Image: Screenshot of the Month winner Charlie H.

Boston Virtual ARTCC's Community Newsletter · August 1, 2025

Recapping our Mid-Year All Member Meeting

By: Camden Bruno

The BVA All Member Meeting was held on July 19 from 8-10pm ET in our Member TeamSpeak. The meeting was open to all BVA Members and represented an opportunity to hear more about what's planned for the future of our community and to ask questions.

Amongst other topics, we discussed:

• The upcoming Boston Tea Party event, happening on August 9. (More information about Tea Party is available below.)
• Our plans to re-write portions of the WINGS program to align with real-world ACS standards and phase out some of the procedures that have been decommissioned, to take place later this year.
• That Flight Simulation Association will be co-hosting a Ground School series alongside BVA in the coming months. Details shortly. 
• A recap of June’s FlightSimExpo, including our role in helping VATSIM with the Best Exhibit Booth award at the show. 
• An update on CWT/ATPA procedures (more information about that is also available below).
• The latest on BVASO, our Special Operations organization.
• The launch of our new Merch Store. 

Although the meeting was not recorded, we look forward to gathering with the community again later this year.

By: Camden Bruno

The 26th Annual Boston Tea Party Live Event happens on Saturday, August 9 from 11:00am to 5:00pm ET (1500z–2100z). In one of VATSIM’s longest-standing traditions, BVA controllers will gather near the site of the real Boston Center to provide live ATC coverage for 6 hours at some of our most popular airports.

Boston Virtual ARTCC is excited to announce our list of prizes for Tea Party Poker, a fun competition that happens during the live event. This year, prizes are available from Thrustmaster, Tobii, Octavi, Fenix, and Orbx!

For more info on Tea Party Poker and contest instructions, visit our forums.

By: Evan Reiter

On July 11, Boston Virtual ARTCC introduced a new wake turbulence separation standard across our airspace. This implementation was made possible by feature updates to the vNAS software suite that powers virtual air traffic control operations within VATUSA.

Previously, wake turbulence spacing was based on the maximum certified takeoff weight of an aircraft. Spacing rules assumed all aircraft within a particular category had the same wake turbulence characteristics. For example, the previous standard required 4 mile spacing between Heavy aircraft, even when the trailing aircraft was the one that produced more wake. This standard made sense if a B767 was following a B747, but resulted in greater-than-necessary spacing when a B747 was following a B767. 

With Consolidated Wake Turbulence (CWT), modernized methodology allows controllers to space some aircraft more closely than before. Instead of relying on weight alone, CWT categorizes aircraft into a separation matrix based on wake-based data, and creates separation minima for each pair. This provides throughput gains at today’s constrained airports. 

Using the examples above, if a B767 is following a B747, 4 miles is still required. However, if the B767 is ahead of the B747, separation can be reduced to 3 miles and less without compromising safety. 

As a result of these changes, pilots may notice being spaced more closely, especially when operating jetliners and on final approach at our busiest airports.

In real life, all terminal facilities within the NAS began following CWT standards as of May 25, 2024. However, most VATSIM facilities (including BVA) only adopted CWT standards recently because the technology required to achieve these new standards had not been available. 

By: Camden Bruno

The A-Team is excited to announce the creation of the BVA Merch Shop, offering a variety of products including t-shirts, stickers, drinkware, and more. This was one of our top requests from pilots and controllers, offering a great way to show your support for the community while also helping us financially!

You can find the new store at shop.bvartcc.com or via the ‘Members’ drop-down menu. 

While some generic products will remain listed at all times, it is our intention to continue updating this website with featured and seasonal merch. An example of featured items include the 2025 Boston Tea Party T-Shirt and Mug, which are available now through the event date (August 9).

As BVA is an incorporated 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, any proceeds from merch sales will be directed back into funding community events, resources (one example being our web infrastructure), and more. 

If you have any suggestions regarding Merch that you would like to see, please reach out to me via Discord or email. Additionally, should you experience any issues with product quality or have other concerns, please be sure to let us know. We look forward to seeing you all represent our amazing community with your new swag!

By: Camden Bruno

BVA is seeking candidates for content creator position(s) to assist in graphic design, image editing, and more. This is a non-Administrative Team position that does not require air traffic control experience.

If you have graphic design experience and are interested in helping design banners for our website, social media, and more, please consider applying. Details may be found in the position posting on our forums.

Pilot Tip of the Month

Aircraft Performance

It's the peak of summer: great for spending time outdoors and enjoying the warm weather - but not so great for how your aircraft handles. Higher temperatures result in a lower air density, which in turn means fewer air molecules per unit volume. This results in less air going over the wings (or rotors) and less air being compressed into the engine. Pilots are impacted both on the ground and in the air.

Aircraft will experience worse performance when it's hot and humid. You'll likely notice longer takeoff and landing distances, higher fuel planning numbers, and more turbulence in the skies from the convective build-ups. Be sure to check aircraft performance calculations against runway distance available. Most flight planning software will give you a solid estimate of runway required for takeoff. If you find yourself needing to utilize a longer runway than what is assigned to you, advise air traffic control.

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