duties of VATPAC Board of Directors Conducts and chairs periodic meetings with VATPAC Board of Directors Oversees the continued growth and maintenance of VATPAC information systems Works directly with other Division Directors to foster international cooperation and the exchange of ideas Communication to VATPAC Board of Directors and members Monitor ATC ID Upgrades Maintains an on line presence on the VATSIM Network Produces a quarterly report to the VATSIM Oceania Regional Director Work to improve the infrastructure of the Division, including the website and social media Ensuring that an online presence of ATC is maintained which encourages maximum coverage, looking for growth opportunities. Establish and maintain partnerships with Virtual Airlines, developing relationships for continued collaboration Ensuring that events are arranged regularly, both within the division and in cooperation with adjacent divisions and regions. Position Holder Attributes and Requirements: Be a member of the VATPAC Division of VATSIM for a period longer than 12 months (prerequisite) Be a member of good standing in VATSIM for more than two years at the time of application (prerequisite) Be rated on VATSIM to no less than Controller Level (prerequisite) Have good knowledge of the VATSIM Code of Conduct and Code of Regulations Have proven ability in the management of a small group of people Be able to work well within a voluntary organisation Have proven ability with the use of VATSIM Approved Controller Client Software Have proven ability with the use of Flight Simulation and VATSIM Approved Pilot Client Software Members interested in being considered for the role should apply by outlining their experience and suitability for the role and providing information addressing each of the Position Holder Attributes and Requirements listed above via email to [email protected] If you have previously submitted your application to Ray Lang please resubmit to the vpreg address. APPLICATIONS IN STRICTEST CONFIDENCE CLOSE AT 17:00 hours AEDT on 20th February 2018.

Regional Director VATSIM OCEANIA Applications are now open for the position of Regional Director VATSIM Oceania. Within the VATSIM Oceania Region there are two divisions, Australia-Pacific and New Zealand. Overall VATSIM Oceania Region (VATOCE) administers a large geographical area in the South Pacific which includes Australia, New Zealand and all the island nations in the South Pacific, including many parts of Antarctica. The Region Director manages and overseas each of these divisions and acts as the link between the Divisions and the VATSIM Board of Governors. The duties below are intended for further delegation in part but ultimate responsibility lies with the Region Director as defined under Article III of the Code Regulations of VATSIM. A Region Director is expected to be able to commit to at least 3 years and should take this into consideration before applying. The Regional Director is a full voting member of the Executive Committee Responsible to: The VATSIM Board of Governors Responsible for: Regional Management Team, Divisional Management Teams and overall Leadership within the VATSIM Oceania Region Duties As defined under Article III of the Code of Regulations of VATSIM • Review, monitor, develop and implement changes to the overall VATSIM system with a particular focus on the Oceania Region to achieve optimum efficiency and interest. • Interact with the Members of the Board of Governors, Executive Committee, and/or Division Directors as needed to accomplish these tasks • Ensure that an online presence of ATC is not only maintained across the Region which encourages maximum coverage, but above all look for growth opportunities and increases in on line presence. • Monitors underlying Divisions are maintaining an environment where pilots enjoy flying and ATCs enjoy controlling. • Evaluates ATC progression with the relevant Divisional Training/Membership Director(s), ensuring that upgrade recommendations are acted upon promptly and that any unnecessary local bureaucracy or barriers are removed. • Presents, publishes, and discusses the Quarterly Division Reports to the VATSIM Executive Committee • Must attend all quarterly EC meetings (and meet regularly with division staff) • General oversight across the region as to provision of adequate web services, to include items such as aeronautical charts, sector files, contact details, training information • Oversees the efficiency of the joining and progression processes including (but not limited to) introduction and possible enhancement of welcome email systems and evaluation website usability • Pursue matters raised within the Region in relation to membership issues such as training delays, member exclusion and new/returning member induction • Manages and oversees the Strategic growth of the region, working with partners within the region and in neighbouring areas • Support and facilitate further development of Pilot Training Scheme across the region • Directs the Regional staff team to ensure that departmental activities supports regional projects including the Pacific Oceanic Partnership • Commit to the requirement to maintain an online presence of no less than one hour per week and eight hours per month logged in under the call sign that indicates that he or she is the Regional Director. • Other tasks as required by the BoG Person Specification The successful candidate will have significant experience on the VATSIM network, extensive familiarity with network policies and procedures in the Oceania region and strong management and communication skills. While not required, previous service in staff positions will be favourably considered • Must show awareness of Air Traffic Control operations, and hold at least a C1 rating. A knowledge of Oceanic operations will be advantageous but not essential • Must show awareness of Pilot operations, ideal candidate will hold at least a P1 rating • Must be a member in good standing with the network • Expected to be able to commit at least 8 hours per week to this role • Ability to communicate clearly through different mediums to different people of different cultures, backgrounds and countries. • Fluent in spoken and written English language. Please read all of the above and apply yourself to the duties outlined, including but not limited to, any ideas for growth and opportunities in the region that you might have, any thoughts on improving VA relations, Pilot Training, ATC Training Delays, Time commitments etc. Applications which do not follow these requirements will be discarded. Applications with CV (including relevant history and relevant experience) as well as a cover letter addressing the above specifications to: Jackson Harding (VP Regions) at [email protected] by Friday 2 February 2018 at 2359Z

