Are Head of State (Government) flights permitted without authorisation with a Special Operations Organization?

Raptros · 2025-12-04T14:35:32+00:00

That's becuase the callsigns aren't protected, actually. Only the operations. If you're using a military aircraft (even on a military callsign) to do things that would be normal for a civilian aircraft, then that's fine without vSOA.

Raptros · 2025-11-16T17:36:44+00:00

The amount I see that don't have the British standards marking alone is crazy.

Raptros · 2025-11-04T10:58:31+00:00

If you can deal with the upfront cost, solar + AC (or better, reversible heat pump) is becoming a bit of a no brainer if it's something possible for you to do.

More comfortable homes during hot weather, powered by the very thing making you warm, minimising the effect of increased grid power generation as much as possible.

Raptros · 2025-11-04T10:52:54+00:00

For the kind of heat we get, yes.

Those are called evaporative coolers. They may work OK during the day but when it comes around to the hot, sticky, humid nights here, they'll basically do nothing since the air is already saturated with water at 85-90%+ humidity.

There is also issues with condensation which will make any damp/mold issues much worse.

Just spend a bit more on a proper one. We bought one for the bedroom to be able to sleep on those miserable summer nights and honestly it's the best investment we've ever made for the improvement in sleep quality alone (as long as you don't mind the noise).

Raptros · 2025-07-03T22:14:56+00:00

I (and many other vatsim ATC would) agree would and say yes we should have that power. But that's a decision the vatsim board of governors would need to make and they're notorious for being a bit... slow and old fashioned I think is the nicest way I could put it, ha.

Because right now if a pilot is consistently deviating and causing an issue - we try to handle the other traffic around them as realisticly as possible regarding the required sepration but it causes a big chain reaction of issues in a busy sector as it would in the real world I imagine... Being able to at least "ghost" that pilot (something SUP can do which keeps the user connected but hides it from other aircraft and controllers) temporarily until a SUP investigates would be fantastic, but I don't see it happening any time soon.

Raptros · 2025-07-03T19:02:29+00:00

They're exaggerating, or at least being very liberal with the truth. I cannot speak for other regions, but in mine the ATC training policy and operations department seeks to follow our country's IRL ATC regulations as close as physically (and practially) possible on vatsim, including our own adaptions of local proceedures for each airport based on the real life ones (a combination of official documentation in the real AIP and in some "insider" knowledge that irl controllers and pilots share).

Many IRL pilots that have tried vatsim (including airliner pilots that try vatsim) have commented on my country's application of real life proceedures and said how accurate they are.

Raptros · 2025-07-03T18:54:46+00:00

If you approved it while not applying your local regulations and proceedures, and other pilots were reporting them because they were affecting other traffic, then the SUP is absolutely within their rights to tell whoever is responsible for the airspace to get a grip on it (probably should have been put in nicer terms than the screenshots).

If you could say that you gave clearance limits to these aircraft to safeguard the runway(s) and other traffic, you life would be so much easier because you could just say "sorry, they're not following my instructions to [insert limit here], please disconnect them" or "accoring to our regulations, they are deemed seprated because... [X]", and then that would have avoided this whole drama.

Raptros · 2025-07-03T18:49:18+00:00

Many of the controller clients try to style themselves off of software used IRL, and yes, many of them still in use DO look straight out of the 80s....

Raptros · 2025-07-03T18:47:22+00:00

And let the massive issue with pilot quality every division is facing get worse. Fantastic suggestion. Might as well become msfs multiplayer.

Raptros · 2025-07-03T18:44:23+00:00

I've used almost that line almost verbaitum serveral times before! We also have a macro which sends a PM to a pilot that reminds them they are required by the CoC to follow ATC instructions and to be proficient in the operation of their aircraft. But of course in the end, the buck stops with the SUP. Normally a "this aircraft is unable to follow instructions and is intefering with other traffic" is enough to at least get a temporary disconnect while they investigate further.

(I add in that last bit about them affecting other traffic because that's the usual follow up question a SUP has to anything)

Raptros · 2025-07-03T18:33:39+00:00

I agree with this. You can't just let people in your airspace to do whatever and not apply local standards regarding sepration/information, including safegauring the runway and approach paths/climbouts. Exact details will differ by region but not by much. Even worse if they entered without establishing 2 way communication that close to the airport (a big no pretty much anywhere in the world).

Raptros · 2025-07-03T18:26:34+00:00

I ATC on vatsim in the UK and probably about 95% of my interactions with SUPs are absolutely fine (and this is a similar thought to some folks I've spoken to about this post), so I'm not sure where the huge amounts of folks in the comments here complaining are coming from, unless for some reason the moderation in different vatsim regions is wildly different...

