Air Traffic Control

[Calum0812]

Hey everyone,
I'm doing a presentation as part of a Speaking & Listening exam in school and I've chosen to do mine on Air Traffic Control.
I'm interested to hear what people would like to know about Air Traffic Management and the Air Traffic Controllers.

For those who don't know, ATCOs are the people who sit in these towers (or in large rooms) and give instructions to pilots flying all types of planes.
http://www.architecture.com/Images/RIBATrust/Awards/RIBAAwards/2007/London/ControlTower01H(c)BAA_530x795.jpg

I won't say any more because I want to see what people want to know and therefore don't know!
Serious replies would be appreciated! Even if your question has been mentioned, please reply with it because the more times it gets mentioned, the more I should focus on it! :)

Thanks!

Not a huge amount of rep power but I'll +rep everyone anyway :)
Oh and when I've got a fair number of answers / have completed the presentation I'll answer everyone's questions as best as I can or research it to find the answer!

[:odey:]

- How much training they have to go through before they're allowed to be an ATC
- How they deal with unsuspecting weather or other emergencies etc

[Alkaz]

What happens on days when there have been massive delays and all the planes are waiting to take off. How do they restructure the flight plan to accommodate all the planes. Do they try to get some out on time and delay others further.. always wanted to know :[

[lemons]

nothing


well payed

Edited by e5 (Forum Super Moderator) - Please don't post pointlessly!

[Samantha]

How long are shifts usually and does it work the same as if you're tired (or you can't focus your full attention on the job), do they have to take a break?
Are there a lot of staff working at the same time to ensure all flights are landed safely, i.e. does each staff member focus on one plane until that flights compete or a number of them?
How do you actually qualify to be an ATCO? What qualifications do you need and training?
From what age and to what age can you be a ATCO?

[Derrener]

What training

yh this

[LiquidLuck.]

How many years of training? Which uni diploma is required for it? What's the salary?
And finally the question that Samantha asked: ''Are there a lot of staff working at the same time to ensure all flights are landed safely, i.e. does each staff member focus on one plane until that flights compete or a number of them?''

Also, finally, but the most important question of them all. Can you explain to me how this can happen? :

https://scontent-b-lhr.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-frc3/t1.0-9/1012469_10152045512295152_1790646148_n.jpg

[Matthew]

what are they paid

[GommeInc]

What happens when an accident happens or what happens if there is a national emergency? A bit dark, but it seems like it could be interesting. If a plane crashes what do they do, what procedures they follow etc.

[Martin]

What changes have there been in recent years in how air traffic control management works? Like how have the systems used improved and how has this impacted on safety and reliability etc, or are there still old systems in place?

Is it easy for pilots to mis-understand instructions given by the controllers, and has there ever been any cases where an error in communication has led to an accident?

Do the controllers sometimes have a bit of banter with the pilots or is it kept strictly to instructions etc?

[Kardan]

What are the differences between pre-9/11 and post-9/11?

[-Moniquee.]

How much does weather affect arrivals/ departures.
How confident are they in what they do.
How long are the shifts

[Sian]

i know that sometimes they're made to do a day shift then a night shift straight away and sometimes fall asleep.

Watched that last year I think... but they just sit there looking after the airspace, making sure traffic is flowing in and out of the airport well, as well as assisting the pilots when they can.

if that's any help.

[KyleSmith]

How long are shifts usually and does it work the same as if you're tired (or you can't focus your full attention on the job), do they have to take a break?
Are there a lot of staff working at the same time to ensure all flights are landed safely, i.e. does each staff member focus on one plane until that flights compete or a number of them?
How do you actually qualify to be an ATCO? What qualifications do you need and training?
From what age and to what age can you be a ATCO?

If I remember correctly, their shifts are approximately 25-30 minutes long before they require a break.

