Welcome to the fourth edition of IFATC Trainer Tales. Each edition of Trainer Tales will introduce you to a handful of Trainers from the Infinite Flight Air Traffic Control team as they share their journey with the wider community. The IFATC Training 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. With that being said, welcome to the fourth edition of Trainer Tales!
Andrew_Swift | IFATC Trainer and ATC Appeals Member
Andrew_Swift's Trainer Tale
My name is Andrew, I live in North West England and I’m firmly in the upper age bracket of IFATC controllers at 28. In my everyday life I work full time in software support which is basically a life of never ending problems to solve. But enough about that, y’all are probably more interested in my IF journey so let’s dive in.
I think I first picked up IF sometime between 2012 and 2014 back in the pre-global and multiplayer days. I distinctly remember being excited for the original 777 release back in the day (not that I could fly it with any semblance of skill) and dipped in and out every now when I wanted to kill some time around my university studies. A few years past and we fast forward to 2020 when COVID hit and I was looking for a distraction from the monotony of UK lockdowns that led me to purchase a pro subscription for the first time and truly started my journey to join IFATC. The ability to be a controller was one of the driving forces behind purchasing a pro subscription and I took my first IFATC practical test around start of May 2020 which I’d now refer to is as an unmitigated disaster. Fortunately my recruiter at the time (Adam_Williams) offered to pair me up with an IFATC trainer (Matt_1) who quickly set straight my issues and I joined IFATC as an apprentice on May 25th 2020 after resitting the practical and passing with flying colours.
After joining I made sure I took every opportunity I could to control was promoted to specialist after a week or so, attended as many training sessions as I was able to and was invited to become an IFATC tester in the start of July. I started radar training with ArsneyKryuchkov in August and became an Officer upon passing my radar test in October. During my training he instilled the viewpoint to me that you can never over plan for a session and developing a skillset that is scalable to your traffic volume. These are the main principles I aim to develop in my own trainees now that I’m the trainer.
Speaking of which I’d been an Officer for around 18 months when I got a message on random Saturday in April 2022 from @Joshfly8 saying he’d like a chat. Anyone in IFATC knows that message from Josh out of the blue can either be really good or really bad but fortunately for me it was the former and he’d invited me to become an IFATC Trainer. I graciously accepted his offer, joined the team and picked up my first trainee who at the time happened to be an IFC mod (talk about jumping in the deep end). While I now control less than I’d like, I’ve refocused the passion I had for controlling into training up the next generation of IFATC controllers and equipping them with the skillset to flourish and be shining examples of the quality of controllers we have in the IFATC community.
JAR | IFATC Trainer
JAR's Trainer Tale
Howdy! My name is Jonny R. I’m 23 years old, I was born and raised in Boston, but I’ve lived in Colorado as well and now I’m in Florida studying Air Traffic Management at Embry Riddle Aeronautical University! My goal is to join the FAA as an Air Traffic Controller. I am currently a member of IFAET, and an IFATC Officer, Tester, and now Trainer! I have been playing Infinite Flight since around 2014 with one of my friends, but I got my own account in 2016. After a while of flying around on the Expert Server, and controlling somewhat frequently on the training server, I decided to look into becoming a member of the IFATC team.
After a bit of a bumpy process in training, I finally passed my practical test and joined IFATC as a specialist in August 2020. This was in large part thanks to my excellent trainer, Darius Glover. I remained a specialist for quite a while, as I was having a lot of fun controlling local frequencies around the world, and I didn’t have the time to go through radar training. I mostly stuck to airports in the northeast US (Boston always being my favorite to control, and still is to this day). Eventually, I decided it was about time to go through the radar training process.
I started the recruiting process in October 2021, this time with Darius helping me out again as a recruiter. I was lucky enough to get picked up by my excellent trainer, Nico Pizarro. Although the process took a while due to my own availability, in February 2022 I passed my radar practical and became an IFATC Officer. I would never have been able to get that far without the amazing guidance of Nico. It was a pleasure to work with him, and I made some great friends with Nico’s other trainees (many of whom are now supervisors, trainers, or members of the appeals team).
