Oakland ARTCC on VATSIM

About vZOA

The Oakland ARTCC on VATSIM strives to be one of the most professional and realistic ARTCCs in VATUSA, and controllers are expected to know and learn a significant amount of information. Our mission here is dedicated to the highest quality ATC services delivered with a sense of friendliness, individual pride, and ARTCC spirit. Our airspace covers the harrowing Bay Area airspace including San Francisco, Oakland, and San Jose, as well as challenging mountainous airports like Reno, Lake Tahoe, and Mammoth Lakes. We've got something for everybody!

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Current ZOA Flights 25
  • San Francisco (SFO) 15
  • Oakland (OAK) 6
  • San Jose (SJC) 2
  • Sacramento (SMF) 1
  • Reno (RNO) 1
  • Monterey (MRY) 0
ZOA Operations
  • San Francisco (SFO) SFOW
  • Oakland (OAK) OAKW
  • San Jose (SJC) SJCW
  • Sacramento (SMF) SMFS
  • Reno (RNO) RNOS
  • Monterey (MRY) MRY28
Online Controllers
Recent Promotions
Dec 07
Inigo Markle-Allen completed the Bay Area Endorsement Ground Exam!
Dec 07
Inigo Markle-Allen completed the Mountainous Terrain Endorsement Tower Exam!
Dec 06
Eleftherios Aslanoglou completed the Orientation Quiz!
Dec 05
Ames Ettinger completed the Oakland CD Knowledge Check!
Dec 04
Antonio Pena completed the Orientation Quiz!
vZOA Top Controllers
Top Controller Monthly Time
Matthew Tedesco "MT" - 919571 09:48 hrs
Giovanni Go "GO" - 1483188 09:06 hrs
Nikolai Harris-Swett "NA" - 1416337 07:57 hrs
Ken Greim "KG" - 1652151 07:20 hrs
Dan Michael Bonaga "MB" - 1488243 06:19 hrs
Top Facility Monthly Time
Norcal Approach 30:20 hrs
San Francisco Ground 15:09 hrs
Oakland Ground 14:14 hrs
Oakland Center 13:17 hrs
San Francisco Tower 07:14 hrs
Top Controller Weekly Time
Matthew Tedesco "MT" - 919571 09:33 hrs
Giovanni Go "GO" - 1483188 09:06 hrs
Ken Greim "KG" - 1652151 07:19 hrs
Wayne Dunham "WD" - 1787632 06:19 hrs
Dan Michael Bonaga "MB" - 1488243 05:46 hrs
Top Facility Weekly Time
Norcal Approach 29:01 hrs
Oakland Center 12:39 hrs
Oakland Ground 12:34 hrs
San Francisco Ground 10:39 hrs
San Francisco Tower 07:04 hrs
Top Controller All Time
Matthew Chicoine "MC" - 815543 3881:31 hrs
Brett Wells "BW" - 810036 3133:46 hrs
Dominic Nguyen "DN" - 1200795 2677:31 hrs
Michael Mund-Hoym "" - 1038942 2161:05 hrs
nick navarro "" - 1082318 2040:34 hrs
Top Facility All Time
Oakland Center 16929:24 hrs
Norcal Approach 14307:51 hrs
San Francisco Tower 6671:30 hrs
San Francisco Ground 5039:17 hrs
Oakland Ground 3710:54 hrs
Recent vZOA Feedback

Feedback for Noah Reif

Great guy, very friendly and gets his job done efficiently, and well, one of the most friendly controllers I have met in my vatsim career, and I believe he is an outstanding pick for controlling the Oakland airspace or really any. 10/10

  • Submitted by william wistar flying NKS2213
  • |
  • ATC Position: OAK_GND

Feedback for Josh Glottmann

Great job as NORCAL approach handling traffic into SFO, and great job being patient with the several pilots who were obviously unexperienced. Thank you

  • Submitted by Avery Lee flying UAL552
  • |
  • ATC Position: SFO_APP

Feedback for Brett Wells

Impressive command and control of top down at OAK - professional and friendly. 10/10 controller

  • Submitted by Caleb Henry flying JBU2735
  • |
  • ATC Position: OAK_CTR

Feedback for Giovanni Go

Very fortunate to have Giovanni as OAK_TWR controlling two of my flights into and out of Oakland, around 0000 to 0400Z august 12. My first flight with them was a FDX56 IFR arrival, where they pointed out a diamond aircraft slightly ahead of me approaching on a parallel runway as I was cleared to land. I really enjoy the spectacle of simultaneous parallel approaches and it was great to have extra situational awareness. Unfortunately my landing gear retracted just before touchdown (the FSS 727 seems to do it if spoilers are deployed when the wheels aren't all on the ground), resulting in a belly landing whereupon I had to disconnect. My second flight with them that evening was a VFR departure N23508. After Mason K had to unfortunately step away from OAK_GND after giving me departure instructions, Giovanni quickly took over to provide me taxi and takeoff clearance, as well as a bay flight's IFR clearance. I readback a right turn instruction for departure, but for some reason that evening I turned left. Giovanni quickly noticed I was making the wrong turn and had me make the correct right turn. In both instances Giovanni was at the top of their game, always keeping ahead of all Oakland flights and eager to step in and correct things when necessary while also being very kind and patient (even though I probably deserve a brasher warning for that left turn). I hope Giovanni's excellent controlling performance gets recognized by the Oakland ARTCC, and I hope other pilots will be as lucky to catch them as controller as well. Next time I'll tell my lefts from rights correctly and land with my gear down!

  • Submitted by KAMAL BALOOCHI flying FDX56 & N23508
  • |
  • ATC Position: OAK_TWR