PREPARING FOR CHALLENGES IN ATC

RAKESH BHATNAGAR AGM (ATC)

 

In an English movie on Air traffic Control “Pushing Tin”, I remember a   particular scene where an ATCO is introduced to a visiting group of school children, as “a person who is responsible for more number of lives in an hour than a neurosurgeon throughout his career”. The air traffic has taken a quantum jump since then and has increased much more than neuro patients.

 

The Air traffic in India has seen a sharp growth. The pace of growth in Air traffic is much more than the pace of growth in the infrastructure. It will take time to develop safe procedures and provide supporting infrastructure to deal with growing air traffic.  Air traffic controllers in India are now in a situation where they have to depend upon their skills much more than anything else.

 

The Air traffic controller’s job is full of stress and requires special skills to handle the pressure. To be able to handle the growing pressure an ATCO must be able to sharpen its skills.

 

The basic qualities required in an ATCO for efficiently and safely handle air traffic are:

1. A sharp mind with ability to take Quick and Correct split second decisions.

2. Good command on English language,

3. Clear voice and good rate of delivery

4. Ability to handle pressure

5. A positive attitude and

6. Team spirit.

To be able to handle the difficult situation in rapidly changing traffic scenario we must sharpen our skills and be prepared.

1. Our Mind, like any other part of our body can be strengthened by a regular exercise. These mental exercises, not only make our mind sharp but also enhance our decision making capabilities. We must spend sometime in solving puzzles and brain teasers. Even simple puzzles, like Sudoku and crosswords improve analytical skills. After long hours of stressful ATC duty, such exercises help in breaking monotony and boredom. It gives a freshness to mind.  To prepare our brain to take the challenges of next day’s work, it is not only important to exercise our brain, but also; to give it proper rest and relaxation. Meditation, light music, reading and spending good and quality time with our children are ways of relaxing. This will not only relax our mind but also improve our temperament. 

2. Although there are set of phraseologies available, which more or less take care of our need for working knowledge of the language but to prepare ourselves for an unusual situation, where communication goes much   beyond the scope of standard phraseologies a good command in English is required. It is important not only to be able to pass instructions and information in a clear and unambiguous manner but also to be able to receive and understand the information quickly and correctly to decide the course of action in emergencies. Though, this is not a major problem, as English language is the medium of instruction beyond school level in most of the parts in India. Still some of us still face this difficulty due to lack of opportunity to use English as a language for conversation.  This can be improved by adopting methods such as reading English books, watching English programmes on television and taking active part without hesitation in group discussions. But, this needs support of our friends too.  

3. Even people with good command on English language sometimes find it difficult to convey the meaning correctly. This is mainly because their rate of delivery which is often too fast, oozing with confidence but lacking clarity. Since, in ATC, scope of error is not there, the instructions should be clear and unambiguous. Unclear speech may demand unnecessary repetitions in already congested channels. Sometimes, the instructions although correct in language but not clear in voice may lead to errors. 

4. “When the going gets tough, the tough gets going”. “Tough times do not last but tough men do.” These are the few inspirational lines with which we grew.  Ability to handle pressure comes with toughness of our mind. It is a quality that can be developed by motivating ourselves. The uniqueness of our profession is a motivation in itself. All over the world ATC profession is seen with respect, this must inspire us to deliver our best in crunch situations. Do not forget, there are lots of lives up there at stake.  

5. While dealing with an emergency situation it is necessary to have a positive attitude. It is this quality which can keep us going. Positive attitude comes with self belief. Some self help books develop our attitude in a positive direction. If necessary, these can help in developing a positive attitude, which is essential otherwise too. 

6. ATC is a Team Job and everyone’s role is important. Team spirit is one quality which we ATCOs must demonstrate at every level. To be able to work efficiently in a particular ATC unit we need support of many. It is important that as we grow everyone grows with us. If everyone is inspired and motivated things become easier and enjoyable. We must help our juniors in learning and also extend our support to seniors in decision making.

 

 Let us remember that things do not change till we start changing them. We must accept challenges ahead and take pride in the job we do. Few things are in our hands and only we can improve them and let us do it and start enjoying doing it for our and  everyone’s sake.

 

 

Rakesh Bhatnagar is posted as Asst.General ManagerATC in the Civil Aviation Training College, Allahabad .He is a proficient Instructor of Air Traffic Control who holds all the ratings of ATC.He joined the NAA as Aerodrome Officer in the year 1989.