PPRuNe Forums - View Single Post - Cardiff LARS/ATC Visit - 31st May 2003
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Old 10th Apr 2003, 05:26
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jonnys
 
Join Date: Dec 2002
Location: Lancaster
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A little off topic, but I spent a day with the controllers at both a major and a GA airfield . Am a low hour PPL, and cannot over emphasise the value of visiting Air Traffic Control enough!!

It gives you not only an interesting insight to how the voices on the other end of the radio work, but it has also, I believe, made me a more considerate pilot. There were so many pilots on frequency barking out "requests" (orders..!), stamping on each others transmissions (including emergency transmissions from the air ambulance...) and generally causing ATC a variety of minor problems. Without having seen the effects of this kind of 'interaction' from the side of the controller, I fear I would also be one of those pilots who didn't really think the voice in the tower was a real person trying to do a real job!

All in all, it taught me how to interact with ATC much more effectively, and it's always nice to put a face to the voice!

So, enjoy it (you will) and learn from it aswell. Valuable experience. Should be a mandatory part of the PPL course I think! (minimum of 45 hours flight time, and 5 hours ATC time...what do you reckon?!!!)
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