Supervisor Stories: Edition 11
Welcome back to the eleventh edition of Supervisor Stories! Each edition of Supervisor Stories will introduce you to a handful of supervisors from the Infinite Flight Air Traffic Control team as they share their IFATC story and journey with the wider community. The IFATC Supervisor Team and the community as a whole is full of people from around the world, with a diverse range of backgrounds, cultures and experiences so there will never be a dull moment.
CitrusAviatrix | IFATC Supervisor, Recruiter and Trainer
CitrusAviatrix's Supervisor Story
Hi! Iâm @CitrusAviatrix, a current Supervisor, Recruiter, and Trainer in IFATC. Ever since I was little, I have always loved aviation. I took my first flight in a small aircraft when I was 8 years old and have been hooked ever since. In high school, I completed my private pilot training the summer between my junior and senior year. I currently attend a part 141 university program in the central United States, and just received my commercial pilot certificate this month! In addition to piloting in general, I have always had a draw to the ATC world, and find it fascinating. I almost went into a career in Air Traffic Control, but have decided on piloting.
I first picked up Infinite Flight back in 2018, and flew for a bit before joining the Forum in early 2019. I got a bit busy with high school for a while, and then COVID happened. In 2020, I picked Infinite Flight back up, and several months later, applied for IFATC in October, 2020. I passed my practical a couple weeks later and have controlled ever since!
As I got familiar with IFATC, I was immediately interested in upgrading to an officer to control radar for IFATC. I began my training in January, 2021 with @ToasterStroodie. I had a lot of fun in the process (and only crashed one aircraft). I passed my radar practical a few weeks later in early February.
Throughout my IFATC career, I have always strived for my best performance, both in IFATC controlling and helping others with their journey through IFATC. I became a Supervisor back in February, 2022, and received the trainer role shortly thereafter in April 2022. I have thoroughly enjoyed every training session I have attended and hosted for my trainees, and I am very proud of the progress they have all made in IFATC. After some delays and busy life events, I now also hold the recruiter role to assist others in the very beginning of their IFATC journey, or in the massive step up to the radar controlling world.
Over the 3.5 years I have been in IFATC so far, I have met a variety of amazing people in this organization from all over the world. The community aspect of IFATC has been a huge involvement point for me, coming back to control the Infinite Flight skies again and again. The culture of helping others achieve their goals, giving advice, and support for both IFATC and life achievements has been a fantastic benefit of joining, seeing and growing with others along the way. I love to help others achieve their IFATC goals, and I do my absolute best to fulfil my roles and Supervisor, Recruiter, and Trainer to the best of my ability.
Eugene_Leybovich | IFATC Supervisor
Eugene_Leybovich's Supervisor Story
Hello everyone,
My name is Eugene, I live in Central New Jersey (yes it is a real place) and Iâm 41. Married father of 3 (9 yearr old twins and a 4 year old, all girls) and Iâve been an aviation geek my whole life. I was born in Moldova (located in Eastern Europe between Ukraine and Romania). My grandfather was an Aeroflot pilot and my uncle was an Air Traffic Controller. Because of their jobs, we lived right next to the airport (LUKK). This is where my passion for all things aviation really developed. I remember climbing up the airport fence with my friends as a kid to watch Tupolevâs and Antonovâs land and take off. Also, one of the coolest memories was my grandfather taking me flying on an actual Tu-154 simulator that pilots used for practice/qualification! At that time, I was 100% sure that I would be a pilot when I grew up.
When the Soviet Union collapsed, crime and corruption were rampant in most of the countries behind the former Soviet bloc. At that time, my parents decided to immigrate to United States in search of greener pastures. This is where I discovered MSFS and immediately became obsessed. With whatever money I was able to save up, I would buy PC hardware and every peripheral imaginable to improve the gaming experience. When it was time to go to college, I had a decision to make⌠go to flight school or get a degree in something else. At the time I was applying to colleges, there was a surplus of pilots and the only sure way to get into commercial aviation was to join the military. And even then, the starting salary didnât look all that impressive on paper. Needless to say, I ended up going into Finance and have been working in this industry ever since graduation. My childhood hobby took a backseat and my MSFS setup was collecting dust.
I discovered Infinite Flight in 2018 and was immediately hooked. Loved the graphics and the realism but also the ability to interact with ATC, join Virtual Airlines, develop realistic flight plans using 3rd party apps etc. But more importantly, it gave me a chance to join a like-minded community members with whom I shared common interests and similar passion for aviation. I remember being impressed by the ATC Team at Infinite Flight, especially during heavy traffic sessions at featured airports. I first decided to join the IFATC in 2019. I read the manual, watched Tylerâs famous âPerfect ATC Testâ video, and was sure the practical would be a breeze. Welp, that was probably the worst idea (at least for me) and I managed to fail the practical not once but twice. I waited out the appropriate cool down period and started to work with @ToasterStroodie , who was my assigned trainer at the time. Needless to say, Danny Zhou got me up to speed pretty quickly and I passed my practical in no time.
