ATC IssuesA place where pilots may enter the 'lions den' that is Air Traffic Control in complete safety and find out the answers to all those obscure topics which you always wanted to know the answer to but were afraid to ask.
Just wondered if anybody who attended the Glasgow Hilton stage 1 on 12th March has heard back yet? I've still not heard anything! Is this normal or should I be chasing up HR?
I am 26 and interested in becoming an Air Traffic Controller but I wear glasses. After contacting NATS HR and my optician, I have been informed that my right eye is OK but my left eye is only just within the set ATC candidate vision limits (correction of +-3.5 dioptres).
As such I would like to ask all the qualified ATCs on here a few questions:
Why is it that the minimum vision requirements for ATC candidates is so much higher than that for pilots?
Do any ATCs wear glasses/contacts or do you all have perfect vision?
Do the maximum ATC eyesight correction limits (+- 3.5 dioptres) apply only to ATC trainee candidates or do they apply for all ATCs throughout their respective careers at all ages?
If they apply for all ATCs and considering that everyone’s vision deteriorates with age: what would happen if a qualified/working ATC’s vision deteriorated to below the minimum sight requirements (i.e. had to wear glasses that gave him/her a visual correction of greater than +-3.5dioptres). Would they be required to resign or given another job etc? Has this happened before?
If I apply for ATC training will the fact that I wear glasses be held as a mark against me in the application process?
Taking in to account that I am 26; I do wear glasses; that the current amount of correction those glasses give to my left eye is near the ATC candidate limits and that invariably my eyesight will deteriorate as I get older, would you or would you not advise me to apply for the ATC training?
Firstly - the requirements for the initial medical are not as stringent as those for the renewals so they take into account the fact that the eyes will deteriorate. I believe the renewal criteria is something like 5 dioptres - it's certainly more than the initial.
The NATS medical is more stringent than the CAA class one which is why there is a discrepancy with pilots.
Plenty of controllers wear glasses/contacts and have no problems whatsoever so don't worry about that. At 26 your eyes are going to be pretty settled so I would imagine you won't have any problems
Hi, im due to sit stage one in manchester this wednesday and im just wondering if anyone can tell me do i need to know all the aircraft details given on the pdf.2?
Well....
It's up to you. There will be questions on it, but they are multiple choice. As I recall(2 years ago now) there was 2 or 3 questions on the stats, so assuming a pass mark of 70 %, if you get all the other questions correct and the stats ones wrong you would probably be ok. However, as I'm sure someone will point out, if you get through you will need to know them anyway...
.....But of course there's no way to know that the test you'll sit will be the same paper as the one PaulM sat, so there might be more questions on a/c characteristics...........
hey, I just found out today that I will hopefully be starting on the july course - much excitement! Just wondering if anyone else out there is going to be there as well?! oh and good luck to all of you still going through selection!!
From my experience from reading these forums (an my own experience) it varies anything from a few days to about 10 or 12 days. Doesn't seem to be any quicker or slower if your fail or pass.
im new to the forum, have just booked my stage 1 test, so im really nervous already. I was wondering, over the last few months I was looking at a really helpful website on tiscalli, this is the address
it was really helpful and had loads of tips on the interview process.
does anybody know what has happened to this site, or can anyone suggest a similar alternative one.
it was really good as it brought alot of info together into one place.
Hey dazpoo23, i was also at the hilton deansgate in the morning! Which room were you in the small one with the tv or the large one with all the tables? If its the small one i was the one who worked out the longest month silly question the guy gave us!
Glad to here another one who passed i was actually suprised i did because i only read the information booklet once (and im not one of those people who read and remember) and felt like a pauper surrounded by geniuses due to my age and the fact i never bothered with uni!
My interview is booked for May to give me time to prepare and hopefully get a visit into a couple of airports between now and then.
Have you been told that direct from HR Kev? The reason I ask is that last time I talked to them there was a chance i'd be on July, but more likely October. I was accepted in December and passed my medical in January. I'd be interested to know if things have changed is all.
I got through stage 3 in February and have my medical next week. I got an email from HR saying they were looking to put me on the July course (medical pending of course) but when I called them they said it may still be October. I realise this isn't much help, just until HR have the course numbers no-one really knows when they start.
Well, trying to.
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