Image: Screenshot of the Month winner Liam S.

Boston Virtual ARTCC's Community Newsletter · September 1, 2026

Save the Date: 60 Hours of ATC

By: Cameron Peterson

One of our favorite fall traditions is coming to an ARTCC near you in November! Beginning Friday, November 27 at 11am ET, join us for 60 continuous hours of Boston Center coverage.

This one-of-a-kind marathon ATC event also includes hosting Friday Night Operations (FNO) on Friday, November 27. 

There are no sign-ups or special actions required for pilots to participate: just connect and fly, any time you want, between 11am ET on Friday, November 27 through 11:00pm ET on Sunday, November 29. How many flights can you complete in 60 hours?

By: Cameron Peterson

On August 1, Boston Virtual ARTCC hosted its annual Tea Party Live event from Manchester, New Hampshire - bringing together the virtual ATC and pilot communities for an outstanding day of operations across the ZBW airspace.

More than 40 virtual controllers—both in-person at our venue and joining remotely—staffed the airspace and airports for six continuous hours. The commitment and professionalism from everyone involved kept the event running smoothly from start to finish.

Alongside the controlling, the Pilot Poker competition drew strong participation, with 61 pilots taking part. Thirteen of those pilots walked away with prizes generously provided by our event sponsors.

The top winners were:

• Elliot – Thrustmaster TCA Sky Yoke
• Evan – FlightSimPM 737 Overhead Panel (donated)
• Mike – Octavi IFR-1 controller
• Paul – Fenix Simulation A320 Base Package
• Maxwell – iniBuilds A350 Airliner

Eight additional winners received additional prizes from iniBuilds, Orbx, and JetCard. Congrats to all!

A big thank you to every controller who staffed the event, every pilot who flew, and our sponsors who made the prizes possible. Tea Party Live continues to be one of the highlights of the BVA calendar—looking forward to next year!

Pilot Tip of the Month

Flying RNAV SIDs at KBOS

RNAV Standard Instrument Departures (SIDs) exist to streamline departures, ensure traffic separation, and enhance efficiency throughout the National Airspace System. They're very commonly assigned throughout the Boston ARTCC. Here are some tips to ensure a smooth and safe departure from KBOS.

1. Set the correct initial altitude. All RNAV SIDs at Boston have a top altitude of 5,000 feet. Before takeoff, ensure that your aircraft's autopilot, flight director, mode control panel, or similar is set to maintain an initial altitude of 5,000'. This ensures departing aircraft will not be a conflict with arriving aircraft on Standard Terminal Arrival Routes (STARs). One of the most common errors noted by ATC on VATSIM is pilots who climb through 5,000 feet on departure from KBOS without clearance.
2. Verify waypoints in the FMS. When flying an RNAV SID, current databases are crucial to maintaining the correct path. Double-check that the waypoints programmed into your aircraft's FMS match the waypoints in the procedure's chart. Differences between the chart and the FMS may lead to navigational errors and potentially traffic conflicts. ZBW Charts can be accessed here.
3. Ensure you have the correct flight lateral navigation mode selected. The specific terminology will depend on the aircraft, but it will generally be NAV, LNAV, FMS, or similar. In other words - make sure your aircraft isn't following a fixed heading! NAV mode ensures that your flight director (and autopilot, accordingly) will follow the RNAV SID route correctly.

For a more detailed description of flying SIDs correctly, see this example of departing runway 22R on the SSOXS departure. If you have any questions about your clearance or routing, advise air traffic control.

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