Visits to units (Merged)

[smellysnelly2004]

Hello,

I have an interview at the beginning of March and would like some information about which control centre is the best to visit and how I go about organising it?

Any suggestions will be gratefully received.

PS - Thank you to everyone who has posted info for the selection day. It helped me enormously to prepare for it. Thanks!!
Ryan

[Spitoon]

I'm sure you know much of this but
- you're closest is London Area Control Centre at Swanwick - hi tech, most modern, newest
- Scottich Oceanic and Area Control Centre is at Prestwick. Not so high tech, very different types of traffic and airspace and the chance to see Oceanic Control.
- London Terminal Control Centre is at West Drayton. Joint approach for the London airports. Same sort of radar control room (a bit of a generalisation perhaps) but performing a very different function.

If it's at all feasible, try and visit all of them and try to understand the differences. You might also like to try and sort out a visit to one of your local airports (Bristol or Cardiff) and understand the differences between the way that approach works at an airport where approach is done on site and how it works when it's done remotely at LTCC.

Hope this helps.

[HEATHROW DIRECTOR]

<<approach works at an airport where approach is done on site and how it works when it's done remotely at LTCC. >>

And the answer is....... not a lot operationally! In fact, in the case of Heathrow Approach, no difference at all except we couldn't run to the window to watch the fun if things got tight and the tower man was too far away to get physically violent if we stitched him up!!

One difference with the split function is that the airport controllers are no longer skilled in the "other" function. Whether that makes any difference gives rise to extreme excitement whenever it is mentioned in a rest-room.

The original concept behind moving the approach facilities to LTCC was to integrate the approach controllers into the TMA suites so they would work alongside the TMA inbound controllers. That didn't work (as all of us jolly well knew it wouldn't long before we were transported). Result is that the airport approach people did exactly the same jobs as they did before but in a bigger room with lots of other bods. My understanding is that when LTCC moves to NERC (believed to be sometime this millennium) the approach units will remain as separate entities, but somebody else will have to confirm this.

A possible advantage is in staffing - approach controllers can train to work TMA positions and vice versa. Funnily enough, when we moved we were told that we and the tower controllers would become much better at our respective jobs as we would be devoting all our time to one task...... then they started cross-training approach controllers to the TMA and tower controllers to Thames Radar! C'est la vie.

Anyway, very good luck and shout if there's anything else we can help with..

[Spitoon]

I wasn't going to go into the details that HD describe which will be very subtle to an observer in snelly's position. Rather, I was hoping to give a steer towards a question that could be asked and which might generate the excitement HD mentions.

HD points out some of the differences I was alluding to. A couple of others that I would add are that doing tower all day long, every working day - or approach all day long, every working day - is boring in comparison to the variety that is available working at an airport that has both functions on site.

The second is that not only do tower or approach "specialists" sometimes lack an appreciation of the work of the other - and this isn't a criticism, it's a simple fact that they may never have been taught how to do the other job - but that the controllers on different sites probably don't know each other. You might argue that this doesn't matter and you'd be right - the controllers don't have to know each other to do the job at a basic level - but when working in a team, knowing how other team members work makes it easier to get that extra movement or two out of each hour's work, for example.

Of course, the approach controllers at an airport are unlikely to know the area controllers that they work with but I would suggest that this has less effect on moving traffic than breaking up the tower/approach team. Perhaps HD, who has done both, might have a view.

[smellysnelly2004]

Thanks for your replies people.

