Image: Screenshot of the Month winner Francesco D.

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

Cross the Pond Eastbound 2026 - Bigger Than Ever

By: Josh Nunn

Cross The Pond returned to action on Saturday, April 25, 2026. 10 departure airports in the Americas and 11 arrival airports in Europe and Africa were selected to host this edition of VATSIM’s largest event, with numerous other enroute facilities providing support for overflights.

Boston (KBOS) was selected as an official departure facility, and saw more than 170 departures and 45 arrivals during the CTP window. Additionally, our radar controllers handled overflights from KMCO, KATL, KIAD, KDFW, CYYZ, and KJFK.

This gif, courtesy of StatSim, shows the traffic movement across North America during the peak hours of the event.

Additionally, a VATSIM network record was set during the event for the most simultaneous active connections. At the peak of the event, 3,393 users were connected to VATSIM, breaking the previous record of 3,208. We are grateful to the pilots who flew through our airspace during the event, whether you were slotted for the event or just doing a local flight!

Cross The Pond is VATSIM’s largest event, where pilots can experience full ATC coverage from one side of the Atlantic to the other. Due to the popularity of this event, pilots wishing to fly trans-Atlantic needed to obtain a slot via a lottery.

By: Evan Reiter

The real-world Providence Airport (KPVD) is starting a period of intermittent closures of Runway 5-23 for rehabilitation work. The work is expected to continue until September. During the work, the ILS for Runway 5 may be unavailable.

To provide an added level of realism to our members, controllers will mirror the real-world status of Runway 5-23 and the associated instrument approaches. 

On the VATSIM network, NOTAMs such as runway closures that can be simulated on the network will sometimes be simulated by controllers.

Due to workload, Center controllers working the airspace top-down may not automatically simulate these closures. Pilots requesting to avoid the use of Runway 5-23 while it is closed, or to fly an alternative approach while the ILS RWY 5 is unavailable, are welcome to request alternative options.

By: Evan Reiter

FlightSimExpo is just a few weeks away! This globally-inspired, three-day flight sim celebration takes place on June 12-14, 2026 in Saint Paul, MN, just 15 minutes from MSP airport. The event features developer announcements, hands-on workshops, panel discussions, and community-inspired seminars.

Boston Virtual ARTCC has been a proud partner of the show since the beginning, and many of our members are part of the team that puts the show together. This year, BVA members will once again be part of the Online ATC Display Area, which is designed to show FlightSimExpo attendees what it’s like to fly and control on the VATSIM network. 

If you’re attending the show, be sure to stop by the VATSIM booth and say hi to the familiar BVA faces you’ll recognize at the event. You can get tickets for FlightSimExpo at flightsimexpo.com, with single-day tickets starting at $40. 

Pilot Tip of the Month

Flying in Congested Airspace

During events and busy nights, you might find yourself flying in airspace that has very congested frequencies. Here are some of tips for effectively managing communications with air traffic control!

Be sure to listen before transmitting. When you are handed off to another frequency, wait some time to gain situational awareness and understand the status of the frequency before transmitting. This ensures ongoing dialogues and/or required readbacks are not interrupted. (Sometimes, you might only hear the controller but not the pilot's readback; in this case, try to "time out" the pilot's response before making your own transmission.)

Along similar lines, if your transmission isn't immediately answered, wait some time before repeating. It's possible your controller heard you, but was busy coordinating with other controllers ("on the landline"). It's also possible the controller is operating multiple frequencies or across a large area, in which case you may not hear every other pilot's readbacks.

If asked to "stand by", do not acknowledge such an instruction. "Stand by" is a request for silence: either the controller has to coordinate your request, transmit to another aircraft, or find a way to accommodate your request. As stated in the FAA Pilot/Controller Glossary, "'stand by" means the controller or pilot must pause for a few seconds, usually to attend to other duties of a higher priority and is not an approval or denial.

If we all follow these tips in these busy days of VATSIM, we will all be highly satisfied with the results!

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