Image: Screenshot of the Month winner Francesco D.

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

By:  Camden Bruno

BVA asks all members to complete our Member Satisfaction Survey. Conducted once every two years, the survey helps us identify trends in the community and establish the direction of our organization. 

The survey should take 10-15 minutes to complete and is entirely optional. 

Please complete the survey here, until the end of the month.

By:  Cameron Peterson

Join us for a night of high-intensity operations as we fully staff three of the NEC’s busiest air hubs: Washington-National (DCA), New York-LaGuardia (LGA), and Boston-Logan (BOS). The airspace will be lit up from 7-11pm ET on Friday. 

During the event, you’ll experience the cutting-edge efficiency of NEC ACR's modernized airspace as well as the realism of simulating the heavy traffic volumes characteristic of this region. Whether you’re flying short hops between major hubs or exploring longer routes along the Atlantic Coast, this event promises excitement and realism at every turn.

For more information about the event, and what’s happening in the air and on the ground in the Northeast Corridor, visit our forums.

By: Camden Bruno

FlightSimExpo 2025 takes place on June 27-29, 2025 at the Rhode Island Convention Center in Providence. The show has always been a gathering place for our members, but with the 2025 event being held in our home airspace, we expect BVA and VATSIM/VATUSA to have a large presence this year.

Show organizers welcome volunteers from BVA to apply to assist with the event, participate in our ATC demo team, or bring their flying setup to the show. If you’re planning to attend FlightSimExpo and are interested in being part of the volunteer team, you can apply here.

As a reminder from last month’s Informer: 

We anticipate that select BVA controllers who volunteer at the event and spend at least 5 hours controlling a rostered position from the show floor will receive a gift card of equal or greater value to their registration. Pilot members who wish to bring a flight sim setup may also qualify, while space is available. 

If you haven’t already, you can register to attend the show any time. Enter the code “BVA” when you register (or use this link and the code will be applied for you). Please list “Boston Virtual ARTCC” as your organization when you register. 

Pilot Tip of the Month

Missed Approach Points

When flying an instrument approach, there comes a time - more specifically, a location - when you must decide whether you may continue the approach or whether you must discontinue and try again. This point is aptly called the missed approach point (MAP). Unless you have the required visual reference in sight at the MAP, you must go around and execute a missed approach. But what actually defines the MAP?

Like most things in aviation, it depends! There are two overarching types of approaches: a non-precision approach and a precision approach. The MAP for a non-precision approach usually comes in the form of a minimum descent altitude (MDA) combined with a location. It could be the runway threshold, the opposite end of the runway, or well prior to the runway. On a non-precision approach, you can descend to and maintain the MDA until you reach the MAP; if you don't have the runway or runway environment in sight, you "go missed". Examples of non-precision approaches include localizer approaches, VOR approaches, and RNAV approaches.

For precision approaches, such as ILS approaches, the MAP comes in the form of an altitude. You reach the MAP when you descend to the decision altitude (DA) or decision height (DH) on the approach. Upon reaching the DA or DH, if you don't have the runway or runway environment in sight, you "go missed".

For more information on IFR flying, check out our WINGS Over New England series here!

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