There are several different ways to use QDM and each serves a different purpose.
You can use the QDM tool from both an aircraft or a specific location on the radar screen. To bring up the tool:
Double click to the aircraft/location or,
Right-click to the aircraft/location and select QDM
After activating the QDM, you will see a white line that will follow your mouse cursor.
You can change the color of the line from the settings, too. For further information please refer to our ATC Client Aurora Manual
You can move the tool by simply moving your mouse. There are three lines at the end of the tool, and each represents different information:
Magnetic bearing to the station
Distance to the station
The estimated time when the aircraft will arrive
When you are done with the QDM, again double-click to the aircraft/radar, right-click and de-select the QDM, or hold SHIFT while moving the mouse cursor.
You can move the QDM you have created for an aircraft to another aircraft. In order to do that, move your mouse cursor to the texts at the end of the QDM and click them.
Then, you will see the square becomes red. Now, click on the other traffic which you want to move the QDM.
You can use multiple QDMs at the same time. In order to activate the Multi QDM option, right-click to any point on the radar screen, then select “MULTI QDM”, make sure its color is changed to white.
After the Multi QDM is activated, you can use more than one QDMs at the same time by creating QDMs like you were used to.
When the Multi QDM is activated, you will see the QDM Manager come up when you right-click to the radar.
There, you can remove a single QDM, hide, or change its color.
But, there is a more practical way to remove a single QDM. Move your cursor to the texts at the end of the line.
A square will appear over your cursor, double-click the square, and the QDM will be removed.
To remove all the QDMs and deactivate the function, right-click again and de-select the MULTI QDM
There is a feature that takes traffic response time and turning rate/speed/time into the calculation and displays the proper magnetic bearing.
You can activate it by navigating to Settings (F7). Below the “OTHER” menu, you will see two options:
Traffic QDM Turn calculation: By turning this to “Yes” it will become activated.
Traffic response time: You can adjust the response time of the traffic and get more accurate bearings.
After you are done with these two settings, go back to the radar screen and use the QDM tool as it's used normally.
You will notice a different QDM line when compared to “Turn Calculation NO".
The most effective way to use the turn calculation is, first, create the QDM from the traffic, then put your cursor to the point where you want the aircraft should arrive.
Bay List can be used to make requests to the adjacent ATC units. With help of the Bay List, you can do, but not limited to, the following:
If an aircraft will enter your control area, you can request from the adjacent ATC unit to send it to a specific waypoint, transfer it to you at a specific flight level, or with speed restrictions.
If an aircraft will leave your control area, the next ATC can request from you the same,
You can request him for permission to give instructions that are not in your control zone. For example, if a waypoint is not in your area, but if you ask the ATC through the Bay, you can give the traffic direct to that waypoint.
Firstly, there has to be an offer, we define this as Bay Request. You should first make a request to the adjacent ATC unit.
After that, the ATC that you have sent the Bay Request will review your offer.
Then, the ATC will have three options, modify it and send it back, accept it, and deny it.
If the Bay Request is denied, you can send another one.
If the ATC modifies it and sends it back to you, then you have again two options; modify it and send it back, or accept it. If you accept it, it means there is no further thing to discuss. If you modify it and send it back, you will go back to step two.
If the ATC accepts the request, then it means there is no further thing to discuss and execute your request.
If the aircraft is assumed to you, to send a Bay Request to the adjacent ATC unit, right-click to the traffic, and your usual Transfer menu will come up. Now, you can see there are 3 columns. The plane symbol below the “B” column means Bay. To send a Bay Request, press the symbol in the row of the relevant ATC unit.
On this screen, you will see the following things, from left to right:
White double arrows mean the Bay is not sent yet.
Arrow to the top right corner means you are sending the Bay request.
To delete the Bay Request, double-click to the trash bin
The fourth and fifth information is the ATC unit which the Bay sent to and the callsign of the aircraft.
The next two fields are left for you to fill. You can type a waypoint/flight level/speed/arrival information or any other thing you want to write to the adjacent ATC unit.
If you press the second white double arrow, it will send your request to the relevant ATC unit.
After sending the request, the first double arrows will become blue, which means you have sent it, and the timestamp on the right shows the time you have sent the Bay Request.
If the ATC you have sent the bay, accepts your request, you will see a green checkmark.
If your request is denied or modified and sent back to you, then you will return to the first step.
The responsible ATC unit can also make a Bay Request to you.
