Air traffic controller

Air traffic controllers are persons who operate the air traffic control system to expedite and maintain a safe and orderly flow of air traffic and help prevent mid-air collisions. They apply separation rules to keep each aircraft apart from others in their area of responsibility and move all aircraft efficiently through 'their' airspace and on to the next. Because controllers have a demonstrably large responsibility while on duty, the ATC profession is often regarded as one of the most difficult jobs today, and can be notoriously stressful. Controllers, however, would point out their job is not as stressful as some may think: while there are periods of high workload which can be frenetic, the benefits of the job include a stable structured shift pattern, quiet night shifts, and very good pay.

Although the media frequently refers to them as "air controllers," no controller ever does. They are called air traffic controllers or air traffic control officers (ATCOs).

Air traffic control

To understand air traffic control (ATC), one must understand the different types of air traffic control. Almost everyone is familiar with the tower located at many airports, particularly the larger and busier ones, however that is often the extent of their familiarity.

Tower

A 'Tower' or 'Aerodrome' controller's responsibility is to aircraft taking off, landing and taxiing at an airport, and to vehicles driving on critical parts of the airport. This means that they have control of aircraft maneuvering on the ground and flying in the immediate vicinity of the airport (usually within a few miles). At busier airports this function may be broken down into separate tasks performed by different controllers. Tower controllers primarily work by being able to see the aircraft under their control, hence it follows that their place of work is in a room with large windows at the top of a tower. They may however use radar systems as a back-up, both to assist with controlling aircraft flying in the vicinity of the airport, and aircraft and vehicles moving on the ground.

Approach

Approach controllers are responsible for the safety of aircraft making an approach to an airport and for aircraft departing from airports, typically within 50 nmi of an airport and up to an altitude of 10,000 feet. This can be done with or without the use of radar, however these days approach control without radar (using procedural control methods) only takes place at airports with very little traffic.

At busy airports this function will be broken down into separate tasks performed by different controllers. In many circumstances Approach controllers will be based on an airport itself; in areas with many airports in close proximity they are often based with Area controllers in a Terminal Control Center.

Area

Area controllers are responsible for the safety of aircraft at higher altitudes, in the en route phase of their flight. Airspace under the control of Area controllers is split into sectors which are 3D blocks of airspace of defined dimensions. Each sector will be managed by at least one Area controller. This can be done either with or without the use of radar: radar allows a sector to handle much more traffic, however procedural control is used in many areas where traffic levels do not justify radar or the installation of radar is not feasible.

Area controllers work in Area Control Centers, controlling high-level en-route aircraft, or Terminal Control Centers, controlling aircraft at medium levels climbing and descending from major groups of airports.

Features of the job

Air traffic controllers are generally individuals with excellent spatial awareness, are numerate, calm under pressure and able to follow and apply rules yet be flexible when necessary. Almost universally, trainee controllers begin work in their twenties, and retire in their fifties. Rigid physical and psychological tests and excellent vision, hearing, speaking skills are a requirement, and controllers must take precautions to remain healthy and avoid certain medications that are banned for controllers.

Most training focuses on honing the ability to absorb data quickly from a variety of sources, and to use this to visualize, in time and space, the position of each aircraft under control, and to project this forward into the near future. This skill is termed situational awareness (having the picture or having the flick), and is central to the job.

Communication is a vital part of the job: controllers usually communicate with the pilots of aircraft using a simple radiotelephony system, which has many attendant issues. Although other languages are sometimes used, the default language of aviation is English and controllers who do not speak this as a first language are generally expected to show a certain minimum level of competency with the language.

Teamwork plays a major role in a controller’s job, with not only with other controllers and air traffic staff, but with pilots, engineers and managers. Some controllers feel that this is the only part of their job that is accurately portrayed in the movie Pushing Tin.

Controllers ensure that aircraft are neither delayed nor their safety compromised in either the busiest or the quietest of situations. A controller's shift may alternate between frenetic activity and utter boredom.

Civilian/Military - Public/Private

Most countries' armed forces employ air traffic controllers, often in most if not all branches of the forces. Although actual terms vary from country to country, controllers are usually commissioned officers.

In some countries, all air traffic control is done by the military. In other countries, military controllers are only responsible for military airspace and airbases; control of airspace for civilian traffic and civilian airports is done by civilian controllers. Historically in most countries this was part of the government and controllers were civil servants. However many countries have partly or wholly privatized their air traffic control systems; others are looking to do the same.

Education

Civilian Air Traffic Controllers' licensing is standardized by international agreement through ICAO. Many countries have Air Traffic Control schools, academies or colleges, often operated by the incumbent provider of air traffic services in that country, but sometimes privately. These train student controllers from walking in off the street to the standards required to hold an Air Traffic Control licence, which will contain one or more Ratings. These are sub-qualifications denoting the air traffic control discpline or disciplines in which the person has been trained (for example Area Radar, Approach Procedural, Aerodrome Visual). This phase of training takes between 6 months and several years.

Whenever an air traffic controller is posted to a new unit or starts work on a new sector within a particular unit, he or she must undergo a period of training regarding the procedures peculiar to that particular unit and/or sector. The majority of this training is done in a live position controlling real aircraft and is termed On the Job Training (OJT), with a fully-qualified and trained mentor or On the Job Training Instructor (OJTI) also 'plugged in' to the sector to give guidance and ready to take over in a second should it become necessary. This phase of training takes between 6 months and a year.

Only once a person has passed all these training stages, will he be allowed to control on his own.

Work patterns

Except at quieter airports, Air Traffic Control is a 24 hour, 365-days-a-year job. Therefore controllers usually work shifts, including nights, weekends and public holidays. These are usually set well in advance on a fixed schedule. In many countries the structure of controllers' shift patterns is regulated to allow for adequate time off.

Stress

Many countries regulate the hours that a controller can work on safety grounds. Research has shown that where controllers remain ‘in position’ for more than two hours even at low traffic levels, performance can deteriorate rapidly. Many national regulations therefore feature a two-hour limit on time spent controlling without a break, in addition to controls on length of shifts, number of night shifts done consecutively, length of time off required between shifts, etc.

Computerization and the future

Despite years of effort and the billions of dollars that have been spent on computer software designed to assist air traffic control, success has been largely limited to improving the tools at the disposal of the controllers such as computer-enhanced radar. It is likely that in the next few decades, future technology will make the controller more of system manager overseeing decisions made by automated systems and manually intervening to resolve situations not handled well by the computers, rather than being automated out of existence altogether.

However there are problems envisaged with technology that normally takes the controller out of the decision loop but requires the controller to step back in to control exceptional situations: air traffic control is a skill that has to be kept current by regular practice. This in itself may prove to be the largest stumbling block to the introduction of highly automated air traffic control systems.

External links

References

Air Traffic Occupational Analysis

Air traffic control | Transportation occupations

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