[Calum0812]

If I remember correctly, their shifts are approximately 25-30 minutes long before they require a break.
Regulations are an hour and a half max with a half hour break

[Lee]

Seems Calum didn't answer any of the training related questions, so for those that are interested further reading is available at NATS.aero
http://www.nats.aero/careers/trainee-air-traffic-controllers/how-to-apply/

[Calum0812]

Seems Calum didn't answer any of the training related questions, so for those that are interested further reading is available at NATS.aero
http://www.nats.aero/careers/trainee-air-traffic-controllers/how-to-apply/
Hey Lee,
I gave the presentation about a week ago but I'm currently doing work experience at Liverpool Control Tower where I'm asking some of these questions to get some deeper answers.

[Calum0812]

Screw it I'll answer them all now!
Any more questions, I'd love to try and get them answered as I am working at Liverpool Air Traffic Control all week this week!
If you have any queries about my replies let me know! :)
Hope you find them interesting or insightful!


- How much training they have to go through before they're allowed to be an ATC
- How they deal with unsuspecting weather or other emergencies etc
They have to go through basic training and then either Aerodrome, Radar or both. This normally takes about 3 years start to finish.
I was in the Tower at Liverpool today and they had a medical emergency. They're efficient, quick and calm. They get the aircraft what it needs and make sure they're handled with the upmost priority. Mechanical emergencies are dealt with in a similar way. They can do funky things like give them a special code that when dialled into their transponder, makes them stand out on controller's screens.


What happens on days when there have been massive delays and all the planes are waiting to take off. How do they restructure the flight plan to accommodate all the planes. Do they try to get some out on time and delay others further.. always wanted to know :[
After the medical emergency today, the controller had to call Scottish Control to see if they could accommodate the delay because the aircraft missed it's slot. Airports sometimes give slots out to aircraft to avoid congestion. When there is bad weather and aircraft get grounded, it's up to the airlines to sort compensation out and it's up to the ops team to decide which flights are cancelled and which get delayed and times changed. ATC just have to try and work what they get given.


How long are shifts usually and does it work the same as if you're tired (or you can't focus your full attention on the job), do they have to take a break?
Are there a lot of staff working at the same time to ensure all flights are landed safely, i.e. does each staff member focus on one plane until that flights compete or a number of them?
How do you actually qualify to be an ATCO? What qualifications do you need and training?
From what age and to what age can you be a ATCO?
They do 6 days on, 4 days off. They work on shifts, morning, day and night. 2 of each per 6 days. They can work on a position for anything between an hour and a half up to three hours in some cases depending on how busy the position is but then must have a half hour break.
Flights get passed from controller to controller, each with different responsibilities. Delivery will give a clearance of the flight route, ground will get them to the runway, tower will get them off the ground, enroute control will get them across high level airspace (multiple enroute controllers speak to the flight as they go in and out of airspace). Once they get close to the airport, they'll get handed to the radar / approach / director (just different names) to guide them onto the approach to the runway. Over to tower to land then ground to the gate. Sometimes ground and tower get combined late at night or when it's quiet!
Qualifications to start training are standard 5 A* to C but require you to pass competency tests and spacial awareness tests. Lots of book work in training! Some on the job with a mentor though, actually, a lot haha!
Can start training from the age of 18. Don't think there is a max age!


What training

yh this
Answered above!


How many years of training? Which uni diploma is required for it? What's the salary?
And finally the question that Samantha asked: ''Are there a lot of staff working at the same time to ensure all flights are landed safely, i.e. does each staff member focus on one plane until that flights compete or a number of them?''

