The "fear factor" in ATC training / service
Having just posted on the "Obeying instructions on a FIS" board thought I would throw this one into the fire, as it is certainly something that has been on my mind for sometime.
As a UK Mil controller I would be interested to know how other ATC training organisations raise their safety awareness amongst students. My experience in training has very much been (not exclusively) fear of the "blame culture" which as far I can see definitely does exist in ATC at the present time. Incidents such as Milan, Ben Macdui, The Balkans etc are evidence enough.
My question really is should the fear of prosecution, blame, and even jail be part of a productive and rational training programme? Given that this is definitely in the back of a lot of controllers mind every day they go about their business are they really providing the best service?
My comparison in with a EFT pilot crashing and writing off a Mil aircraft on a 1st solo. Several learning points made said pilot goes on to make a successful military pilot on whatever type. The pilot is not subject to a grilling whereby their instructors say something along the lines of "if you were flying a Tri-Star with 300 people on they would have all just died".
Compare that to killing off a track in a first sim to simulate the death of a few hundred people on an airliner. This does not seem to me the most productive way to go about business and certainly does / has put people off the job forcing them to look elsewhere for a career.
To be fair however, it does work- but does it produce the right kind of controller?
PS Merry Xmas