I'm flying out of one of the departure airports being used for the event, do I need to book?

If you're only flying out of a departure airport and not flying to an event airport, then no, you do no need to book. However, please be aware that you may experience delays if you fly from an event airfield.

I'm flying to one of the airports being used for the event, do I need to book?

We ask you not to fly to the event airports while the event is ongoing. If you do attempt to fly, you are likely to receive a significant delay on the ground prior to departure.

What timezone are the times quoted on my booking?

All times on the Cross The Pond website are in UTC (zulu).

Do I need to book if I wish to take part in the event?

In previous events, flying without a slot has become the norm for many pilots, and non-event Oceanic positions have been staffed where resources are available to provide a service to as many pilots as possible. However, with the event continuing to grow in size and resources in Oceanic airspace continuing to be stretched, it is obvious that continuing to encourage this will make the event less enjoyable for all participants.
Therefore, we have decided that we need to focus our Oceanic resources to provide the best service possible, so for this event we are asking you to refrain from flying transatlantic if you do not obtain a slot for the event. We cannot enforce this – because as usual, all VATSIM pilots are welcome to fly where they wish, when they wish. Even so, it is important that our community understands that we will not be able to cater for pilots without a slot in the oceanic airspace, and as such, ATC coverage can not be provided for non-event participants, and pilots flying without an event slot may face extensive delays on the ground and in the air. By choosing to fly in a different part of the world on this date, you will help to balance the workload on our controllers and reduce overall congestion - making this event more enjoyable for all parties.

What is my departure time/slot time?

A slot departure time is the time (in UTC) by which we expect you to be in the air.

I've booked the wrong callsign. Can I change it?

You are able to change your callsign yourself by clicking on the appropriate links in the Pilot Area.

When will I receive my route for the event?

The routes will be available on the pilot dashboard approximately 12 hours before the event. Please be patient when waiting for your route - there are many pilots and routes to deal with.

How do I request oceanic clearance or make a position report?

Oceanic clearances will be conducted on the natTrak website. Position reports are not conducted unless your aircraft does not have ADS-C capabilities. For the purposes of VATSIM, this is 99% of aicraft used on the network, with the exception of Concorde and some other historical aircraft.

What if someone else uses my callsign?

We are unable to reserve callsigns. If the callsign is in use during the event, you would need to connect with a new one. All systems link by CID.

Why are there sometimes delays during the event?

During Cross the Pond, VATSIM users conduct more flights over the North Atlantic Tracks than seen in the Real World during normal operations. Sometimes, there may be delays with domestic portions of flights, or receiving your Oceanic Clearances. We thank all members for their patience during the event.

Can I fly Concorde or a non-RNAV equipped aircraft?

Event slots are not designed for supersonic flight, therefore any Concorde flight is considered non-event traffic and subject to delays. As far as non-RNAV aircraft are concerned, given the airport makeup, we ask pilots to not fly non-modded non-RNAV aircraft, non-modded meaning not being able to be tricked into flying RNAV procedures.

Can I fly x aircraft?

Please consider the following:

We are not here to tell you what to fly and what not to fly. This is your task as a pilot. We can tell you what we expect from you. However, chances are, that if your airplane of choice and your abilities to fly it do not meet the Code of Conduct, sections B8(a) and B8(c), you and the plane may not be a suitable pair for the event.

Can I fly in a shared cockpit for the event?

Yes. Only one of you would then need to have a slot and that person would be the one to connect normally. The other one should be the observer.

When do pilot bookings become available?

Here are some key dates:

How do I book a slot?

First, see the dates above.

Second, we operate a lottery system for allocation of slots. From a certain date, the "Expression of Interest" (sometimes called lottery signup) you can tell us that you are interesting in having a slot. Shortly after expressions of interest close, we run the lottery and you get notified of a time after which you can book a slot. People who get higher up in the lottery can book earlier - and therefore have a larger choice of slots available.

The lottery is predominantly random, however we do apply some small weightings. Most notably, if you had a slot in previous events that you didn't fly then you will have a negative weighting in some future events.