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Ministry of infrastructure of Ukraine Ukrainian State Air Traffic Services EnterpriseSafety. Efficiency. Responsibility |
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| Media about us |
| Co-ordinators of air traffic |
| (“Uriadovyi Kurier” 19.10.2006) |
“Presently, about 50 planes are airborne above Kyiv city flying via different air corridors” – gives his comments an Air Traffic Controller of Kyiv Area Control Centre (ACC) pointing at his colleague’s monitor screen, where the situation has been constantly changing. Now a request for the decent came in through the radio contact from an Austrian Airlines pilot. The controller looked at the monitor screen where white marks were moving along different routes and estimated the air traffic situation. “Cleared to descend”- he returned in a moment giving the trajectory parameters for the aircraft.
Each aircraft flies on its assigned route, has its assigned altitude and speed. A pilot cannot change any of these parameters without controller’s command. In case of emergency, such as: windscreen cracked, a passenger needs medical assistance or a technical problem occurs on board, an air traffic controller usually gives the pilot permission for priority landing. This requires maximum concentration, adequate evaluation of the air traffic situation and ability to take swift and right decisions as not only safety of air traffic but also people lives depend on these decisions.
“A controller begins each working shift with routine medical examination of his physical and psychological condition” - says Viktor Dobrivskyy, Head of “Kyivcentraero” ACC, – “Such, at first sight, “trifles” as cold, headache or even bad mood can be a reason for the suspension of a controller from the duty. It is suffice for a controller to say: “I am in low spirits today” to be released from his duties. Other controller will substitute him. We always play safe to be sure that possibility of an incident is excluded”. After medical examination controllers gather in a briefing room where they get the latest information about meteorological situation, military manoeuvres, launches of meteorological radiosondes and activities of other services that ensure general functionality of the ACC.
“Substantial disadvantage of controller’s profession,- in Viktor Dobrivskyy’s opinion, -is that the slightest controller’s health abnormality leads to “writing off”. On average a controller works 10-15 years. Women get status of a veteran after 15 years of service and men – after 20 years. To tell the truth, stressfulness of the job makes this profession rather for men than for women.”
“According to the conclusion of the Institute of Labour Medicine, - explains Sergii Loboda, the President of Air Traffic Controllers Trade Unions Federation, - heart diseases have already become professional ones. At the beginning of a working shift controller’s blood pressure equals to 120/80, but it rises to 160-180/120 as soon as he is at his working place. This is a peculiar body reaction to the awareness of responsibility. That is why controllers have a 20-minute break after every 2 hours of service. There is a special relaxation room for this purpose.”
“Air traffic control is a skill that has to be kept current by regular practice. Rules and regulations of Air Traffic Management are constantly changing and the requirements for controllers become stricter due to the growth of air traffic volume. It is also very important for a controller to have clear diction, good voice timbre and aptitude for foreign languages. Whenever an air traffic controller is posted to a new unit or starts work on a new sector within a particular unit, he or she must undergo a period of training regarding the procedures peculiar to that particular unit and/or sector. The majority of this training is done in a live position controlling real aircraft and is termed On-the-Job-Training (OJT), with a fully qualified and trained OJT Instructor. The length of this phase of training varies from a matter of months to many years, depending on the complexity of the sector. Only once a person has passed all these training stages, will he be allowed to control on his own. “This profession does not accept casual people”, - Viktor Dobrivskyy underlines.
“The job is rather challenging,” – captain Serhii Gorbachenko, a military controller confessed, – “tasks never end and are always different”.
In spite of rapid development of air navigation equipment an air traffic controller remains a kingpin in the ATC process. On this International Air Traffic Controllers' Day let us wish to all the controllers that the number of take-offs be equal to the number of landings.
By Galyna Ischenko |
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Airport, Boryspil, Kyiv region, Ukraine, 08300, phone: (+38044) 235-21-10, fax: (+38044) 281-84-84
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