I wouldn't be going into this job hanging my hopes on a posting to Manchester tower, if I were you. The stark reality is that you will go wherever NATS wants you to go. The numbers required dictate that there are far more area controllers trained than aerodrome, so the strong likelihood is that you will end up at one of the two centres: Swanwick, near Southampton; or Prestwick which is just south of Glasgow. Even if you are selected to work at an airport instead of an area centre, Manchester is the most sought after posting within NATS. You could very easily end up in Aberdeen, London, Cardiff etc.
NATS say that they will take your preference into account in terms of the area/aerodrome split, but the harsh reality is that the requirements of the business take priority.
Sorry if the above seems a bit uncompromising, I'm just letting you know what the situation is before you get too far along the process. If Yorkshire/Lancashire is the only place you will be happy then NATS isn't right for you. You'd be better trying for a job at one of the local non-NATS airports like Leeds, Liverpool, Blackpool or Doncaster. Good luck with whatever route you take!
Last edited by Roadrunner Once; 27th Mar 2009 at 16:09.