ATC coverage rules
How vCareer reads the VATSIM controller roster, converts it into a per-airport coverage score, weights it by class, and translates it into a reward multiplier. Used twice — once at generation time (to prefer staffed airports) and once at landing time (to compute the actual payout).
What counts as coverage
The VATSIM data feed lists active controller positions with a
facility + a callsign suffix. vCareer maps
these to a coverage tier:
| POSITION | CALLSIGN SUFFIX | SCORE |
|---|---|---|
| Tower | _TWR | 3 — top weight |
| Approach / Departure | _APP, _DEP | 2 |
| Center | _CTR | 1 |
| Radar (some regions) | _R | 1 |
| None | — | 0 |
The mapping is per-airport. Tower gives 3; Approach +
Tower gives 3 (we take the max, not the sum); Center
only gives 1. The base score is then weighted by class.
Per-airport scoring
For a given dep or arr airport at a moment in time:
- Find all active controller positions whose AOR includes the airport (Tower/Approach are airport-local; Center coverage is region-wide).
- Take the maximum coverage tier among them.
- Multiply by the class weight (table below).
The result is a number between 0 and roughly 4.5.
Dep + arr scores are averaged into a single value that drives the
reward multiplier.
Class weighting
Different classes care about different coverage. Bush pilots fly to small fields where Tower is rare and Center coverage is the real prize; airliners care most about Tower at major hubs. The weighting reflects that:
| CLASS | TWR | APP | CTR |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bush / VFR | 1.0× | 1.0× | 1.5 — rare, reward it× |
| Charter / Business | 1.5× | 1.2× | 1.0× |
| Small Airline | 1.5× | 1.2× | 1.0× |
| Cargo | 1.3× | 1.2× | 1.0× |
| Long Haul | 1.5× | 1.3× | 1.0× |
Bush's 1.5× Center weight is the odd one out: Center
coverage over a remote bush strip is genuinely rare and rewarded
accordingly. Airline classes treat Center as table stakes.
Final reward multiplier
The averaged dep+arr score is squashed into a 1.0×–1.4× range:
0(no coverage at either end): 1.0×- One end staffed at any tier: 1.1×–1.2× depending on tier + class
- Both ends staffed: 1.25×–1.4× depending on tier + class
Why landing-time, not generation-time
The ATC multiplier on the reward is computed from the state at landing time, not at generation or accept time. This prevents an obvious gaming pattern — accept a mission with full coverage, wait for the Tower to log off, then complete it after the multiplier "should have" dropped. The number you see on the board is a projection; the number you get is what was actually online when you landed.
The projection is updated in real-time on the board, so missions flipping in and out of staffed status are visible to you live.