The Board of Governors wish to announce that Mr Joel Richters has ceased to serve the network as Regional Director, VATSIM Oceania. Announcements on who will fill the role until a permanent replacement is found, and on the process for finding that replacement will be made in due course. Jackson Harding

Regional Director VATSIM OCEANIA Applications are now open for the position of Regional Director VATSIM Oceania. Within the VATSIM Oceania Region there are two divisions, Australia-Pacific and New Zealand. Overall VATSIM Oceania Region (VATOCE) administers a large geographical area in the South Pacific which includes Australia, New Zealand and all the island nations in the South Pacific, including many parts of Antarctica. The Region Director manages and overseas each of these divisions and acts as the link between the Divisions and the VATSIM Board of Governors. The duties below are intended for further delegation in part but ultimate responsibility lies with the Region Director as defined under Article III of the Code Regulations of VATSIM. A Region Director is expected to be able to commit to at least 3 years and should take this into consideration before applying. The Regional Director is a full voting member of the Executive Committee Responsible to: The VATSIM Board of Governors Responsible for: Regional Management Team, Divisional Management Teams and overall Leadership within the VATSIM Oceania Region Duties As defined under Article III of the Code of Regulations of VATSIM • Review, monitor, develop and implement changes to the overall VATSIM system with a particular focus on the Oceania Region to achieve optimum efficiency and interest. • Interact with the Members of the Board of Governors, Executive Committee, and/or Division Directors as needed to accomplish these tasks • Ensure that an online presence of ATC is not only maintained across the Region which encourages maximum coverage, but above all look for growth opportunities and increases in on line presence. • Monitors underlying Divisions are maintaining an environment where pilots enjoy flying and ATCs enjoy controlling. • Evaluates ATC progression with the relevant Divisional Training/Membership Director(s), ensuring that upgrade recommendations are acted upon promptly and that any unnecessary local bureaucracy or barriers are removed. • Presents, publishes, and discusses the Quarterly Division Reports to the VATSIM Executive Committee • Must attend all quarterly EC meetings (and meet regularly with division staff) • General oversight across the region as to provision of adequate web services, to include items such as aeronautical charts, sector files, contact details, training information • Oversees the efficiency of the joining and progression processes including (but not limited to) introduction and possible enhancement of welcome email systems and evaluation website usability • Pursue matters raised within the Region in relation to membership issues such as training delays, member exclusion and new/returning member induction • Manages and oversees the Strategic growth of the region, working with partners within the region and in neighbouring areas • Support and facilitate further development of Pilot Training Scheme across the region • Directs the Regional staff team to ensure that departmental activities supports regional projects including the Pacific Oceanic Partnership • Commit to the requirement to maintain an online presence of no less than one hour per week and eight hours per month logged in under the call sign that indicates that he or she is the Regional Director. • Other tasks as required by the BoG Person Specification The successful candidate will have significant experience on the VATSIM network, extensive familiarity with network policies and procedures in the Oceania region and strong management and communication skills. While not required, previous service in staff positions will be favourably considered • Must show awareness of Air Traffic Control operations, and hold at least a C1 rating. A knowledge of Oceanic operations will be advantageous but not essential • Must show awareness of Pilot operations, ideal candidate will hold at least a P1 rating • Must be a member in good standing with the network • Expected to be able to commit at least 8 hours per week to this role • Ability to communicate clearly through different mediums to different people of different cultures, backgrounds and countries. • Fluent in spoken and written English language. Please read all of the above and apply yourself to the duties outlined, including but not limited to, any ideas for growth and opportunities in the region that you might have, any thoughts on improving VA relations, Pilot Training, ATC Training Delays, Time commitments etc. Applications which do not follow these requirements will be discarded. Applications with CV (including relevant history and relevant experience) as well as a cover letter addressing the above specifications to: Jackson Harding (VP Regions) at [email protected] by Tuesday 20 December 2016 at 2359Z