I've been poking around a few forums and websites but can't find contact numbers for Swanwick etc anywhere.
Do I need to call NATS or the centres direct to arrange a visit

Once again, all help is very much appreciated

Ryan
Xx

[Inverted81]

good ol directory enquiries worked for me.... :O

[Spitoon]

Try the AIP - online (http://www.ais.org.uk)

[5milesbaby]

Years ago when i joined, personnel sent a list of all the available places for a visit and their contact details with the letter giving the interview date. However, if they will answer your call, give them a ring and ask specifically for the places you are interested in. From your location it would be good to try and visit both LACC and LTCC for the different perspectives and also a local unit (EGFF/EGGD) for the aerodrome bit. It'll certainly help in the interview just due to the different things you'll get told. Good luck and post here where you are going once you have a date, some of us will keep an eye out and say hello! :ok:

[SantaUK]

Adresses & Phone Numbers:


LATCC
Porter's Way
West Drayton
Middlesex
UB7 9AX
Tel: 01895 445566


Manchester Area Cotrol Centre

Manchester Airport
Wythenshawe
Manchester
M90 2PL
Tel: 0161 499 5300


Scottish & Oceanic Air Traffic Control Centre

Atlantic House
Sherwood Road
Prestwick
Ayrshire
KA9 2NR
Tel: 01292 479800


Swanwick

Sopwith Way
Swanwick
Southampton
Hampshire
SO31 7AY
Tel: 01489 584875

Hope this helps everyone...If anyone is going to Manchester let me know and I'll try and organise a day we can go together.

All The Best!

[jimthings]

I wonder if anyone can help me out on this one?

I've got my second stage NATS interview coming up in about a month and need to find out what the situation is with arranging visits to Control Centres?

Is this still a highly recommended part of the preparation?

Many of the threads I see on here about NATS selection are from around 2002 or previous, when the selection process seemed to involve being given a reading list etc, stuff that doesn't seem to have happened during the current selection scheme.

Now my intention is to have a look at the old reading list anyway (couldn't hurt), but i was wondering if visiting a Control Centre is still recommended/required?

If I phone up and ask them if I could come along and say hello, are they gonna tell me to bugger off and stop wasting their time?

Any hints from those in the know would be greatly appreciated.



:confused:

[smellysnelly2004]

Hello,

The number for Swanwick a couple of posts ago is wrong!!
Correct No. : 01489572288

I called it and spoke to a very confused (police?) lady.

I called NATS and got the right number and spoke to another (less) confused lady who said she would put me through to the man who dealt with visits but he probably wasn't there but to leave him my number and he would call back. No call as yet.

Do you need to arrange a visit or is it OK to just turn up?!?!

As always, any advice is greatly appreciated

Ryan
Xx

[5milesbaby]

The security staff at the gate will not permit anyone on site that they aren't expecting so you cannot just turn up. Security forms need to be filled in and a contact person nominated to care for you during your visit so if you get no reply within the next few days, ring back and leave another message until you do get a response.

[smellysnelly2004]

Thanks for a quick and useful reply

You people in here are very accomodating and helpful

Especially considering you must hear this kind of stuff everytime there is a round of interviews!

Anyway, thank you again

Ryan
Xx

[smellysnelly2004]

Hello again,

I will try again to contact LACC to arrange a visit as from reading this forum thoroughly it comes highly recommended.

What I would like to ask if there is anyone who works at Bristol Airport and might be able to help me arrange a visit. I've only emailed them so far (no reply) but thought I would ask here before calling.

Same goes for the LACC as well - if anyone can help it would be wonderful.

Xx

[SantaUK]

Hellooooo

Has anyone that has interviews coming up actually managed to organise a visit....????

I just keep getting passed between different people, or given phone numbers or e-mail addresses and never getting a reply....HELP!!!

Bee

[OB1ChrisOB]

SantaUK - I was able to get a very helpful visit to Manchester a few weeks ago. I believe the guy you need if you want to visit this excellent unit may have been away for the past couple of weeks - but PM me and I'll pass you a name and number.

It is a particularly good unit if you want to see radar screens as well as the view out of the VCR.

My experience the first time round(7 days now til my second stage interviews take 2 :uhoh: ) was that if you are bold and make sure you're put through to the right person eg. tower supervisor or training bod and explain clearly that you are in the second round, they are very receptive to visits.

As mentioned by Spitoon the AIP is a goldmine of telephone numbers and pre-visit reading if you get searching. I also had good experiences with some Non-NATS units in the past so if you're running out of time...

Best of luck everybody:ok: