How do I become a VATSIM controller?

VATCAN is the Canadian division of VATSIM. We are responsible for providing air traffic control (ATC) and ATC training for Canadian airspace and parts of the Atlantic Oceanic tracks.

Becoming a controller in Canada for VATCAN is as simple as 3 steps:

Step 1 – Read all the training material in block 1 and block 2 located in the computer based training (CBT) section in the VATCAN forums.

Block 1 contains 3 sections and Block 2 contains 4 sections all of which needs to be read before requesting an exam. Do not skip this step!

The information required in theses modules are tested in your first exam and all the answers to the questions in the exam are reviewed in these blocks. WARNING: Attempting an exam without reading the material almost always results in a failing grade.

The training material can be found here: https://www.vatcan.ca/forums/index.php?topic=6016.0

Step 2 – Request a S1 exam

After studying the modules in step 1, you can now request a S1 exam. If you are already have a S1 rating you will still need to read the material in step 1 to familiarize yourself with Canadian procedures after which you can go straight to step 3.

To request an exam, please send an email to membership@vatcan.ca.

Remember to include in your email:

  1. Your full name
  2. Your VATSIM CID#
  3. Your request for the S1 exam

To pass the exam you will need a score of 80% or higher. This is an open book exam. After completing the exam you will receive an email within 30 minutes indicating if you have passed or failed. If you fail the exam you will need to review the course material and wait 7 days before attempting the exam again. After 7 days the exam will automatically be reassigned to you by the system; you will not need to email membership to have the exam reassigned.

When the exam is assigned, you will receive an email indicating an exam is waiting for you to complete. To access the exam you will need to:

  1. Go to the vatcan.ca website
  2. Login using the Login link in the upper right-hand corner of the navigation menu. This will direct you to a VATSIM SSO login page
  3. Click My VATCAN in the upper right corner and select Exam Center from the drop-down menu
  4. In the EXAM CENTER menu on left, click on View Your Assignments
  5. Click on the exam link to start your exam

Step 3 – Transfer into a flight information region (FIR)

  1. Go to the vatcan.ca website
  2. Login using the Login link in the upper right-hand corner of the navigation menu. This will direct you to a VATSIM SSO login page
  3. Click My VATCAN in the upper right corner and select Transfer Request list from the drop-down menu
  4. From the New FIR drop down, select the division you want to transfer to, fill in the reasoning and hit the Submit button to complete the request. The division staff will review your transfer request within 1-2 weeks.