WPG365 Update #2: The Curriculum

It may have only been a couple days since update number one, but we have plenty to share, and don’t want to keep it to ourselves – so that being said, here’s what’s new with our training system!

As we mentioned before, Moodle was selected as our platform for online training. We’ve been hard at work getting that up and running – and now, we’re moving on to creating outlines for learning. Thankfully, we have a plethora of resources available to us. The goal is simple: Replicate, to a VATSIM-level anyway, NAV CANADA’s training for their controllers. With that in mind, we are planning three separate “phases”. Here’s what they look like.


Introduction To Aviation

Ideally, this would mirror the NAV CANADA Introduction to Aviation course, which contains the following topics:

  1. Introduction
  2. Aircraft Knowledge
  3. Meteorology I
  4. Meteorology II
  5. Navigation
  6. Radar Theory
  7. The Library
  8. Rules and Flight Plans
  9. Communications
  10. Unusual Situations
  11. Aircraft (ICAO type, name, engine type, and typical speed, etc.)
  12. EuroScope, vATIS, TeamSpeak, AFV, etc.

Remember, this is VATSIM – we do not plan to go all in on explaining something like the Wegener-Bergeron-Findeisen process when talking about meteorology. More so, we will focus on topics that have come in handy, or may used, on the network.

VFR Training.

This contains Clearance Delivery, Ground, and Tower. The plan for this is pretty simple: Generic courses for each subject, where all the general knowledge can be taught for each position. Then afterwards, we will have courses for the specific specialty. For example, starting off with just teaching Winnipeg International – and as we progress, move on to other airports in the FIR. The courses should be taken in this order:

  1. Generic Clearance Delivery
  2. Generic Ground
  3. Generic Tower
  4. Winnipeg Tower Specialty

The generic courses will contain broad knowledge that can be applied to any (or at least, most) airports in Canada. To give an example of this, when you are teaching low visibility procedures (RVOP and LVOP), a generic course would explain that this is when visibility is below 1/2sm, which runways must be certified for use, etc. As we move to a Winnipeg-specific course, you can see how CYWG implements these procedures (i.e. departures off 18/36 only etc.)

IFR Training.

This will cover Terminal, Departure, Arrival and Centre. Overall, this will be similar to the VFR training – however, the plan as of now is to have one generic IFR course that covers everything. After this, there will be a course for every specialty: Winnipeg Terminal, West Low, East Low, North Low and Winnipeg High. Not much else to detail on this, as the IFR section should be relatively straightforward.


That’s all we have for now – as you may have guessed, there is no possible way just a couple staff members could create this. So, as we move forward, we’ve started granting early access to our training team members. Stay tuned in the coming days for more details with specifics to these courses!