https://forums.vatsim.net/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=72486 The EC is revitalising and recasting the Hit Squad. If you are interested take a peek atthe above post and drop me a line. Jackson

It is with great pleasure I wish to announce the appointment of Mr Greg Barber as the new Director of Division for VATPAC. Greg is well known to most of you. He has been a member of the VATPAC Board for some time now and has been very active in his current role as Director of ATC Training. He is also a network Supervisor and has been a great contributor to our hobby now for a sustained period of time. I have every confidence that Greg will acquit himself well in his new role. Please join me in wishing him all the best as he steps up into the top job at VATPAC. As Greg assumes the top job Mr Peter Adamos will be stepping up as the acting Director of ATC Training. I would also like to thank both Tracy Shiffman and Mark Richards who assisted me in the selection process. Jackson

Guys, Once again you've done yourself proud. VATSIM Golden Mic for 2015: CENTRE >Top 50 Golden Mic Winners (CTR scoring) From: 2015-01-01 00:00:01 / Until: 2015-12-31 23:59:59 ============================================================ # ID ARTCC/FIR name Uptime Up % -- ---- ---------------------------- --------- ----- 34 YBIK Melbourne (Bindook) 742:45:51 8.5% 36 YSNO Melbourne (Hume) 727:30:45 8.3% ============================================================ APPROACH >Top 50 Golden Mic Winners (APP/DEP scoring, 1 pph per facil) From: 2015-01-01 00:00:01 / Until: 2015-12-31 23:59:59 ============================================================ # ID Facility (airport) name Uptime Up % -- ----- --------------------------- --------- ----- 17 SY Sydney Intl 814:22:33 9.3% 33 ML Melbourne Intl 592:52:02 6.8% ============================================================ TOWER >Top 50 Golden Mic Winners (TWR scoring, 1 pph per facil) From: 2015-01-01 00:00:01 / Until: 2015-12-31 23:59:59 ============================================================ # ID Facility (airport) name Uptime Up % -- ----- --------------------------- --------- ----- 8 SY Sydney Intl 1133:14:02 12.9% 20 ML Melbourne Intl 742:44:10 8.5% ============================================================ The Sydney Tower effort is particularly noteworthy. A lot of supposedly much bigger and busier places finished lower, and even Melbourne did really well here. Well done all! Jackson

The VATSIM Oceania Regional quarterly report has been published for Q4 2015. The report may be viewed https://www.vatsim.net/region/oceania.

