In The Hot Seat

Aviation widely relies on the transfer of institutional knowledge. The flight instructor teaching you to fly didnt acquire all his/her skills alone. Someone taught them the basics, who in turn was taught by another individual, and so on. Lessons from past experience (a.k.a. mistakes) enlighten future generations.

tkarmer

Thursday, March 02, 2017 at 12:00 AM ET

Verified

Key Takeaways:

ATC training is a continuous, rigorous process that blends extensive theoretical knowledge of unique facility airspaces and procedures with hands-on, high-pressure practical experience.
On-the-Job Training Instructors (OJTIs) are critical for guiding trainees, ensuring safety by intervening in critical moments, and cultivating essential skills like quick decision-making, temperament, and confidence.
Controllers, regardless of experience level or facility transfer, are in a perpetual state of learning, constantly adapting to new environments, evolving procedures, and the dynamic nature of air traffic control.

See a mistake? Contact us.

The instructor’s voice boomed in the radar room. “What the heck are you doing?” The trainee controller reflexively hunched down in his seat. The instructor leaned in and stabbed at a pair of converging targets on the radar ‘scope at 5000 feet. “Do you see these two?”

The trainee’s voice wavered as he spoke. “N352AM, turn left heading…” The instructor immediately mashed his radio trigger, overriding his charge. “N352AM, disregard last. Remain on course.” He swung his attention back towards his trainee. “Dude, N2AM needs to descend to land. Forget the turn. Descend him to resolve the conflict.”