THIS:
is NOT what my husband does.
He did not uproot his family and drag them all the way up to Alaska for 2 years to become one of THESE:
they are actually referred to as "RAMP RATS". Very little training. NOT AIR Traffic Controllers.
When I tell you that my husband is an Air Traffic Controller please do not do the two-hands-holding-orange-flashlights-waving-forward-and-to-the-side hand motions. That is not what he does. (if you have, don't feel bad- nobody knows EVERYTHING..... except controllers.... somehow they do--- HA HA! just teasing you Nate!)
THIS:
is more like it.
Air traffic controllers are generally individuals with excellent memory, are organized, have spatial awareness, are quick with numeric computational skills, are assertive but calm under pressure, and are 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 hearing and 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. Maintaining a constantly-moving visual scan among all aircraft under one's control, without "fixating" on a particular situation, is how controllers help maintain this overall flick. This is then used to make relatively simple rule-based decisions very quickly and accurately to keep aircraft separated in the sky while moving traffic as expeditiously as possible and presenting the traffic in an orderly and useful manner to the next sector.
Communication is a vital part of the job: controllers are trained to precisely focus on the exact words pilots and other controllers speak, because a single misunderstanding about an altitude level or runway number for example can result in tragedy. Controllers communicate with the pilots of aircraft using a push-to-talk radiotelephony system, which has many attendant issues such as the fact only one transmission can be made on a frequency at a time, or transmissions will merge together and be unreadable.
As you can see, the perfect job for Nate :)
Nate does not work here:
While the tower is very cool, it is not the only place controllers work, nor is it a promotion that Nate is striving to acheive. It is simply another area of Air Traffic Control. Nate is an En Route controller. En Route has been known to be more difficult, and until the pay cuts a few years ago was a higher paying station (and hopefully will go back to being so when Obama fixes their contract!). The tower is not the only place that Air Traffic Controllers work (just remember that).
En Route controllers are responsible for the safety of aircraft at higher altitudes, in the en route phase of their flight. In most nations they are known as "area" or "en route" controllers. 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.
Nate works in the Radar Center that is located just off of I-215 and 700 North.Nate has had to study controlling with the use of radar AND the difficult task of controlling air traffic WITHOUT a radar. He relates this to directing traffic with your eyes closed and only having the use of radio for the driver to TELL you where they are. This whole idea stresses me out just thinking about it. Nate's sector has an area where there is no use of radar.
And speaking of stress. Air Traffic Control is known for the stress level. I can't count how many people would say, "I've heard that's a really stressful job!" Well, it is :)
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. A typical work week for a controller is an 8 hour day, 5 days per week if the facility is correctly staffed. A hiring emergency in the United States has led to some locations having Air Traffic Controllers work 10 hours a day, 6 days a week (mandatory).
Typically, controllers work "on position" for 90 to 120 minutes then they get 30 minutes break. Except at quieter airports, Air Traffic Control is a 24 hours, 365-days-a-year job. Therefore controllers usually work rotating shifts, including nights, weekends and public holidays. These are usually set twenty eight days in advance. In many countries the structure of controllers' shift patterns is regulated to allow for adequate time off.
Nate is a Federal Government employee. He works for the FAA (someone actually asked me to spell that! LOL funny huh. I mean, I realize that some people don't know what the Federal Aviation Administration is, but it still makes me laugh when I think about how I spelled out F-A-A to her :)). He does not work for the Airlines. He is not paid by the airlines. He is not to blame for the rediculous prices. He does not work at the airport (in case that is still unclear).
So let me just sum up what we've learned today :):
Nate is not a ramp rat, waving orange flashlights.
He is not hoping to one day be "promoted" to tower.
He is under a lot of stress, but he does receive a lot of help in the management of said stress.
He does not work at the airport, he works for the Government.
He is doing a great public service!
This is a very complex job that requires a LOT of training, and a LOT of mental capacity and awareness. This job is not for just anyone. It takes a certain kind of person. Nate's worked really hard and pushed himself a lot harder than we ever would have imagined. If you didn't catch me saying this before.... Nate is amazing, he can totally take it! And I'm proud of him. I hope it's okay for me to brag a little, but I was getting kind of sick of the orange-flashlight-hand-motion thingy..... it's somewhat insulting. Nate really couldn't care less and ya know why..... because he's a controller, not a control freak like me :)
And now for a little comic relief of the Control floor
