8.0.1 All personnel staffing a position of Enroute Center Controller (herein “Center”) within the Miami ARTCC shall abide by and conform to all rules and regulations applying to ATC within the VATSIM and VATUSA environments.
8.0.2 Miami ARTCC airspace is divided into two distinct areas; Miami Center and Miami Oceanic Center.
8.0.3 ATC personnel will use the standard callsign format for controllers within VATUSA airspace.
a. The first three (3) characters of the callsign (prefix) of a controller staffing Miami Center will be MIA.
b. The first three (3) characters of the callsign (prefix) of a controller staffing Miami Oceanic will be ZMA.
c. If the controller will be providing ATC service using voice, the designator _V_ should be used between the prefix and suffix.
d. Controllers providing ATC service within the Miami Oceanic Center airspace of Miami ARTCC over The Bahamas shall use the designation _O_ after the callsign prefix.
e. If the controller is undergoing voice instruction in conjunction with providing ATC service using voice, the “voice student” designation will be used (_VS_) after the callsign prefix.
f. The last three (3) character of the callsign (suffix) shall be: CTR
8.0.4 The controller will provide the following ATC services:
a. Enroute services within the boundaries of the Miami ARTCC as defined by VATUSA and depicted in the current sector file.
b. Approach services for all airports within the boundaries of the Miami ARTCC when those services are not being provided by an Approach Controller.
c. Departure services for all airports within the boundaries of the Miami ARTCC when those services are not being provided by a Departure Controller.
d. Tower services for those airports within the Miami ARTCC that are designated as eligible for additional service below, and Tower services are not being provided by a Tower Controller.
e. Ground services for those airports within the Miami ARTCC that are designated as eligible for additional service below, and Ground services are not being provided by a Ground Controller or Tower Controller.
f. Clearance Delivery for those airports within the airspace served by the controller when those airports are designated as eligible for additional service below (8.0.5), and Delivery services are not being provided by a Delivery Controller, Ground Controller or Tower Controller.
g. Center will provide IFR clearances and departure releases to IFR flights which request such clearances within the Miami ARTCC, and that plan to depart from an airport not eligible for additional service when those services are not being provided by an Approach or Departure controller.
8.0.5 The following is a list of airports within Miami ARTCC that are eligible for additional services:
Airports Eligible for Additional Service |
KMIA |
KTPA |
KFLL |
KPBI |
KRSW |
KSRQ |
8.0.6. A VATUSA C-1 rating or higher and passing scores on Miami ARTCC’s Delivery/Ground exam, Miami ARTCC’s Tower exam, Miami ARTCC’s Approach/Departure exam, and Miami ARTCC’s Center exam are required to staff a Center position within Miami ARTCC.
8.1.1 Center shall provide Enroute services within the Miami ARTCC in accordance with FAA 7110.65 except as described in this document.
8.1.2 Center will use the <F3> key to track and “claim ownership” of all aircraft being provided with Enroute, Approach or Departure services by the controller.
8.1.3 Center shall coordinate arrival runways with the controller providing Tower service (when present). The Tower Controller shall have final authority of the choice of runways for arrival.
a. Center will enter a scratchpad entry using the <INS> key as described in the ASRC manual to indicate the runway for landing.
b. Center will inform the pilot of the runway for landing when the runway has been determined.
8.1.4 Center will issue the current barometric pressure available, from the nearest reporting station, to any aircraft beginning a descent to any altitude below FL180.
8.1.5 Center will vector or provide a route clearance to any IFR aircraft which will enter the Miami TRACON as follows:
a. To cross WORPP, DVALL, FOWEE, HEATT, DEKAL MRLIN or KUBIC intersection
b. At an altitude at or below 16,000 ft. for an aircraft landing at an airport within the boundaries of the Miami TRACON, or at the published crossing altitude of any applicable Standard Arrival Route being flown by an arriving aircraft or other such altitude as coordinated with the controller providing Approach services.
8.1.6 Center will vector or provide a route clearance to any IFR aircraft which will enter the Tampa TRACON as follows:
a. To cross BRDGE or BLOND intersection, or any other point agreed to through prior coordination with a controller providing Approach Service within the Tampa TRACON
b. At an altitude at or below 11,000 ft. for an aircraft landing at an airport within the boundaries of the Tampa TRACON, or at the published crossing altitude of any applicable Standard Arrival Route being flown by an arriving aircraft.
8.1.7 Center will vector or provide route clearance to any IFR aircraft that will land at an airport receiving arrival services of an Approach Controller as published on any applicable Standard Arrival Route.
8.1.8 Center will coordinate with any controller providing Approach or Departure service to ensure a smooth flow of arriving and departing traffic, and to avoid any violation of separation minima.
