Originally Posted by
Packer27L
Semantics. They are employees of NATS therefore NATS trainees. But are they trained by NATS instructors, who are ex-NATS controllers (or active ‘rovies’), are they taught NATS defensive controlling techniques and NATS business practices?
How are the folks from the ANS college getting on? I haven’t heard from any of my old Gatters friends recently?
I am led to believe they are no longer trainees but apprentices.
I really hope this post from Packer is tongue in cheek, is the implication that unless they are trained by NATS instructors and brainwashed/indoctrinated in NATS business practises and taught NATS defensive techniques, they are some sort of substandard controller? Does Packer realise there is a world outside of NATS where perfectly sane and competent controllers have been plying their trade and absolute horror, training other controllers, for a long time without telling the world they are the best? In my career I have worked with and trained some fantastic NATS controllers, I have also seen some that were borderline incompetent and should never have seen a licence. Likewise I could say the same for controllers that have been through an independent system and have never seen a NATS college.
The attitude that the only good controller is a NATS trained controller is both arrogant and ignorant.
Rant over, now back to the thread.