Category: Staff Announcements

All ZOA members,

I have scheduled a General ARTCC meeting on January 4, 2015 at 18:00 PST (2100 EST, 0000Z). This meeting will be to introduce myself to you. I will discuss my goals for the ARTCC and let you also provide feedback on those goals. We will also discuss up coming events and other possible upcoming information that the members of the ARTCC will need to be informed about. This meeting is not mandatory, but is HIGHLY recommended that you attend to meet me and get the information that is being passed down.

Agenda for this meeting has been posted in the forums. Click here for link.

UPDATE: I have posted the Meeting Minutes in the forums. Click here for link. If you missed this meeting and would like to listen to a recording of the meeting a link has been provided here. Click here for link of recording.

Thank you,

Warren Huckaby, vZOA ATM

Please join the ZOA Staff in welcoming our new ATM, Warren Huckaby!

Warren joins us as a new ZOA member, coming over from our neighbors at Seattle ARTCC (ZSE), where he was previously the DATM as well as holding other positions. Warren has been a VATSIM controller for just over 4 years.

You can also read Warren’s introductory post on the Forum.

Gents, the LOA with ZLA has been updated to reflect a few minor changes.

The changes made in the LOA are to Fresno operations as well as some preferred routings for flights going to Burbank and Van Nuys from the bay, as well as FAT/BFL routing. You can now expect Fresno aircraft to be handed off at their cruise altitude or 11000, whichever is lowest. Please review this LOA before controlling to make sure you’re up to speed on the new requirements.

We are expecting an LOA update from Seattle soon, so keep an eye out for that.

Gents, the LOA with ZLC has been updated.

The change removes an altitude restriction at Reno, updates preferred routings for KSFO, KOAK, KSJC, KSMF, and KRNO for both RNAV and non RNAV aircraft, and more. Please go review this LOA before controlling.

We have changes with ZLA and ZSE pending, so keep an eye out for those in the future.

For those that have applied for Visiting Controller status at vZOA or any other action that would apply to our mailing system, please submit your request again. Our email system is now back up. If you choose to subscribe to training alerts, you will now receive those along with other items.

Thanks,

vZOA Staff

The ZOA Facility Advisory Board is proud to announce the new ATCT SOP’s that are now in effect! We have compiled individual SOP’s for our class B and C airports in the same format as the other new SOP’s giving yo a much more organized SOP. We highly recommend all controllers review each SOP as there is new information and procedures (especially at SFO). A big thanks is in order to Mike Fries for giving us some inside information on Oakland!

San Francisco ATCT SOP-100

Oakland ATCT SOP-101

San Jose ATCT SOP-102

Sacramento International ATCT SOP-103

Monterey ATCT SOP-104

New POF. Click the photo to download!

ZOA_POF 6.2 Is now available for download. This is not a MAJOR update but it is recommended that you download the newest version. You can download it here.

Changes in this POF Include:

Fixed NCT Expo Sector from DEP to APP.

It is with great pleasure that I announce we have activated two new SOP’s today at Oakland ARTCC. Both the NORCAL and ZOA SOP’s have been consolidated, corrected, and changed up a little bit. On top of this we are also releasing an updated sector file and POF file to all controllers.

NORCAL SOP:
This SOP includes all of our NCT positions except for Nugget/Silver (See Reno Complex SOP). The main highlight of this SOP is that it allows one to switch between each sector without needing to open another tab or window. You may see some new information in here as well, the most obvious being a “Richmond” sector. We have renamed “Quake” to “Richmond” to more accurately mirror our real world counterpart. As for procedure changes, they main highlights are as follows..

