Andrew Heath

(Not implemented yet) Certificated Virtual Operators are ranked based on the average Quality Points score of their members. This rank is calculated by taking the total Quality Points earned by each pilot during the course of flying flights for the Virtual Operator on POSCON and dividing by the total Virtual Operator members on POSCON.

The following benefits are afforded to Virtual Operators that hold a POSCON Air Operating Certificate: Members of the certificated Virtual Operator are permitted to promote their organization and it's events on POSCON venues such as affiliated Discords, websites, etc. If the the Virtual Operator uses fake ICAO airline codes or callsigns, then those will added to our database for the Virtual Operator's use. NOTE: A real-world ICAO airline codes always take priority over fake codes, even if the fake Virtual Operator code predates the real-world airline. (Not implemented yet) Pilots who are part of a certificated Virtual Operator and conduct those flights on the POSCON Network will receive Reliability Points. In order for the system to recognize that the flight was conducted for a Virtual Operator, pilots must file a flight plan and specify that the flight is being conducted for a particular Virtual Operator. This is accomplished by selecting the Virtual Operator from a drop-down menu on the FPL form. Once the flight is registered as complete by the server, the pilot will be awarded Reliability Points in accordance with the following: 5 Reliability Points if Virtual Operator maintains only the mandatory Ops Specs for the type of certificate held; and 1 additional Reliability Point for each Ops Spec that the Virtual Operator maintains on top of the the mandatory set. POSCON will accommodate certificated Virtual Operator for slot-driven events. In some cases, this may mean adding slots to ensure the Virtual Operator has slots. (Not implemented yet) If more than one certificated Virtual Operator is competing for the same slots, then the rank of the Virtual Operator will be considered. Certificated Virtual Operators are permitted to have one member of their organization sit on the Network Board of Quality & Standards. (Not implemented yet) Certificated Virtual Operators have direct access with their members through POSCON ACARS connection to simulate realistic dispatch communications.

The certificate holder uses the following named personnel in the 14 CFR Part 121 management positions: _______________________________________ 1. Issued by the Positive Control Network, Operations Department. 2. These Operations Specifications are approved by direction of the Director of Operations. Digitally signed by Mathieu Laflamme, Director of Operations [1] SUPPORT INFO: Submission Package Ops Spec A006 Management Personnel [2] EFFECTIVE DATE: 12/23/2021 [3] AMENDMENT #: N/A DATE: 2021.12.23 20:13Z 3. I herby accept and receive the Operations Specifications in this paragraph. Digitally signed by Steven Allen, President [1] SUPPORT INFO: N/A DATE: 2021.12.23 20:13Z

The following defines the different columns that may be listed in the authorization table: M/M/S - This defines the make, model, and series of the authorized airplane/aircraft. ICAO Code - This defines which ICAO code is most suitable for the applicable M/M/S. This code must match a code listed in the ICAO Data - Aircraft database. Regulatory Compliance - For each aircraft, list the type of operation authorized by referencing the applicable regulatory compliance. The authorization is aircraft specific. In some cases, more than one type of operation may be required for a specific make and model. Operating Configuration - List "PAX" for passenger only, "Cargo" for cargo only, or "PAX and Cargo" for both. En Route - Enter the appropriate en route flight rule for each airplane/aircraft. If the airplane/aircraft is approved for instrument flight rules (IFR) operations, enter “IFR/VFR.” If the airplane/aircraft is restricted to visual flight rules (VFR) operations only, select “VFR Only.” Condition of Flight - Select the day/night condition for each airplane/aircraft. If the airplane/aircraft is approved for both day and night conditions, select “Day/Night.” If the airplane is approved for daylight conditions only, select “Day Only.” Seats Demonstrated - This defines the number of seats installed on the airplane/aircraft when it met the emergency evacuation demonstration requirements of the regulatory authority. Do not include crew members in this number. This number determines the minimum number of flight attendants required to operate the airplane/aircraft. NOTE: For "Cargo" operating configurations, this column can be excluded or enter the number "0" may be entered. POSCON Pax - This value should match what is contained in the ICAO Data - Aircraft database for the ICAO Code listed. Number Flt. Att. - Enter the number of flight attendants used during the certificate holder's emergency evacuation demonstration required by the regulatory authority for each airplane/aircraft listed. This column may be excluded if the regulatory compliance does not require flight attendants. NOTE: If the passenger seating configuration is 19 seats or fewer, enter the number “0.” POSCON Cargo - This defines the maximum cargo carrying capacity of the airplane/aircraft in KG. This number is calculated by taking structural limits in each cargo bin and adding those values together. This value should match what is contained in the ICAO Data - Aircraft database.

