Training Structure at Bournemouth

[doody2000]

Hi, All

This is first message I've ever posted on Pprune so I hope you will all be lenient with me.

I have NATS interview towards the end of March and have been scanning the NATS internet site trying to find details about the course.

According to the site the course at Bournemouth lasts for 18 months. However, speaking to various other people and reading other messages in Pprune would suggest that it has changed slightly.

As far as I can gather candidates are streamed following their interview. After that the course is either 6 months for tower only, 9 months for tower and approach, 12 months for area.

Could any students at Bournemouth or anybody else in the know let me know if that is correct.

Much appreciated.

Doody.

[mickrobbo]

doody, firstly best of luck with your interviews. I am rapidly approaching the end of the "Introductory Course" at the college. You do not get "streamed" down a particular discipline until you have successfully passed the Introductory Course, exams and all...then you will be told which discipline you are due to do. You do get to put down your preference, though I am yet to see how much this affects what you get to do.

The introductory course is 9weeks long, then you have 2 weeks flying training. If you go aerodrome you then do a 13 week course after which you are posted to your designated unit for OJT (on the job training) for about a year until you validate. Approach course is similar...if you get the option for regional airport this combines both aerodrome and approach courses therefore lasting approx 26weeks. The area course starts with 8 weeks ops famil at an en-route centre LACC, ScoACC or TC, followed by a radar skills course, area 1 course, then finally area 2 course...these combined courses last about 12months. However, you may be subject to "holding" and thus delaying the end of your course.

Hope that helps.

[Armitage]

Where does TC approach fall into the three different courses?

I am due to start at the college later this year, date yet to be confirmed! What is covered in the 9 week intro course? Is there any preparation I can do before hand that would help?

Thanks!

Ax

[sla]

The course structure is undergoing a few changes again! Ops famil will be no more, so overall the course will be shorter. I think area courses won't get the 2 weeks flying either:( But I don't know that much coz I haven't started at college yet.

[Someone_Else]

Sla,

Where have you heard this?

[Inverted81]

Hi
Mickrobbo has hit the nail on the head re the structue.
Sla... where are u getting this info?? I seriously doubt flying training will be cut for area courses....

Indeed course content changes on a frequent basis, due to new eu legislation etc
The intro course covers the "foundation" of all areas of ATC
Met
Law
Radar principles
AFTN!!!
the dreaded multi topic (all the left overs that dont have exam of their own)
Nav
Human factors :hmm:

etc etc.... not much prep u can do as the legislation changes and a copy of some notes may be outta date.
for interview there are a couple of good ATC intro books... one by graham Duke (search amazon)

other than that read the info pack you should have been sent! :)

GOOD LUCK!
81
:}

[doody2000]

Thanks very much for your help guys.

Thats certainly more than answered the question.

Regards

Doody

[Fletchers Left Boot]

At the moment, those streamed for TC approach will do the Introductory course followed by the Approach course - i.e. no aerodrome course.

[Jerricho]

Thus giving no real appreciation of what goes on in a tower. :rolleyes:

[terrain safe]

No different to now really............

[Gonzo]

Never be afraid to say what everyone else is thinking! :E

[Jerricho]

No different to now really.

Maybe. When Gonzo and I were on our course, we did the old 8 week OJTI (or however long it was) at the end of Aerodrome in various towers across the land. Am I to understand this isn't to be done by everyone now? That is a real shame.

[Gonzo]

If I might speak for Terrain Safe, I believe he was making the point that TC now doesn't have a real appreciation of what the tower does.

But Jer, you're right. Those picked for Area do 'OJT' at a centre, those for TC Approach do OJT there.

And even OJT is going to be a thing of the past, am I right?

[Jerricho]

that TC now doesn't have a real appreciation of what the tower does

And all joking aside, could the same be said the other way? I'm not trying to stir crap, it's a legit question. I always found it very beneficial when I was training with some one who had worked in the tower. If something happened, I could turn to him and ask "Well, why?". A knowledge base that is slowly diminishing.

[Gonzo]

Oh yes, most definitely. Moving everyone into TC was a mistake from an operational point of view, I think.

I know that this doesn't come close, but while we're sat in the tower looking at our ATM (when it's dark enough not to have any reflections, but light enough so that we don't need to try and spend five minutes trying to adjust the brightness) we can get an idea of what Approach are trying to achieve: Why the AZA is no.1 and not the BAW, how many are off the stack, if FIN has overcooked it slightly and has slowed him down early, why they are taking them off BNN and straight overhead before turning them downwind to the south of the field etc etc.

However, the TC boys and girls, great though they are, cannot watch us do GMC or Arrivals.

[Inverted81]

I totally agree that the "knowledge base" will be diminished especially with regard to no longer completing the aerodrome course unless you will eventually end up in a tower. However, if it is an appreciation of the job, then the occasional liason visit will definitely help raise this awareness, whilst not giving too much detail, the understanding of what tower does is critical i guess mainly for the approach bods but also vital for area peeps to undestand why there maybe some sorta delay caused on some occasions for airfield operations. (long sentance not much grammar sorry! :} )

I've heard many many mixed opinions whether "dropping" aerodrome is a good thing or not.....

[gilaine]

Admittedly though the intro course as it is now is heavily lifted from the old aerodrome 1 course and since the vast majority of instructors are from aerodrome we have had a lot of aerodrome themed instruction.

[dannyo]

Mick's right y'know. Mick's also set to be an .......... controller (field deleted to protect the innocent;)

Gilaine's right about the lean towards aerodrome. Can't wait to meet an area instructor. Still, won't be too long now. Just the big Multi topic to go (keeping me up at nights...grr!) Oh yeah, and another 2 PTT checkouts

PTT - Part task trainer. A PC based simulation designed to train "part" of the radar world....and scare the living s**t outta the intro course members!

Roll on Tuesday. Mine's a litre (of voddy!)