When you receive the request, you should see “BAYREQ” over the traffic and hear “Incoming Bay”, if it is enabled from the sound settings. For further information, please refer to our ATC Client Aurora Manual
You can change the color of the text “BAYREQ” from the color settings.
When you receive the Bay Request, the menu will be the same with few differences:
The Orange double arrow means this is an incoming bay.
You can either modify it and send it back to the relevant ATC by pressing white double arrows or accept it by pressing a white checkmark.
If the on-screen strip is enabled, you can also make Bay Requests from there.
The working logic is the same as the list, you can type anything you want into two blank fields and send it to the adjacent ATC unit.
But, keep in mind that Bay from on-screen strip can be used only in two conditions:
If you have assumed the traffic and selected a “Next ATC”. This will send the request to the ATC you selected next. If you don't know what that means, please refer to the next section.
If you haven't assumed the traffic and to make a request from the responsible ATC unit.
Selecting the next ATC will make your job easier when transferring the traffic to the adjacent ATC unit.
When you right-click an aircraft to transfer, you will see the available ATCs to transfer. However, this can be confusing and hard to find when there are many adjacent ATC units. As a solution, you can select the Next ATC and when you transfer the traffic, you will only see the ATC you have chosen before.
To select the Next ATC, press the “WiFi Symbol" in the N column of the relevant ATC.
After pressing it, the transfer list should be shown like below:
To transfer the traffic to the adjacent ATC unit, just press the newly opened name under the “Transfer/Bay”. Don't worry, despite it is being shown over the “Release”, it will not send the traffic to the Unicom, but to the next ATC unit.
The ATC unit which you selected, will also see the traffic in a different color (which can be edited from the Colors settings).
If you select a “Next ATC”, you will also be able to see the ATC's both callsign and frequency from the on-screen strip. For further information about the on-screen strip, please refer to our ATC Client Aurora Manual
VERA is a tool that can be used to predict conflicts and preventing them. When it is used properly, the VERA has great importance to Approach/Enroute Controller
Normally, when you create a QDM from aircraft and place it on another aircraft, you will see something like the below:
Over the QDM line, there are three information displayed:
The first line shows the magnetic bearing from the selected aircraft to the other aircraft as it is in the QDM. Keep in mind that it shows the bearing from the first selected aircraft (QDM created aircraft) to the second selected aircraft (QDM placed aircraft)
The second line shows the distance between two aircraft
The third line shows the time two aircraft will become the closest.
This line and pieces of information are the most basic things that you will need. But you can get more information about conflicts and prevent them by using VERA tool. To activate it, press the VERA on the PREF BAR and make sure if its color changed to white.
After enabling the VERA, doing the same steps above will bring different lines and information:
The middle line (QDM) remains the same, but the others are new (VERA lines). They each represent different information.
There can be differences in information which are shown, depending on:
Aircraft's altitude
Aircraft's heading
Two aircrafts' positions to each other.
Now, let's take a look at the information which is shown over our VERA line:
In the first line, it gives suggested headings to avoid conflict. In our case, it suggests the traffic PGT8180 to turn whether left heading 054 or right heading 013 to avoid the collision.
The second line shows the aircraft's callsign
In the third lane, there are two pieces of information. The first one is the distance, which two aircraft will become the closest. So, in our case, two traffics will become a maximum of 3.6 miles close to each other. The second given information is the altitude difference, written in Flight Leve.
The fourth, and the last line shows the remaining time to the point where two aircraft will become the closest.
The information shown when using the VERA tool is dependent on your conflict settings. You can change your conflict settings to adjust your VERA tool as well. Please refer to our ATC Client Aurora Manual to learn how to do it.
The VERA tool will not work if there are more than 30 minutes between the two aircraft.
Some lines/information may be missing because the conflict will not happen or there are not suitable recommendations.
Anchor is a tool that can be used to measure the remaining time of an aircraft to a given point.
The most useful time to use the Anchor is: If a group of aircraft is inbound to the same fix from the same direction, you may set the Anchor at the certain fix and learn the remaining time to that fix for each aircraft by clicking on them.
To activate and set the anchor, right-click on the main radar screen and press “ANCHOR”
To see the aircraft's remaining time to the Anchor, make sure that the aircraft is assumed and selected.
You will see the time information next to the company information.
When the Anchor is set, you may right-click and set the Anchor somewhere else, by selecting “SET ANCHOR”, or remove it entirely by selecting “ANCHOR”
Additionally, the information regarding the centerpoint distance and location will change to Anchors centerpoint distance and location.