The certificate holder is authorized to conduct operations under the provisions of Title 14 CFR Part 121 using airplanes with the approved configuration and operations described in the following table: M/M/S ICAO Code Regulatory Compliance Operating Configuration En Route Condition of Flight Seats Demonstrated POSCON Pax Number Flt. Att. A-319-112 A319 119.21(a)(1),(2),(3) - (D)(F)&(S) PAX and Cargo IFR/VFR Day/Night 124 145 3 A-319-115 A319 119.21(a)(1),(2),(3) - (D)(F)&(S) PAX and Cargo IFR/VFR Day/Night 128 145 3 A-319-132 A319 119.21(a)(1),(2),(3) - (D)(F)&(S) PAX and Cargo IFR/VFR Day/Night 124 145 3 A-319-132 A319 119.21(a)(1),(2),(3) - (D)(F)&(S) PAX and Cargo IFR/VFR Day/Night 128 145 3 A-320-214 A320 119.21(a)(1),(2),(3) - (D)(F)&(S) PAX and Cargo IFR/VFR Day/Night 150 180 3 A-320-232 A320 119.21(a)(1),(2),(3) - (D)(F)&(S) PAX and Cargo IFR/VFR Day/Night 150 180 3 A-321-211 A321 119.21(a)(1),(2),(3) - (D)(F)&(S) PAX and Cargo IFR/VFR Day/Night 183 220 4 A-321-231 A321 119.21(a)(1),(2),(3) - (D)(F)&(S) PAX and Cargo IFR/VFR Day/Night 102 220 4 A-321-231 A321 119.21(a)(1),(2),(3) - (D)(F)&(S) PAX and Cargo IFR/VFR Day/Night 181 220 4 A-321-231 A321 119.21(a)(1),(2),(3) - (D)(F)&(S) PAX and Cargo IFR/VFR Day/Night 183 220 4 A-321-253NX A21N 119.21(a)(1),(2),(3) - (D)(F)&(S) PAX and Cargo IFR/VFR Day/Night 196 220 4 A-330-243 A332 119.21(a)(1),(2),(3) - (D)(F)&(S) PAX and Cargo IFR/VFR Day/Night 293 293 8 A-330-323 A333 119.21(a)(1),(2),(3) - (D)(F)&(S) PAX and Cargo IFR/VFR Day/Night 293 335 8 B-737-8 B38M 119.21(a)(1),(2),(3) - (D)(F)&(S) PAX and Cargo IFR/VFR Day/Night 160 184 4 B-737-800 B738 119.21(a)(1),(2),(3) - (D)(F)&(S) PAX and Cargo IFR/VFR Day/Night 160 184 4 B-737-823 B738 119.21(a)(1),(2),(3) - (D)(F)&(S) PAX and Cargo IFR/VFR Day/Night 146 184 3 B-737-823 B738 119.21(a)(1),(2),(3) - (D)(F)&(S) PAX and Cargo IFR/VFR Day/Night 146 184 4 B-737-823 B738 119.21(a)(1),(2),(3) - (D)(F)&(S) PAX and Cargo IFR/VFR Day/Night 160 184 4 B-757-223 B752 119.21(a)(1),(2),(3) - (D)(F)&(S) PAX and Cargo IFR/VFR Day/Night 194 239 4 B-757-2B7 B752 119.21(a)(1),(2),(3) - (D)(F)&(S) PAX and Cargo IFR/VFR Day/Night 193 239 4 B-777-223 B772 119.21(a)(1),(2),(3) - (D)(F)&(S) PAX and Cargo IFR/VFR Day/Night 237 320 8 B-777-223 B772 119.21(a)(1),(2),(3) - (D)(F)&(S) PAX and Cargo IFR/VFR Day/Night 260 320 8 B-777-323ER B77W 119.21(a)(1),(2),(3) - (D)(F)&(S) PAX and Cargo IFR/VFR Day/Night 310 386 10 B-787-8 B788 119.21(a)(1),(2),(3) - (D)(F)&(S) PAX and Cargo IFR/VFR Day/Night 226 300 8 B-787-9 B789 119.21(a)(1),(2),(3) - (D)(F)&(S) PAX and Cargo IFR/VFR Day/Night 285 350 8 DC-9-83 MD83 119.21(a)(1),(2),(3) - (D)(F)&(S) PAX and Cargo IFR/VFR Day/Night 142 150 3 _______________________________________ 1. Issued by the Positive Control Network, Operations Department. 2. These Operations Specifications are approved by direction of the Director of Operations. Digitally signed by Mathieu Laflamme, Director of Operations [1] SUPPORT INFO: Submission Package Ops Spec A003 Airplane/Aircraft Authorization [2] EFFECTIVE DATE: 12/23/2021 [3] AMENDMENT #: N/A DATE: 2021.12.23 19:35Z 3. I herby accept and receive the Operations Specifications in this paragraph. Digitally signed by Steven Allen, President [1] SUPPORT INFO: N/A DATE: 2021.12.23 19:35Z

