 |
by Anonymous |
There's a saying among air traffic controllers that the job is hours of boredom punctuated by moments of sheer terror and panic, and controller Bill Robertson agrees that some days things seem to turn out that way.
"It's like a three-dimensional chess game. You must be able to concentrate on several things at the same time and be able to visualize moving aircraft that you're controlling.
"You'll have one aircraft 15 miles away at such and such an altitude then another will call in from 20 miles away in another direction and give an altitude. You're expecting another scheduled flight in the area shortly. You sit and think, what should I do?
"Rapid decision-making, that's what it's all about. You're constantly updating your information and you must know what's going on in your section every minute, every second."
Bill is an Airport Controller at Toronto International airport, controlling aircraft taking off, landing or flying in the immediate vicinity of the airport.
The controller's job is to provide control services to aircraft in the air and at airports, giving aircraft enough space to avoid collisions. The keys are quick thinking and clear communications.
Air traffic controllers have received a lot of publicity lately, especially since the debate over the use of French and since the collision last year of two 747's in Tenerife.
"There's a lot of pressure; I don't see how it could be otherwise. whatever you are doing, you have to be sure that you're doing it the safest way possible because if you don't the consequences could be catastrophic."
A system of shifts has been worked out to help avoid both stress and boredom. Controllers usually work three day shifts followed by three evening shifts then have four days off. It works out to a 34-hour week. Bill mentions that duties are often rotated within the eight-hour shifts, again to avoid long periods of hectic or particularly tense activity.
On any one flight, an aircraft will be in contact with several controllers, who watch over its movements from departure to arrival gate.
Not all airport traffic is aircraft. Service vehicles, construction equipment, snow-clearing and other runway servicing equipment all need room to manoeuvre and to dodge taxiing aircraft.
All these vehicles are in radio contact with a Ground Controller who from a vantage point in the control tower can see all movements taking place in the airport (or, in the case of very large airports, in a section of the airport).
"They provide service to both IFR and VFR flights," Bill explains. "IFR means Instrument Flight Rules, where the pilot navigates by reference only to instruments in the cock-pit in accordance with instructions and clearances he receives from controllers. Under VFR or Visual Flight Rules, the pilot must be able to see the ground at all times and navigate by visual reference to the ground by looking down for landmarks such as railways, highways or rivers. VFR flights are usually light aircraft and pleasure craft."
|
All flights are under the control of Ground Controllers while on the ground and taxing out to position on a runway. Once the aircraft is on the runway, control is transferred to an Airport Controller who controls take-off and landing of aircraft plus VFR flights within 10 miles of the airport and up to an altitude of 4,000 feet. |
|
Departing IFR flights are transferred to Terminal Controllers and then to Area Controllers. Terminal Controllers control aircraft flying on instruments and arriving at or departing from major airports. Radar and other electronic equipment enables them to "see" aircraft beyond visual range.
Area Controllers keep aircraft apart that are en route between airports. They do this by reserving a block of airspace for each aircraft as it moves along the airway and no other aircraft is alldwed to enter this space.
The four levels of Air Traffic Controller - the Ground Controller, Airport Controller, Terminal Controller and Area Controller work together as a team. They must keep the aircraft flying safely and with a minimum of delay.
"Controllers take each flight from gate to gate," Bill explains. "The pilot will be talking to Ground Control before the engines have started. Then a routing will be given which would be, in the case of a flight from say Ottawa to Toronto, Air Canada 568 is cleared to the Toronto airnon, which tells the pilot how far he is given clearance to proceed. Sometimes we can't clear all the way to the destination so clearance must be given later."
"The controller will then give a routing. We have highways in the sky just like on the ground, but they're formed by electronic navigation aids and of course you can't see them. The routing might sound like this: Via Victor 320 and high level 586, which to the pilot is like saying go by highways 16 and 401."
Every instruction must be precise and given so clearly that there can be no possibility of a misunderstanding between controller and pilot, a factor around which much of the bilingualism debate has turned.
Bill has been an Air Traffic Controller for eleven years now and is Vice-President of the Air Traffic Controller's Association. The association is the bargaining agent and representative of Air Traffic Controllers in all negotiations with the federal government. The association also has a role to play in safety and accident investigation and keeps in touch with similar associations throughout the world.
All Air Traffic Controllers in Canada are employed by Transport Canada, and must be licensed by Transport Canada at the end of a 10 month training period. During training, students take part in practice sessions using some of the most advanced simulation equipment in the world. The last part of training is spent on the job in a control unit.
Mistakes are unthinkable; risks are intolerable. Written and practical tests are given throughout training to start trainees off at the high standard that will be expected of them throughout their careers..
Air Traffic Controller
Air traffic controllers are responsible for the safe and orderly movement of aircraft in the air and on the ground surfaces of airports. They provide radio control to aircraft taking off and landing at the airport and to aircraft that are flying through (but not landing or taking off) the air space surrounding the airport. They also provide radio control to ground traffic (e.g. snow removal equipment, service vehicles, etc.) which operate on the runways and adjacent areas.
Training
Training is provided by the Federal Ministry of Transport. It's a combination of course work, given at the Air Services Training School in Ottawa, followed by on-the-job training under the supervision of qualified air traffice controllers. The training takes approximately 10 months.
Aptitudes Needed
Air traffic controllers must be able to stay calm and be able to work accurately under pressure. While other skills are needed for this work, these are the primary requirements.
Qualifications for Training
To qualify as an air traffic controller in training, you must (1) be between 18 and 30 years of age; (2) have completed secondary school; (3) be in good physical condition and be able to pass a physical examination (needless to say, good eyesight and hearing are demanded); (4) have a good command of spoken English; and (5) pass a pre-employment examination and personal interview.
©1999 TG Magazine/Le Magazine TG
tgmag@tgmag.ca