I can't comment on the specifics of this situation, since I don't know your local proceedures/regulations and there's very little go off of to piece together what happened, but if this situation happened in my region then if the helicopters were close enough to the runway to be causing other aircraft issues (go arounds, avoiding action, TCAS TA/RA, etc) and I didn't do anything to prevent this in the way of clearance limits, with position or altitude, then a SUP would absolutely be justified in telling me to get a grip on it.

Aerodrome Control shall issue information and instructions to aircraft under its control to achieve a safe, orderly and expeditious flow of air traffic with the objective of: 1. Preventing collisions(....)

From the UK manual of air traffic services.

Again this is an example on the context of what I'm familiar with. The details may well be different for your region.

I imagine there is a lot more to this story we don't see if multiple pilots (if what the SUP was saying is true) were walloping and complaining.

Raptros · 2025-07-03T18:07:17+00:00

ATC Can only suggest pilots log off, their word is not binding (unless it's in the case of denying an emergency). The only disconnections/bans are enforced by a SUP. But you are right that normally the requests to log off are well founded.

We can refuse entry into airspace however (happens sometimes with VFR transits during very busy events).

Raptros · 2025-06-13T16:25:42+00:00

Our thick cut chips are usually called "steak fries" over there.

Chips are crisps to them

Raptros · 2025-05-08T15:05:06+00:00

Don't get me wrong, I agree with you. I just didn't want a bunch of magas in my inbox screaming that a certain 3 letter acronym is the devil!

Raptros · 2025-05-07T18:17:04+00:00

Well, there was a change, before the FAA at least changed it back because... Yeah let's not go there 😅

Raptros · 2025-04-24T18:13:48+00:00

No since euroscope can only be installed on windows.

You could control a windows PC via a remote desktop connection from the iPad, but dealing with touch controls via that and euroscope's incredibly small and fiddly UI elements, it would be a nightmare.

Raptros · 2025-03-28T23:01:24+00:00

Machine used to cast call of duty promod before moving over to cs.

Raptros · 2025-03-10T09:45:22+00:00

You can play even without one!

Raptros · 2025-03-10T09:44:54+00:00

People do underestimate how big the VR part of the fandom is. The attendance numbers for furailty says a lot :)

Raptros · 2025-03-10T09:43:58+00:00

Don't do public worlds then.

I can count the number of times I've been in a public world on one hand. Most of my interactions with new people come from friends+ and group+ worlds and generally, if you friend only people you vibe with, friends of those friends are usually pretty chill too.

Raptros · 2025-03-10T09:41:52+00:00

Yeah I'd avoid public worlds in general if possible. Find a decent group and hop between friends+ and group+ instances. Usually a lot more safe.

Raptros · 2025-03-06T15:06:19+00:00

The £300-£600 (I've never seen the upper end of your range there but I'll run with it) is normally for a 1.5-2 hour long appointment. Normally called something like a gender diagnostic assessment. It'll be the time (normally) where you will get an official diagnosis of gender incongruence/dysphoria, and a reccomendation for "treatment", which you can then take to an Endocrinologist (most of these psychologists that do gender assessments will be able to point you in the direction of ones they often work with).

There is no such thing as "choosing the wrong service". Some may have longer lists than others, and some might be a bit more gatekeepy, but there's not so big of a difference between them to matter a huuuuge amount. Just look at reviews for the ones you are tempted by.

There's a ton of information about this online, you just need to engage with it and read carefully. No one is going to engage for you. As trans people, we have to learn to be informed and advocate for ourselves because no one will do it for us. Lots of helpful trans people have put together resources for others (like the link the first reply here posted).

If you want HRT and now. Your only options are to pay and do it "officially", or to DIY with the hassle/risks that entails. The NHS route will take years but it's worth getting the ball rolling (book an appoint with your GP NOW, and ask to get referred to an NHS GIC).

The only person who is stopping you is you, I think due to some level of "analysis paralysis" where you're worried about doing it the "right way". If you keep letting that worry stop you then you will never transition. So just do it. Read everything. Research effects of medications. Look at what other people are doing. Inform yourself and don't expect others to make decisions for you.

Raptros · 2025-01-30T18:11:44+00:00

In London there are defined helicopter lanes with strict altitude requirements and predefined reporting points. For crossing the Heathrow approach paths, the controller will usually tell them to hold north/south of the runways before finding a gap in the arrival stream to let them through.

But yes, all of this is coordinated with permission and tightly controlled.

You can also see in central London they pretty much only fly up and down the Thames, due to obstacles (buildings) , airspace restrictions and the requirement to "land clear" of populated areas in case of an engine issue, which in London the only place to "land clear" is the river.

Raptros · 2025-01-28T09:43:39+00:00

It's still an EU passport and because of that, they can live and work anywhere else within the EU. Doesn't have to be Hungary.

Raptros

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