Unless otherwise defined in these operations specifications, all words, phrases, definitions, and abbreviations have identical meanings to those used in Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) and Title 49 United States Code as cited in Public Law 103-272, as amended. Additionally, the definitions listed below are applicable to operations conducted in accordance with these operations specifications. This certificate holder has listed no additional terms. _______________________________________ 1. Issued by the Positive Control Network, Operations Department. 2. These Operations Specifications are approved by direction of the Director of Operations. Digitally signed by Mathieu Laflamme, Director of Operations [1] SUPPORT INFO: Submission Package Ops Spec A002 Definitions and Abbreviations [2] EFFECTIVE DATE: 12/23/2021 [3] AMENDMENT #: N/A DATE: 2021.12.23 16:07Z 3. I herby accept and receive the Operations Specifications in this paragraph. Digitally signed by Steven Allen, President [1] SUPPORT INFO: N/A DATE: 2021.12.23 16:07Z

A: Yes. Follow these steps: Configure the sim to listen on a TCP port over IPv4 or IPv6 according to: https://docs.flightsimulator.com/html/Programming_Tools/SimConnect/SimConnect_XML_Definition.htm Create a the CFG file at the following location: %LocalAppData%\POSCON\SimConnect Pilot Client\SimConnect.CFG according to https://docs.flightsimulator.com/html/Programming_Tools/SimConnect/SimConnect_CFG_Definition.htm and set the IP address to the sim machine. NOTE: This procedure only applies for the SimConnect Pilot Client currently. X-Plane support for a remote host option will come later.

In order to be considered an affiliated Virtual Operator on the POSCON Network, the Virtual Operator must be apply and be authorized for a set of mandatory operations specifications. The following paragraphs outline which operations specifications are considered mandatory for the type of certificate the Virtual Operator wishes to hold.

A001 identifies exempted operations that may be conducted under less restrictive regulations while still utilizing the authorizations in these operations specifications. A Letter of Authorization need not be obtained so long as these exempted operations are not conducted for the purposes of achieving POSCON Points or rank.

A. These operations specifications are issued to AAvirtual, whose principal base of operation is located at: https://www.aavirtual.net/ The holder of these operations specifications is the holder of Operating Certificate Number AALA025A and shall hereafter be referred to as the certificate holder. In addition to the Positive Control Network's policies and standards, the certificate holder shall operate under the United States of America Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) issued and maintained by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). The certificate holder is authorized to conduct: Air Carrier Flag operations in Common carriage pursuant to Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) Section 119.21(a)(2) Air Carrier Domestic operations in Common carriage pursuant to Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) Section 119.21(a)(1) Air Carrier Supplemental operations in Common carriage pursuant to Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) Section 119.21(a)(3) The certificate holder shall conduct these kinds of operations in accordance with the specific authorizations, limitations, and procedures in these operations specifications and all appropriate Parts of the CFR. The certificate holder is authorized to conduct operations using the following ICAO airline code(s) and radio telephony: AAL - "American" B. The certificate holder is authorized to use only the business name which appears on the certificate to conduct the operations described in subparagraph A. C. The certificate holder is authorized to conduct flights under 14 CFR Part 91 for crewmember training, maintenance tests, ferrying, re-positioning, and the carriage of company officials using the applicable authorizations in these operations specifications, without obtaining a Letter of Authorization, provided the flights are not conducted for the purposes of achieving POSCON Points or rank. _______________________________________ 1. Issued by the Positive Control Network, Operations Department. 2. These Operations Specifications are approved by direction of the Director of Operations. Digitally signed by Mathieu Laflamme, Director of Operations [1] SUPPORT INFO: Submission Package Ops Spec A001 Issuance and Applicability [2] EFFECTIVE DATE: 12/22/2021 [3] AMENDMENT #: N/A DATE: 2021.12.22 23:26Z 3. I herby accept and receive the Operations Specifications in this paragraph. Digitally signed by Steven Allen, President [1] SUPPORT INFO: N/A DATE: 2021.12.22 23:26Z

