The concept of crew resource management (CRM) was born in aviation. Airlines preach its benefits and train their pilots to work as a team. Flying a modern aircraft involves some complex task management, and dividing that workload between multiple people brings increased safety and efficiency.
ATC has an equally heavy reliance on CRM. If you’re on a center’s frequency, the controller whose voice you hear on the radio is working an “R-side” position, the primary center radar position. If he starts getting overloaded with aircraft, another controller may plug in beside him as a “D-side” to assist in making complicated keyboard entries, flight plan amendments, and coordinating with other controllers. The more eyes and hands at work, the better the service for pilots.
