Starting College

[Steakpie]

Hi folks,

I have just gone thorugh the NATS selection and am starting college in january.
1st I'd like to say thanks to everyone who contibutes on this site, the infromation on this site definately helped me with my interviews. :D :D

2nd I know the first few months are very intense and I was wondering if anyone has any recommedations for background reading/books that you found helpful or any other general tips for coping with the course.

Thanks again

[Gonzo]

Hi Steakpie,

Some might say that you should start on the MATS Part1

http://www.caa.co.uk/docs/33/CAP493PART1.PDF

However, without the help of the college lessons to understand it, it will probably end up confusing more than helping.

I'd recommend getting a book on aircraft types and performance (something like Janes), and also have a look at some of the PPL study textbooks, I like the AFE series (try a google search). There are books covering navigation, met, air law, R/T technique etc.

The UK R/T manual might also be useful to look through, CAP413 at http://www.caa.co.uk/docs/33/CAP413.PDF.

[Steakpie]

Thanks G.

I Had a quick look at the MATs and thought I'd leave it well alone but will look into the afe books for a bit of 'light' reading.

[steve_atc]

Dont bother reading the ANO just yet - if i were you id get stick into section 1 of MATS. This is far better as alot of the basic course (first 3 months) is built around this section. After the basic course, you will start your chosen route whether that be Area, Approach or Aerodrome, and they all have their own separate sections.

Reading the ANO just now will be a waste of time as most of it wont make sense and it only became clear to me once we started the lessons.

Aircraft characteristics is a good easy place to start, try www.airliners.net (http://www.airliners.net) it was use to me. Try and get on as many visits to units as possible - to see what you REALLY want to do.
Anything else PM me.

[Singe]

To know your phonetic alphabet without thinking and to know your basic types of aircraft and what their abbreviations are would be a great help.
As I was an assistant before I started on the course I found this to be a great help and left me time to worry about more important stuff.
As when it came to the sim runs it was one of the things I didn't have to think about and I saw other non aviation background people having a hard time with that, but saying that it's not that important as the course caters for the absolute novice.

[foghorn]

To know your phonetic alphabet without thinking and to know your basic types of aircraft and what their abbreviations are would be a great help.

The difficulty in doing pre-college work comes when you try to learn stuff that requires application of knowledge. That's the danger of doing too much reading of stuff like the part one: you will be taught how to apply its contents at the college.

Stuff you can do is learn the raw knowledge that doesn't need application as Singe recommends. On top of that, if you don't already have an aviation background or a keen interest in aviation, do all you can to get one. Read magazines; get a copy of Janes or other guides; just immerse yourself as much as a lay person can. Even to the extent of going plane-spotting :eek: :8 :E :ok:

[anotherthing]

I am with Gonzo on this -

CAP493 - or similar is my advice.

However it is difficult learning anything like MATS pt1/CAP493 when you are sat on your own - it needs the help of tutors and being on a course/in the evironment to really make it make sense (unlike that sentence)

However, it is my belief that if you can start to get your head around the way that R/T Phraseology is structured it will be a big help. The course will be difficult, make no bones about it; but if you have a good idea of what to say, or at least how to say it, it will give you soooo much more thinking time for solution finding.

And if you are doing an exercise and you come across a situation you have never encountered before, try not to get worked up about how you will phrase what you want the pilot to do.... too many people get tripped up trying to use standard phraseology when encountering new or non standard situations - if in doubt - say it in clear (plain English).

Good luck with the course - you will find that you have some very good instructors at the college who can give you up to date, current advice.

[Tarq57]

Steakpie,
It's been a few years since I did this. And the training centre in NZ is not where you're heading, (though it was modelled on English standards), but I would also, as part of the "enjoying it" experience, let yourself develop a strong sense of teamwork with the people on the course, some of whom are likely to become lifelong friends. You'll have gathered teamwork is important. It starts here. And sometimes having a few beers with the team is at least as important as studying MATS. (Not too often, I guess!) (We used to combine the two. But that was then.)
Unless you're on a pretty weird sort of course, or things are noticeably different in England, I'd imagine everyone there would naturally become very supportive of each other.
Have a blast.

[Steakpie]

Thanks for the advice guys, I thought I'd focus on RT (cap413) and bit of plane spotting:O :8 as looking at pictures aint working. As for the beers most of us have already arranged a drink before the course starts and I already know my fosters from my stella :) .

Thanks again guys and gals

[jay_hl]

Of the topic a bit, but can anyone state approximatly how many students are on each course?

[Angrel]

well the latest rumour for size is that theres 62 on the january course. im at the college now and theres 53 on mine!

[jay_hl]

So taking an average of 60 people per course and with four courses a year, Bournmouth are churning out 240 controllers a year. Are all these people being used??

Seems like an awfull lot of people to me. Sureley NATS are not loosing 240 controller a year and having to replace them!

[chevvron]

They might start 60 per course, but how many times have you seen graduation pictures where it says it's two courses combined and a heck of a lot less than 60.

[Gonzo]

Well, one reason for that is that none of the recent larger courses have yet graduated.

[Vortex Issues]

On the 1st of the big courses only about 20 managed to get through the basic course, 6 dropped out and 26 went to training review

[Steakpie]

When I had my interview I was told they were taking quite a lot on as NATS has a large number of controllers coming up for retirement in the next 5 years, That and the fact that not many make it through college (gulp :sad: ) there's 60 on my course which starts in jan.

[Zaou]

Hi Steakpie,

Just wanted to congratulate you on your new career :ok:

I am starting a training course at Eurocontrol in March, so I guess we're in the same boat! I also found the information on this website valuable in the tests. In preparation I am not gonna do much really, except perhaps brush up on aircraft characteristics.

Anyway, good luck and study hard! :D