If you’ve downloaded a flight radar app, you may have been astonished at the sheer number of aircraft criss-crossing the country. Zooming in to Heathrow or JFK, all you can see is a vast pile of teeny planes all seemingly jostling to get on or off the runway. It appears to be completely chaotic, but every single aircraft is on a precisely dictated flight path, and it’s the work of air traffic controllers which will result in an untroubled journey and a safe landing.
The aim of air traffic control is to move aircraft safely and efficiently through the airspace system, to maintain communication with the pilot and ensure compliance with aviation protocol. In the UK, 7,000 aircraft traverse the skies every day, and air traffic control services handle 2.5 million flights and 250 million passengers per year on commercial, leisure, cargo and military flights.
It's arguably one of the most responsible jobs anyone can undertake, with passenger safety depending on each decision. To become an air traffic controller (ATCo) you need to have good concentration, excellent verbal communication, problem-solving and decision-making skills and the ability to pay attention to detail and work well under pressure.
The route to becoming an ATCo involves rigorous study; to begin with, trainees spend a year at a specialist college learning about the theories and practicalities of the job. Modules include air navigation law, air safety management and weather studies as well as the complex rules and regulations of air traffic control. Having completed this, trainees can then specialise as one of three types of ATCo:
Area controllers are based at a regional control centre and track and guide aircraft flying at high altitudes through their specific area.
Approach controllers give instructions to aircraft which have just taken off and manage them on their approach to an airport.
Aerodrome controllers work from an airport control tower, guiding pilots to their allocated stand and runway and giving take-off and landing clearance.
There are two types of airspace, controlled and uncontrolled. Surprisingly, the majority is uncontrolled and is used by recreational pilots and also some military flights; it’s up to the pilots to avoid collisions. Air traffic control services are provided in controlled airspace using radar and other surveillance systems to minimise delays and keep aircraft at a safe distance from each other.