Following the recent appointment of Jackson Harding as the VATOCE Regional Director, applications are now sought from members of the VATPAC Division of VATSIM for the position of Division Director. Reports to: VATSIM Oceania Regional Director Direct Reports: Director, ATC Training Director, Operations Director, Events & Communications Director, IT Duties: Responsible for overall smooth operation of the VATPAC Division of VATSIM Establishes and publishes VATPAC policies and duties of VATPAC Board of Directors Conducts and chairs periodic meetings with VATPAC Board of Directors Oversees the continued growth and maintenance of VATPAC information systems Works directly with other Division Directors to foster international cooperation and the exchange of ideas Communication to VATPAC Board of Directors and members Monitor progress of ongoing procedures (Training, Membership, Events, IT, etc) Monitor ATC ID Upgrades Maintains an on line presence on the VATSIM Network Produces a quarterly report to the VATSIM Oceania Regional Director Attends quarterly conference with VATNZ Divisional Director and VATSIM Oceania Regional Director Position Holder Attributes and Requirements: Be a member of the VATPAC Division of VATSIM for a period longer than 12 months (prerequisite) Be a member of good standing in VATSIM for more than two years at the time of application (prerequisite) Be rated on VATSIM to no less than Controller Level (prerequisite) Have good knowledge of the VATSIM Code of Conduct and Code of Regulations Have proven ability in the management of a small group of people Be able to work well within a voluntary organisation Have proven ability with the use of VATSIM Approved Controller Client Software Have proven ability with the use of Flight Simulation and VATSIM Approved Pilot Client Software Members interested in being considered for the role should apply by outlining their experience and suitability for the role and providing information addressing each of the Position Holder Attributes and Requirements listed above via email to [email protected] APPLICATIONS IN STRICTEST CONFIDENCE CLOSE AT 23:59 hours AEDT on Sunday 7th February 2016.

We hope you enjoy the surprise the team have delivered you today. The maintenance we mentioned in an earlier post is not just maintenance but the roll out of a complete new web presence. Everything is shiny, new, and different. Following the difficulties we had earlier in 2015, as well as dissatisfaction with the previous website, we have been working behind the scenes for some time to deliver you a much better, far more functional VATPAC web site. Each of our major sections (Operations, Training, Events, Forums) are in their own discrete section, but with easy navigation between them. We have reviewed all the information we have, had, and thought we needed and made decisions on what actually should be on the website. We have more things still in the works, but from today most of what you need is already available. The Operations pages contain full listings of all frequencies and positions, not just in Australia but throughout the South Pacific. We have our full sector file library. Thanks to our friends at VATNZ we also have a version of the Oceanic Reporting Tool which will allow you to easily put together an Oceanic report in the correct format. We thank them for sharing this with us. The Training pages have been updated to the latest version of Moodle, and training requests are moving to a ticket based system. This will allow people to see where they are in the queue and hopefully reduce the amount of angst that the wait for training to commence often seems to generate. The Events pages also detail all our regular recurring and special events. They should contain all the details needed to participate in each and every event, as well as the next events being clearly displayed on both the Events and Main pages of the site. Booking forms for major events will be put up as required. The suggest a flight form is still there. The Forums. The Forums are now much more tightly integrated into the whole VATPAC web portal. We have VATSIM SSO enabled which allows people to log in using their VATSIM ID, which will remove one of the recurring sources of confusion for newcomers. We are also able to much more easily have relevant forum posts appear on the front page of the site. Finally all the other things you have been used to using in the past are still there as well, all moved to their new home: ATC Assist, Pilot Assist, VATPAX. All of this has taken an enormous amount of effort. We started scoping this project in August, critically examining which packages to use (we have changed several packages, notably the CMS used for the website and the forum software), as well as looking at finding better ways to prevent a repeat of the disruption we suffered earlier this year. At first only the Board were involved in this process, and as it has developed we have brought several of the senior staff into the inner circle. I want to thank all of them for managing to keep this entire undertaking under wraps pretty much right up until today. A special mention goes to my fellow Directors who have all worked tirelessly to bring this project to a successful conclusion. An even bigger thank you goes to Zach Biesse-Fitton. I can now officially announce that Zach is our Deputy Director of IT (VATPAC14). Zach has put an enormous amount of effort in designing the new website, and putting together the CMS implementation, porting the forums to their new home (ensuring that none of our corporate knowledge was lost in the process), moving Moodle and VATPAX, and a million other little tasks to get this over the line. So explore and enjoy. We expect there will still be one or two little wrinkles to iron out, so if you find something that's not quite right let us know and we'll try and get it fixed as soon as we can. Jackson ----------- Director of Division VATPAC