Also, finally, but the most important question of them all. Can you explain to me how this can happen? :

https://scontent-b-lhr.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-frc3/t1.0-9/1012469_10152045512295152_1790646148_n.jpg
Training, qualifications and different controllers answered above!
Salary breakdown can be found here for NATS but is a good idea of what most controllers earn http://www.nats.aero/careers/trainee-air-traffic-controllers/benefits/
Basically about £12,000 through training plus accommodation costs of £60 per week.
Once you start specific airport training (about year 2 of training) you go to between £17,000 and £20,000.
Qualified and you'll be on between £32,000 and £36,000.
Your third anniversary at the company and you'll rise to between £46,000 and £51,000 with the potential to get up to £100,000 as supervisors in big airports like Heathrow.
Looks like that was a flight inspection plane so it will have been roaming around where it felt like haha! Some aircraft have been known to make odd patterns including numbers in the sky and stuff!

what are they paid
Answered above!

What happens when an accident happens or what happens if there is a national emergency? A bit dark, but it seems like it could be interesting. If a plane crashes what do they do, what procedures they follow etc.
They have procedures for EVERYTHING. Learnt this at Liverpool. EVERYTHING. Control tower radar fails? They have a backup. That fails? They have a hand held radio to control aircraft from. Fire in the tower? They have facilities to transfer control to an undisclosed location. National emergency, the military own all of the UK airspace so they could quite happily demand it all back and order all civil traffic to land. Plane crash and they have a lot of procedures. At Liverpool they have crash gates around the airport where emergency services can drive through at speed and break the gate to get air side straight away. About 9 of them at Liverpool all at different points so they can get anywhere really quickly! Comms failure and they have a massive light in the control tower they can flash codes at planes which are globally recognised! Crash and the airport closes with it's own fire crew standing by. Medical and they can give priority to get the ill passenger to a hospital asap. If you have a little more of a specific question (type of emergency) then I might be able to give a better answer!


What changes have there been in recent years in how air traffic control management works? Like how have the systems used improved and how has this impacted on safety and reliability etc, or are there still old systems in place?

Is it easy for pilots to mis-understand instructions given by the controllers, and has there ever been any cases where an error in communication has led to an accident?

Do the controllers sometimes have a bit of banter with the pilots or is it kept strictly to instructions etc?
There have been a few technology improvements but it's only making a paper job a computer job haha, the core basics of controlling haven't changed, just some rules and procedures to speed things up!

Very rare now because when an instruction is given, the pilot reads it back and the controller checks for errors and corrects them where necessary. There have been a few issues with read backs to cause crashes, the most notable probably the Tenerife Airport Disaster - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tenerife_airport_disaster


What are the differences between pre-9/11 and post-9/11?
Security. Lots of it. Not much on the ATC side of things (I'm sure you're aware of the way pilots and passengers have been affected) but the most notable is how seriously hijack alerts are taken. If they see a 7500 squawk (the code used to signal a hijacking discreetly via the transponder. If hijackers aren't trained, they won't know what the pilot means when he says "Control, squawk 7500." or when he simply does it. They may think it is just a routine operation. Shouting hey control we have a hijack is a bit more obvious. Have a read of this. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aircraft_hijacking#Informing_air_traffic_control


How much does weather affect arrivals/ departures.
How confident are they in what they do.
How long are the shifts
Weather is massive. LVPs (Low Visibility Procedures) can slow traffic right down because of increased seperation requirements which can reduce capacity at the likes of Heathrow that already operate at 98%.
They have to be confident. As one of them told me today. If they don't believe in what they're saying, neither will the pilot.
Shift work covered above!


i know that sometimes they're made to do a day shift then a night shift straight away and sometimes fall asleep.

Watched that last year I think... but they just sit there looking after the airspace, making sure traffic is flowing in and out of the airport well, as well as assisting the pilots when they can.

if that's any help.
I said earlier about the way they do 6 days on, 4 off. 2 days on mornings, 2 on days, 2 on nights. So they gradually get later and later. They are supposed to use the 1st day off as a rest day then the other 3 as a long weekend. Controllers don't fall asleep. Just doesn't happen haha. Even if they did they have people around them all the time.

They don't just sit there looking either, they make it happen haha. Pilots can't work without ATC, they have to take all of their instructions off them! They're not advisory, they are by law the "police of the sky".