I had to step away from the game because of a major work assignment that required my full undivided attention for a prolonged period of time. My second stint at ATC started in November 2022. As a returning ATC member, I had 1 training session with @Kitick before being cleared for the local practical. My recruiter this time was @Trey I wasnât messing around this time and my goal was to start training to become an officer as soon as I was eligible. To better understand the mechanics of radar controlling, I attended as many training sessions as I could (which I highly recommend to all the local certified controllers that are thinking of becoming officers). Itâs also a great way to meet and get to know your fellow controllers. With the mentorship and guidance of @RafaelPadilla and @TaipeiGuru, I finally mastered the skills necessary to pass the Radar Practical. In October 2023, I became a Radar Certified controller.
I am thankful to the leadership team at IFATC (@Tyler_Shelton , @Trey and @JoshFly8) for giving us an opportunity to contribute to the community in more meaningful ways. I am also extremely grateful to the pilots that frequently join the training sessions and share their knowledge, candid feedback and best-practices. There are too many names to list and I would hate to leave anyone off but you all know who you are.
Thanks for reading, canât wait to fly along side you guys or vector you into your next destination.
Cheers,
Eugene
HK-168 | IFATC Supervisor and Trainer
HK-168's Supervisor Story
Hello guys, my name is Vincent. I am 16 and Iâm coming from Hong Kong!
In October 2022, I stumbled upon Infinite Flight, a discovery that ignited my passion for virtual aviation. After a few months of flying, I learned about the IFATC from senior members of a flying group. The idea of being an Air Traffic Controller on the Expert Server captivated me, especially as someone who usually control the EGLL in the Training Server.
I first applied to join IFATC in April 2023. My recruiter was @LesterXavier. Unfortunately, I failed the written test three times. In retrospect, I realized I was completely unprepared. This resulted in a 90-day cooldown period. Once it ended, I reapplied in September. Under the dedicated guidance of my recruiter, @Declan, and my trainer, @Darius_Glover, I underwent training and passed my practical test in November, successfully joining the IFATC team.
I started by controlling Charlie and Delta level airports, which were graded differently back then (they have since been re-evaluated). Their traffic levels were similar to what youâd find at TNCM.
In February 2024, I decided to challenge myself further and pursue the Radar controller role, as radar training had reopened. I contacted @Declan and was accepted into the recruitment process by a trainer from Australia, @Panther. Under his excellent instruction, I passed the radar practical test on my first attempt. On March 11, 2024, I officially became an IFATC Officer.
For the next year or so, everything went smoothly. I controlled on the ATC schedule, serving as either a local or radar controller. This past February, I was honoured to join the IFATC Trainer team, helping to mentor the next generation of IFATC controllers.
Then, on the final day of this summer, I woke up to dozens of new messages on my phone. I was thrilled to discover the incredible news: I had been officially promoted to IFATC Supervisor. This was the goal I had been working towards all along, and the excitement stayed with me the entire day.
Through IFATC, Iâve met many friends. While some controllers are no longer active, new ones join every day. I still fondly remember the busy days controlling the intersecting runways at Melbourne as a Specialist. There are 11 days left until my second anniversary of joining IFATC (12th November). Now, I can open up VHHH GTADCSâwhen itâs active, you are all welcome to visit my home, Hong Kong!
Looking back, this journey has taught me that passion, coupled with perseverance and a willingness to learn from setbacks, can truly turn virtual dreams into reality. From a curious newcomer to a Supervisor, my story is a testament to the incredible opportunities and community that IFATC offers. Hereâs to the next chapter, and to helping others start their own ATC adventures!
Thanks for tuning into the eleventh edition of Supervisor Stories. These stories and this initiative is designed for community members to gain an understanding of what the journey into and through IFATC can entail and to encourage community members that are contemplating joining IFATC to do so, as it is certainly an experience you wonât regret as shown above by the stories of the supervisors.
Previous Editions:
IFATC Supervisor Stories: Edition 1
IFATC Supervisor Stories: Edition 2
IFATC Supervisor Stories: Edition 3
IFATC Supervisor Stories: Edition 4
IFATC Supervisor Stories: Edition 5
IFATC Supervisor Stories: Edition 6
IFATC Supervisor Stories: Edition 7
IFATC Supervisor Stories: Edition 8
IFATC Supervisor Stories: Edition 9
IFATC Supervisor Stories: Edition 10