It has become apparent that our webserver requires some major work. Now that Cross The Ditch is done and dusted we have decided to get the required work out of the way before the Christmas period. To that end there will be major outages of our web based systems over the weekend of 11-12-13 December, commencing around 1200 AEDT on Friday 11 Dec 15. All services hosted on our web platform may be off line for extended periods during the weekend. These include (but are not limited to): The VATPAC website; VATPAC forums; Training Moodle; ATC Assist; Pilot Assist; and VATPAX. The Oceania VATSIM server, Oceania voice server, and VATPAC TeamSpeak server will be unaffected. We hope to keep the disruptions to a minimum, but this work is essential to keep things ticking over properly. Jackson

The VATPAC Board has become aware that a virtual airline active in our airspace has been calling for donations to help fund what can only be described as ludicrously high monthly operating costs. Additionally, this virtual airline operates a "loyalty scheme" which rewards those who donate money with advancement within the VA structure as well as public acknowledgement via their website. Whilst technically there is nothing wrong with a VA seeking donations from its members to help fund reasonable operating costs, in this case the stated expenses are so great that the Board have considerable trouble reconciling these expenses with our own experiences operating virtual airlines and indeed, operating VATPAC itself. The current VATPAC Board has somewhere in the vicinity of 50 years combined VATSIM experience and has been involved in the running of many a virtual airline. We remind our members that VATSIM.net policy prohibits charging for access to VATSIM.net services. VATSIM are currently investigating this virtual airline for possible breaches of the Code of Conduct and the User Agreement. We leave it to individual members to decide if they will make donations or not. This is a matter for their own judgement. However, we urge all members to consider the following before making monetary commitments to any virtual entity: * Where is your money actually going? * What are the actual expenses claimed? * Is there documentary evidence to support the claim of high operating costs? * Do you receive a tax invoice (including ABN/ACN) for your donation (for tax purposes)? * Are you being overly pressured to donate? The VATPAC Board will be closely monitoring the VATSIM investigation into the actions of this virtual airline. VATSIM investigation notwithstanding, it is our belief that this virtual airline is not acting in the spirit of either VATPAC or VATSIM. Members wishing to discuss any of the above can do so in writing via email to [email protected] Jackson

Members will be aware that we have suffered significant disruption to our website in recent weeks. While we were able to quickly determine the nature of the attack and what the javascript that was being inserted was trying to do, we had less success in locating how this was being accomplished and thus bringing the attacks to an end. In the end we sought external expert advice to assist us. Our external consultants have identified the source of the recent attacks, the exploit that was being used has been secured and the site has been cleaned of the scripts that had been inserted. Work is still continuing to ensure no further traces of the unwanted code remain, but at this stage we are as confident as we can be that the situation is now stabilised. We have significantly changed the way the site is secured based on advice received. We thank everyone for their patience during what has been a difficult time that has caused significant disruption to our activities and we hope now that we can get on with what we do best. We also want to thank John Grillot and his team at White Fir Design for their efforts in the clean up process and their advice in helping prevent further disruption. For obvious reasons none of the staff will comment further on what the exploit was and what steps we have taken to further secure the website. Jackson

Our Director of Events and Communications is going to be taking a leave of absence for a while. Tracy will be on leave for the next three months. In his absence Trent Hopkinson, the Deputy Director will be filling in for Tracy. Jackson Harding