From there I started controlling much more frequently. Usually, I stuck to radar frequencies but I still jumped down to the local tower every once in a while. I tended to avoid larger hubs and tried to remain within my limits as a controller as much as possible. Gradually I started building up more confidence and began to control much busier airports, which I realized was always a blast!
Over the next couple of years, I reached out to JoshFly a few times to discuss the possibility of becoming a trainer, but I ended up backing out then due to my limited availability, as I was in the middle of my undergraduate degree at the time. It wasn’t until earlier this year that I decided to reach out again, now that I had much more time on my hands. I was told I would be a good fit, but it would be a bit of a waiting game until more spots opened up. A few months later in March 2024, I got a message on the IFC from Tyler offering me a spot as a tester. I was extremely excited to see this, as this was my first official promotion after being a member of IFATC for 3 ½ years - I immediately accepted!
About a month later, an application to become a trainer was sent out to the IFATC team, and within minutes I had filled out the form and sent in my application. After about a month of biting my nails and crossing my fingers, Josh reached out to me to let me know I had been selected to become an official IFATC Trainer! I was absolutely thrilled to have finally gotten to this point, and I am super excited to start this new chapter of my IFATC career!
I am so grateful to be a part of this community. Infinite Flight has helped me appreciate my passion for aviation and make some great friends who share that same interest. Becoming a member of IFATC even played a large part in my decision to pursue a career as an Air Traffic Controller, and I could not be happier to be on this path. Thank you to everyone who has helped me through this journey, to Declan for giving me a place to share my story, and to everyone who read it! I can’t wait to see what the future holds.
DJSunfire | IFATC Trainer and Supervisor
DJSunfire's Trainer Tale
During my time as a pilot on Infinite Flight, the world of ATC has always been fascinating to me, particularly how they managed different airspaces within the simulator. One standout memory is from my early days on the Expert Server, when I decided to participate in an event at Stansted (EGSS). The traffic exceeded real-life levels, making me question if I should even attempt the flight. Upon entering the airspace, Center guided me down to initial approach, seamlessly integrating me into the pattern alongside many other pilots. As I neared my destination, they smoothly transitioned me to final approach, and then handed me off to Tower. The entire approach and landing experience, from initial contact to reaching the gate, unfolded over an hour. Impressed by the exceptional service, I reached out to thank the ATC for a great experience.
This experience transformed my curiosity into a desire to join IFATC. Fortunately, the final approach controller from that event became my trainer. Despite entering IFATC with limited knowledge, my trainer was patient and provided challenges that solidified the essential basics of effective controlling. I stayed as a local controller for over a year before community members nudged me towards exploring radar training. After enduring numerous sessions, I successfully completed radar training.
The journey of learning about different airspaces and navigating various scenarios while controlling has been enjoyable. With tips and tricks gained through experience, I’ve also found joy in helping others within the community.
My journey progressed, eventually leading me to the role of an IFATC Trainer. While this position can be a time commitment, it proved to be one of the most rewarding aspects of the IFATC program. It offered the opportunity to guide others in their controlling journey and contribute to the growth of the organization. To my surprise, at the beginning of 2024, I was given the chance to become a Supervisor for IFATC. This role involves ensuring the Expert Server maintains the quality standards that pilots expect, while also providing leadership to fellow IFATC community members. It’s a position that allows me to help shape the direction of the community and uphold the quality of the IFATC program.
It has been such a fun experience. Here’s to more adventures in the world of Infinite Flight and IFATC!
Thanks for tuning into the fourth edition of Trainer Tales. These stories and this initative 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 that you won’t regret as shown above by the tales of the IFATC Trainers.
Previous Editions:
IFATC Supervisor Stories
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
IFATC Trainer Tales
IFATC Trainer Tales: Edition 1
IFATC Trainer Tales: Edition 2
IFATC Trainer Tales: Edition 3