This Virtual Operator has NOT received an official operating corticate yet. All the information contained in subsequent sections should be considered in draft status.

Peter, I am not able to reproduce this issue. Can you please write steps to reproduce and send me the X-plane log and Launcher Client logs? Thanks https://forums.poscon.net/docs/support/faq/technical/#section-335

A: Unplug the troubling game controller(s) and try again.

A: Make sure you X-Plane installed on NTFS drive.

A: This issue happens because you have Windows controlling the volume of different sounds automatically. To prevent this, open "Sound" properties and click on the "Communications" tab then select "Do nothing".

CAPTAINS, (if you have been in the flight simulation community long enough, you will understand the "Captains" reference) The last technology blog post was published in May of 2020, and what a long journey it has been for our team since then! Thankfully that long arduous development journey has come to an end and users will be able to benefit from our hard work. I want to start off by answering some common questions and clearing misconceptions. Is POSCON dead? Absolutely not! We are very much alive and well! We may not seem like a major player in the online flight simulation network arena right now, but rest assured that our technology is far superior to that of our peers and we will be a significant force to reckon with in the near future. So, where have you been? The short answer is, we have been here all along. . . quietly developing. As a result of feedback from early beta testers, we took the drastic step of essentially shutting down POSCON's forward progress in order to rewrite the voice software. This decision was made when we realized that the voice software was not going to be able to sustain our projected growth using the protocol it was developed to use. Making a change to the protocol basically required a complete rewrite, which I am pleased to report is now complete. The good news is that the rewrite only occupied one developer for past last year. While he worked tirelessly to bring users a better voice experience, our other developers have been making significant feature upgrades to their components. I am going to take some time to highlight those major developments later in this post. Why haven't you posted development updates over the past year? To answer this question, we need to address two major issues in the flight simulation community: the hype train mentality and the copying problem. The hype train mentality. A very common tendency in the flight simulation community is to over-hype a product. Some developers do this on purpose by dropping little nuggets of information or photos on social media regarding a new and exciting product they are working on in order to build hype, then one of two things happens; either the product never gets released (it was vaporware all along) or the product is released, but does not live up to the hype. This community loves to ride the hype train and it is not something that the POSCON team thinks is a professional approach to software development and marketing. We don't want to build up hype around a product that doesn't live up to expectations. We feel it is better to stay quiet and develop rather than to make promises we cannot keep. The copying problem. No, I am not referring to the people who like to pirate software (and yes, that is a problem too). What I am referring to the issue of other developers/networks (you know who you are) taking our great ideas and benefiting from them. This is something Robert Randazzo of PMDG actually brought up in his recent interview with Jeff Turner over at Sky Blue Radio in regards to Global Flight Operations. I couldn't agree more. Competition is a great thing, but competition means being innovative and developing new ideas. Anyway, enough of my rant. . . but those are the main reasons we are careful not to provide too many details about what we are working on now. Okay, so what are you willing to share? First, I think it is important to point out that all recent updates to our software can be found in the changelogs which are located on the POSCON HQ. I certainly have no intention of covering everything that has changed over the past last year, so I encourage all users to browse through the logs if you are interested in learning more. Having said that, there are some main points I want to cover in this blog post. Let's first talk about the voice software, since this is what has been the major barrier to our forward progress. The voice software is now using a new protocol which will prevent a lot of the issues that users were experiencing with the previous iteration such as issues with wireless headsets, sample rates, garbling, etc. In addition to changing the protocol, we moved all the voice settings (push-to-talk, audio device selection, volume control, etc.) from the Radar Client and Pilot Clients into the