Nate's Letter to the FIR

As I write my fourth year end letter, in my fifth year in the position of Winnipeg FIR Chief, I find it more and more difficult to really put into words my appreciation for the reins I have the pleasure of holding. Thankfully, that’s what this letter is all about - reflecting.

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To My Staff;

2023 was, to say the least, a major year for Winnipeg. One of the most major changes? The changing of the guard in the Deputy Chief position, with Kolby Dunning stepping back from the role, and Tavis Harrison taking the leap forward into a job that is often overlooked, but extremely complex.

We also saw changes in the Events & Marketing position, as well as a change in our Chief Instructor position - with Kathryn and Ethan teaming up to work on our training. And with the help of Dylan Oakes, who took on the daunting task of developing a brand new online platform, we created Winnipeg365 - and so far, it’s been a major success. Those three, along with the rest of the team who has been helping develop material for the platform, deserve a million thanks. Their commitment to getting things ready for the strict timelines we’ve set for ourselves has been nothing but incredible.

Of course, just because some positions change doesn’t mean all of them do! I’m still thrilled that we have Ryan Miltenberger running our sector file development - and as we march into the new year, look for some upgrades to those files as well.

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To Winnipeg's Controllers;

The FIR saw some exciting controlling events this year! We had the pleasure of welcoming VATSIM’s pilots from around the world to Winnipeg again - starting with our very own Friday Night Ops event! After the amazing traffic we saw there, we went all in for Cross the Pond - and as if that wasn’t enough, we had Worldflight visit shortly after - giving us, we believe, the most traffic Winnipeg’s ever recorded on a single day. This, on top of our other events, exams and more made for a phenomenal 2023.

To say every single person’s time controlling is appreciated would be quite the understatement - your passion, patience and desire to show the world how great our neck of the woods is makes Winnipeg, well, Winnipeg - the best. Thank you.

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To the VATCAN Staff;

For the first time since taking on the Winnipeg Chief position half a decade ago, I get to welcome a new Division Director in my year end letter! It’s a pleasure to see Mark Walsh take on the position of VATCAN1. I’ve known Mark personally since my journey on VATSIM started… a number of years ago. We won’t worry about the specifics - it’s for the best for both of us, trust me.

As always, the teamwork between Winnipeg and our division is key to making sure our FIR and VATCAN succeeds - and we’re always grateful for that cooperation that we’ve become so used to seeing. As 2024 approaches, I look forward to seeing all of this continue as we work to implement GCAP here in the FIR, and across the network.

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On a Personal Note;

Unlike last year, I don’t have much to share about myself! No moving across the country this year, no life-altering pandemics - not that I want to go through either again, for the record. 2023 was a year filled with travel for myself, more than anything.

I had the privilege of seeing a handful of places this year - from Cleveland (shoutout to Leo and friends, who made that trip one to remember for sure, let’s go Guards), to Florida, Vancouver, Halifax, and everywhere in between. I spent over four days of my year just sitting on a plane in 2023. And I plan to try and break that record next year, somehow.

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