Punlic opinion on Air Traffic Safety

[Caractacus]

Does anyone know of their have been any surveys on the public opinion on Air Traffic Safety?

I.e., in the eyes of the travelling public, just how important is the role of the Air Traffic Controller?

With the introduction of the Airbus 380 into crowded airspace safety issues and collision risks might become more of a public debate.

Have their been any surveys on Public Opinion on Air Traffic Management in the past 5 years?

Any weblinks gratefully appreciated.

[Avman]

If you are looking for a factual survey, I believe the public is far too ignorant to make an objective opinion about air traffic safety or air traffic management. Sadly, my experience is that too many airline pilots even remain ignorant about ATC.

[FlyingForFun]

The public is far too ignorant to make an objective opinion about air traffic safety or air traffic managementI have no doubt that is true. However, the public will make decisions (such as whether to fly to their sunny holiday destination or go by boat/train) based on their opinion, ignorant or not. Therefore it is important to understand what the public opinion is. If it happens to be incorrect due to ignorance, then it might also be important to educate.

I'd also be interested in the answer, purely from a "general interest" point of view.

FFF
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[Jerricho]

It's an unfortunate fact of life that we focus on the negative issues. And a great deal of exposure Mr SLF has is from the media. Productions like "Crowded Skies", "Black Box" et al, while informative seem to havethe underlying thread of "the while system is a bee's dick away form something bad happening". And then you get abortions like that BBC 'mock-u-mentary' "The day Britian stood still", or media articles "Jets 1000 feet away from disaster" (last time I checked, this was the required vertical sep standard in most places). An objective opinion probably isn't possible.

But they must think it isn't all bad. Perhaps it's just a time convenience issue?

[Spuds McKenzie]

Generally the public has no idea about ATC at all, which is understandable.
On the other hand, what the public gets to know about ATC, too often comes from journalists, who don't have a clue themselves and therefore is rather subjective and inaccurate.
There are exceptions to the rule, but only very few.

[Jerricho]

Heh...it takes years to learn how to use them table tennis bats!

[Spitoon]

And I've always wondered how you use those table-tennis things to work out those heading number things .....

[Red Four]

(tongue in cheek) Well maybe if the Analysis of Airproxes was published in the Sun etc, the public would have a much deeper understanding of, and whole lot better opinion of ATC?

[FWA NATCA]

Caractacus,

The National Air Traffic Controllers Association has done surveys or our National Office can help steer you toward the information that you are seeking.

You can contact the NATCA National Office in Washington D.C. at 202-628-5451 ask for Dale Wright extension 4818.

Mike R
NATCA FWA

[Yarpy]

Thanks for the kind reply, I will call in due course.

Caractacus

[HEATHROW DIRECTOR]

The "table-tennis bats! bit had me lol... When I worked at Kidlington around 1970 I went for my medical with an AME close by. I have a hearing loss caused by rifle shooting when I was an erk in the ATC (no ear defenders in those days: "they're only for nancy boys"). The doc asked if I wore ear defenders at work because, until I corected him, he honestly believed that air traffic controllers were the guys with the bats!!

In other countries I've visited - especially the USA and New Zealand there seems to be far greater awareness of our job than in the UK.

[TrafficTraffic]

In other countries I've visited - especially the USA and New Zealand there seems to be far greater awareness of our job than in the UK.

.....Do you mean within the people doing the job? :)

[Jerricho]

HD..............unless others about have been unfortunate enough to have seen "pushing tin"

P.S. How you been Bren. Y watch say "Hi!"

[EyesToTheSkies]

When I was having a careers chat at school in the late eighties while expressing my interest in becoming an Air Traffic Controller, the careers lady told me I had to have good physical fitness. Of course I knew this already as I'd researched the subject quite well. Through the ensuing conversation it became apparent that the reason she thought one had to be fit was because one spent all day on one's feet................??????????



It turned out she'd been watching one too many Battle of Britain films, and thought I'd be pushing models of 74's and TriStars across a large desk top with a large wooden stick!

(PS I didn't achieve my ambition, but never mind.)