Launcher Client in order to centralize these settings. This means that users will now only need to modify the voice settings once for all POSCON clients. This integration of the voice software into the Launcher Client enables us to expand the capabilities of the voice software in the future to perhaps support web-based pilot and ATC clients. You can find all the new voice settings by clicking cog wheel in the bottom right-hand corner of the Launcher Client: Here are the new settings that you will see after clicking on the cog wheel: Under the "Volume Controls" setting, we now allow users to control squelch which adds an extra layer of realism to the VHF simulation. You can adjust the squelch by moving the slider left (lower) and right (higher). The Launcher Client also incorporates a new voice status icon located in the upper right-hand corner of application which gives users an indication of the microphone and the radio configuration. Here are the different states: "No Radio" - Red Mic Icon You are not connected to POSCON (or the voice server) or your airplane radios are not powered (perhaps your avionics are turned off). "Radio Ready" - White Mic Icon Your radios are configured correctly, but you are not currently transmitting. "Transmitting" - Green Mic Icon You are transmitting and listening on a frequency. "No Reception" - Yellow Mic Icon Your radios are set up to transmit, but not to listen. (push-to-talk button/key pressed) "No Transmission" - Yellow Mic Icon Your radios are set up to listen, but not to transmit. This can happen when you are in Ghost mode or if you don't have your radios configured to transmit on a frequency. (push-to-talk button/key pressed) In all cases, remember you can use the Pilot Client Web UI ("RADIOS" page) to get better insight into what is happening with the configuration of your radios. Other changes to the voice software include: Upgrades to the radio-frequency physical model which helps to better simulate real-world radio interference Antenna position now varies by aircraft type and thus improves ground effects near the airport surface Server-side memory optimization and multi-threading New stuck-mic protection (35 second timer, then mic cuts out) The Launcher Client itself has been re-versioned to 1.0.0 and is officially out of beta testing. We upgraded it to the latest dot NET framework and changed the cloud location where it downloads client software from. The long term goal (version 2.0.0) for the Launcher Client is something we are referring to as the "Unified Launcher Client". The Unified Launcher Client will integrate the SimConnect (FSX/P3D/MSFS) Pilot Client, voice software, and authentication all into the same code-base so that multiple applications need not be opened simultaneously to run POSCON. One important user-experience note about the new Launcher Client (version 1.0.0) is that when you click the "X" in the top right-hand corner, it will now minimize the Launcher Client to the system tray. In order to completely quit the Launcher Client, you must right-click on the icon in the system tray to quit. The HQ has undergone a significant number of upgrades and improvements over the past year. . . far too many to mention here so I encourage you to go view the HQ specific changelog. Our most recent changes (i.e. in the past month or so) include the addition of a brand new Virtual Operators section. Virtual Operators are essentially organizations that are commonly referred to as "virtual airlines" in the community. These organizations can join POSCON and benefit from an integrated connection that will ensure members only fly with approved aircraft, callsigns, routes, and more! Also, the HQ development team has been slowly improving the ATC Division pages including a re-design of the Overview and Members pages to offer a better user experience to view information and activity in the division. Speaking of re-design, your User Profile has also been re-designed to offer a better user experience that compliments all your activity! The Radar Client has had many updates and improvements as well, please see the Radar Client specific Changelog for more details. The Pilot Clients and Radar Client have been stripped of all voice-related items. The software should still work normally, but the voice now is handled by the Launcher Client. Wow, that's amazing stuff, but how do you plan on attracting more users? Sorry, but this is a Technology blog! Can't answer that! In all seriousness, we will be sending out marketing materials soon. We plan on making 2022 a big year for POSCON and we want to thank those who have kept the faith throughout the years. Without you and your encouragement, this wouldn't have been worth it! Happy Holidays to all!

Q: What do the different roles mean? Q: Why do I not have the proper Discord roles? Q: I would like roles in Discord. How do I link my Discord account to my POSCON account? Q: How do I get the Content Creator role?