• Elkhorn FLUNK arrivals will be vectored over the departure corridor and then to final while in north ops
• OAK oceanic arrivals will be vectored over the SFO 28 finals in SFOW as per the RW, sequenced with HADLY arrivals in SFOE.
• SJC oceanic arrivals will be vectored under the BSR stream in SFOW as per the RW, sequenced with BRINY arrivals in SFOE
• Updated SFO oceanic arrivals and added information on the Pacific One Tailored Arrival
• Added PYE# procedures for SJC (it was missing from our old SOP’s)

ZOA SOP:
Just like the NORCAL SOP, the ZOA SOP will allow you to switch between each sectors SOP without needing to open a new tab or window. This also includes updated information to match up with the new NORCAL procedures.

Sector File:

The new sector file changes are as follows..

-Colors
All new color scheme that matches a bit better than the old one. A few controllers have expressed interest in the new colors. People do have their preferences on colors, if so, they can change them to their liking.

Updated all SIDS that were changed in AIRAC 1408.

-KSFO
– Added two new “F” Labels to extend the entirety of taxiway F.
– Re positioned the coastline at the end of the 28’s so it is not overlapping like in the current file.
– Re positioned the coastline at the cargo ramp so its not halfway in the buildings.
– Added taxiway “M” On both sides of the 1’s because it wasn’t there.
– Re positioned the airport label to be visible and not on top of runway 28L

-KOAK
– Renamed taxiway “W” at the start of 12 to “W7”
– Renamed taxiway “W” at the third exit of 30 to “W5”
– Renamed taxiway “W” at the second exit of 30 to “W4”
– Re positions all taxiway labels to be in the taxiway and not away from it.

-KSJC
– Re positioned all taxiways to be on the taxiway, was significant with taxiway “Y” and “Z” looking like it was the same. This is fixed now.
– Added a label for taxiway “D” in between 30L and 30R
– Added taxiway “A” labels at the end of 30L/R below taxiway “B”
– Added taxiway “A1” labels at the end of 30L/R

-KRNO
-Re positioned all taxiways to be on the taxiway.

-KFAT
– Removed a taxiway between B4 that is no longer there.
– Re positioned all taxiway labels to actually be on the taxiway and not 3 inches away in the grass.

-KSMF
– Re positioned all taxiway labels to be on the taxiway
– Renamed taxiway “Y” to “Y2” at the terminal entrance/exit
– Added taxiway “W” above “Y2” as it was not there.

-KMRY
– Re positioned all taxiway labels to be on the taxiway.

-KHWD
– Re positioned all taxiway labels to be on the taxiway.
– Re positioned the airport label to be visible instead of on top of a taxiway

-KSNS
– Re positioned all taxiways to be on the taxiways.

POF File:
The new POF file adds Richmond sector and removes Quake.

A big thank you to Dominic Nguyen, Cody Cochran, and Mark Dalforno for all the hard work that was put into this project.

Gentlemen, after a lot of work we are happy to announce that the Reno Complex SOP is live and replaces the old SOP for Reno SOP in the Primary Airports SOP and the NORCAL Nugget & Silver SOP. The new complex format we are rolling out focuses on the airports in a certain area and includes the SOP for clearance delivery all the way up to TRACON. We think the new format will be easier to read and navigate, as well as provide you with a better way to find the information you’re looking for.

To find the SOP look on the SOP page under the “Complex SOP’s” section. You will not be able to find any Reno information under Primary Airports SOP nor will you find the NORCAL Nugget & Silver SOP, you must use the new complex SOP.

With the completion of the Reno Complex we are moving to Fresno to create the Fresno Complex. We’re test driving these new formats and we would love to hear your feedback so that we may tweak and perfect them before we move on to Sacramento. Feel free to email any of the Senior Staff with your ideas!

Will everybody please join me in Welcoming Nicholas Cavacini as the newest ZOA Staff Instructor. Nicholas previously served as an Instructor at Miami and Honolulu and was also a Training Administrator at one point. Nicholas is coming to us from ZNY and brings a lot of ideas and knowledge to the table. He has the experience and expertise we need to lead future ZOA controllers to success. We couldn’t be happier to have him and can’t wait to see him benefit this ARTCC. Congratulations Nicholas!