|
The daily routine
of Air Traffic Controller is very demanding with various factors
of safety he has to maintain. The round the clock job of providing
air traffic services is divided into shifts manned by established
and stable teams. Although the Air Traffic Controller is an individual
professional, he is part of a large team.
 He coordinates
with other sectors, other control centres, essentially quite a few
other units, while controlling traffic, and yet the Air Traffic Controller is essentially alone when
he has to take that decision which is to taken in splits of second.
However, the cooperation and coordination makes it possible for him
to take correct decision and thus it is the backbone
for a smooth and safe working environment.
Sitting
like a rock for hours together the stoic Controller has to have an
accurate mental map of a dynamic 3-D picture (altitude of an
aircraft above the sea level, bearing
from a navigational aid, distance from the aid) of the moving
aircraft at any point of time. It is indeed a 4-D picture with time
occupying the fourth dimension.
Based
on the mental picture that he will create, update and foresee with
time involved, he has to plan the future course of various
aircraft which may have converge or diverge over the navigational
aid. It also requires for him to assess the potential problem, priority
of tasks, determine and issue appropriate instructions and ensure
compliance with them. Controller actually fights against time to
implement his decisions.
Apart
from deriving information from mental mapping, a controller has to
talk and understand aircraft transmissions and issue appropriate instructions,
mark the flight progress strips and monitor the coordination effected
with other adjacent Air Traffic Services (ATS) units. These tasks
performed under time pressure are aimed at achieving maximum safety
and efficiency leading to stressful working condition.
|