8.1.9 Center will coordinate with any controller in an adjacent control facility (ARTCC or FIR) to ensure a smooth flow of traffic which will enter either airspace, and to avoid any violation of separation minima.
8.1.10 Center will transfer control as follows:
a. To a Center Controller (when present) of an adjacent ARTCC or FIR such that the transfer of control is complete before an aircraft under the control of Center enters the airspace of the adjacent ARTCC or FIR.
b. To a controller providing Approach services within a TRACON (when present) such that the transfer of control is complete before an aircraft under the control of Center enters the airspace of the TRACON.
c. To a controller providing Approach services to an airport not within a TRACON (when present) such that the transfer of control is complete before the aircraft is within 30 miles of the airport.
d. Such that no separation conflict exists or will exists between the aircraft being handed-off and any aircraft within the airspace of the receiving controller.
e. Such that any two aircraft that are established on the same Standard Arrival Route or airway, traveling in the same direction, and will be handed-off to a controller providing Approach service, are no less than 10 nautical miles in trail, unless the receiving controller agrees to a closer in-trail separation distance.
f. Such that any two aircraft that are established on the same airway, traveling in the same direction, and will be handed-off to a controller providing Enroute service, are no less than 20 nautical miles in trail, unless the receiving controller agrees to a closer in-trail separation distance.
8.1.11 Center will transfer communications as follows:
a. To Tower (when present) of arriving VFR traffic that is receiving Flight Following as it enters a standard traffic pattern at the destination airport, or to UNICOM (122.800) as it enters a standard traffic pattern at the destination airport when no further ATC is available.
b. To Tower (when present) of arriving IFR traffic as soon as practical after issuance of any approach clearance, and before the aircraft reaches the Final Approach Fix of the runway for landing.
c. To UNICOM (122.800) of any IFR traffic arriving at an airport within the airspace controlled by Approach and not eligible for additional service, nor staffed by a Tower Controller, as soon as practical after the pilot receives any instrument approach clearance.
8.1.12 Center will provide Flight Following service to VFR aircraft requesting such service on a workload-permitting basis only.
a. If Center is unable to provide Flight Following, the VFR pilot will be informed that Center is “unable at this time”.
b. All VFR aircraft receiving Flight Following will be issued a discreet transponder code until Flight Following is discontinued. VFR aircraft no longer receiving Flight Following will be instructed to squawk 1-2-0-0.
8.1.13 Center will terminate radar service when no further ATC is available to any aircraft departing Miami ARTCC and inform the pilot of service termination.
a. IFR aircraft will not be asked to change transponder code.
b. VFR aircraft will be instructed to squawk 1-2-0-0.
8.1.14 Center will “drop track” on any landing aircraft as soon as practical after a transfer of communication as described in 8.1.10 above.
8.1.15 Center will reset the scratchpad of any aircraft departing Miami ARTCC so that the scratchpad is in the default condition and displays the destination airport.
8.2.1 Miami ARTCC shall administer all functions pertaining to Miami Oceanic airspace as this airspace is considered a part of Miami ARTCC. These functions include the training of personnel approved to staff Miami Oceanic, overseeing that all VATSIM and VATUSA Rules and Regulations are complied with, and all other administrative duties as a part of the regular operation of Miami ARTCC.
8.2.2 A controller staffing MIA_V_CTR will not provide ATC service in the area depicted as Miami Oceanic airspace.
8.2.3 A controller staffing ZMA_O_CTR will not provide ATC service in the area depicted as Miami Center airspace.
8.2.4 A
controller staffing ZMA_O_CTR will center his radar position at approximately N024.00.000.000 W074.00.00.000 and set his radar range to no more than 450 miles.
8.2.5 When a controller is staffing ZMA_O_CTR, the Voice Room used by the controller on one of the VATSIM approved voice servers shall also be ZMA_O_CTR.
8.2.7 Only members of Miami ARTCC or approved Guest Controllers of Miami ARTCC shall provide ATC service for Miami Oceanic operations.
8.2.8 Miami Oceanic operations shall only be authorized for VATUSA controllers who possess a controller rating of C-1 or higher and have taken and passed a ZMA exam which demonstrates knowledge of the airspace and the procedures of all surrounding control facilities, including any handoff points subsequently agreed to by and between Miami ARTCC and Nassau CTR, San Juan CTR, or any other bordering control facility.
8.2.9 The Policy Page of the Miami ARTCC web site contains a list of controllers approved for staffing the ZMA_O_CTR position. Only those controllers whose names appear on this list may staff the position of ZMA_O_CTR.