Q: How many feedbacks per day can I file? Q: What happens when I submit a feedback? Does the person know it was me? Q: I do not agree with a Moderator's decision, what can I do? Q: How does POSCON deal with trolling? Q: What is the difference between Feedback and Reporting, and which should I use? Q: What can I expect if I report another user?

(GENERAL) Q: Where do I locate the log files at? (GENERAL) Q: How do I use Wireshark? (X-PLANE) Q: I keep getting the error: "POSCON was unable to take control of the X-Plane AI aircraft because of plugin: <plugin name> is controlling the AI aircraft. Your TCAS display will not represent POSCON traffic." How can I prevent this? (X-PLANE) Q: How do I ensure an add-on aircraft’s ICAO code is recognized by the POSCON plug-in? (FSX/P3D) Q: When flying in close proximity to other aircraft at high speeds (e.g. in formation), the aircraft next to me stutters back and forth rapidly. Is this normal? (FS2020) Q: Users seem to disappear randomly and never return, even though they report being right next to me. (FS2020) Q: A controller sends me a CPDLC message, I don't see the notification within my sim. How do enable these notifications? (VOICE) (FSX) (LAUNCHER) Q: My keyboard push-to-talk (PTT) button is not working. (VOICE) Q: When I transmit on POSCON, other users report that I sound like I am in a tin can and far away from the mic. How can I prevent this? (VOICE) Q: I am receiving an “Aura voice async exception: SoundIo out of memory” error. What does this mean? (VOICE) Q: Other pilots and ATC tell me that my audio transmissions sound scrambled or unreadable. (VOICE) Q: Are Bluetooth audio devices supported? (WEBSITE) Q: I am not receiving any emails from @POSCON.net, what should I do? (VOICE) Q: When I connect to POSCON, audio in other programs such is lowered by half. How can I prevent this?

Q: Where is the ATC client? When can I do ATC? Q: How to join my division? Can I be staff? Q: My division isn't featured on the network yet, why not? Q: Will ATC ratings from other networks transfer when POSCON releases? Q: My friends and I want to start a POSCON affiliated Discord server, are we allowed to do that?

Q: What do I need to do in order to start flying on POSCON? Q: Where can I find documentation regarding the clients? Q: Is connecting with a callsign required? Where do I enter my callsign? How does the callsign logic work? Q: I filed a flight plan. Why don't I see the callsign I used in the flight plan form on the map? Q: Am I able to change my callsign without disconnecting? Q: Where do I file a flight plan on POSCON? Q: Can we import flight plans from SimBrief or other flight planning software? Q: Why don't I see my filed route on the map? Q: I got disconnected, how do I reactivate my flight plan so that my data is shown properly on the map? Q: Where do I download the multiplayer traffic library? Q: What is the UNICOM frequency? How do I find the CTAF frequency to use? Q: Why am I constantly auto ghosted while using X-Plane? Q: What if I don't know how to fill out an ICAO flight plan? Q: I don't like to use voice; where can I use text? Q: How can I casually chat with other pilots? Q: How can I register my Virtual Airline (VA)? Q: Will pilot ratings from other networks transfer when POSCON releases? Q: How does the flight plan system work? Q: How does the squawk code system work? Q: How does the callsign reservation system work? (TRIPS) Q: Is there a page to choose the Trip I want to do? (TRIPS) Q: How do I nominate an airport to be in the next Trip? (TRIPS) Q: I just completed a Trip while being ghosted and it did not count. How come? (TRIPS) Q: I was disconnected half way into my flight, what will happen now?

Q: Who can connect to POSCON? Q: Do you have to pay a fee to join or use POSCON? Q: Where can I find the network rules? Q: What are the supported flight simulator platforms? Q: How does the user experience toggle button work on HQ? Q: What is this the user ranking system? How does it work? Where can I see my score? Q: How can I earn or lose points? Q: What is feedback? How does it work? Q: What is the difference between Ghost mode and Live mode? Q: What operating systems do you support? Q: Where can I follow POSCON and keep up-to-date on what is happening? Q: What is currently functioning, what is in development, and what are the future features planned? Q: How do I change my email? Q: How do I suggest features that I would like to see implemented on POSCON?

A: Please visit our Feature Requests Forum and make a post. Make sure to have your friends up-vote the feature so it moves to the top of the list!