Books ?

[encounter150]

I am considering trying to become an Air Traffic Controller with NATS.

I wondered if anyone could recommend any books that would give me a good overview of the job and the training.

Also if there are any books that would give me an opportunity to practice the kind of tests involved in the interview process and maybe give me an idea of how suited I am for the job.

Any help would be much appreciated

cheers

[Vortex Issues]

http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51SFS3470JL._SS500_.jpg

Day with Air Traffic Controllr (Welcome Books: Hard Work): Joanne Winne: Amazon.co.uk: Books (http://www.amazon.co.uk/Day-Traffic-Controllr-Welcome-Books/dp/0516230646/ref=sr_1_10?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1230841164&sr=1-10)

[Scooby Don't]

A couple of other titles from the same auther would suggest her writing isn't really at the required level...

Let's Get Ready for Hanukkah (http://www.amazon.co.uk/Lets-Ready-Hanukkah-Joanne-Winne/dp/051623174X/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1230841934&sr=1-2)

Let's Get Ready for Kwanzaa (http://www.amazon.co.uk/Lets-Ready-Hanukkah-Joanne-Winne/dp/051623174X/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1230841934&sr=1-2)

Having no great desire to be ready for either of the above, I suggest an Amazon search for "ATC" and "air traffic control" and, if looking at the UK, ignore the American books. The usual recommendation is for United Kingdom Air Traffic Control: A Layman's Guide: Dave Graves: Amazon.co.uk: Books (http://www.amazon.co.uk/United-Kingdom-Air-Traffic-Control/dp/1840370173/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1230842098&sr=1-3)

With luck, a recent recruit will answer with up-to-date info. Those of us who joined NATS in the 90s or earlier aren't really current on what's out there for newbies!

[055166k]

Home - NATS (http://www.nats.co.uk) and follow career prompts. Some interactive games included on there are good fun for starters.

[055166k]

NATS choose "beautiful" people as profile examples, but these are by no means typical of the ordinary working grunt.i.e. two out of three NATS profile examples are female-married-to-another-controller-on-combined-megasalary-at-top-earning-band-unit dudes. If you have blue eyes and a degree you can get away with controlling real aircraft for as little as four or five years before progressing onto the management ladder. You might retain controller pay and conditions for the rest of your 40 year work-avoidance job-for-life.[ we have a name for them...STEALTH....get it?..never seen on Radar] The rest of us will always make way for partner coincident annual leave requests to accommodate the two-Porsches-with-baby-seat-on-third-foreign-staff-rate-luxury-holiday-during the-summer brigade. Most of the rest of us work very hard for a reasonble but not excessive salary under massive and continuous pressure from not only the job itself but from layer upon layer of oppressive management. If you are paying for one or two kids at UNI there is possible overtime at some units. Holidays are more likely to be a caravan in the UK somewhere...which I don't mind.What about the job itself????....Great...absolutely....if you can make it. Even if you can't hack it, don't worry. NATS has 6000 staff, some hidden as contractors.....and out of a claimed 2000 or so controllers almost a third don't control aeroplanes.....its all about presentation you see.P.S. don't forget to read the red writing at the bottom!!Hold the dream....Good Luck.

[classicwings]

I can highly recommend Ian Allans 'Air Traffic Control' by Graham Duke (Ninth Edition) as a thorough and comprehensive insight into the subject.

[Mr_Grubby]

055166K

Brilliant post. Just as I remembered it. Nice to see nothing has changed since I retired.

Grubby

Ex 055161K

[BigDaddyBoxMeal]

There is a publication internally called 'NATS - Our Story' It may be hard to get hold of; but if you can I strongly suggest you try and get a read of it before joining NATS.

It will give you a broad insight into the management drivel and corporate cr*p that you will be subject to when joining this "World Leader in air traffic management" :ugh:

[windneckin]

Encounter,

If you want to know a bit more about air traffic control in the UK, I would suggest the following books:

- "Air Traffic Control" by Graham Duke (Ian Allan Publishing). There are a few editions, the last one being the 9th (September 2005). Good book about ATC in the UK that could also help during the selection process (but you can get through the selection process no problem without it).

- "Air Band Radio Handbook" by David J. Smith (Haynes Publishing). Last edition 8th (January 2005). Some people might say that it is a better read than Duke's book.

There is another book called "International Air Band Radio Handbook" by David J. Smith as well. The last edition is quite old (around 1995 I think) and you will find most of its content in "Air Band Radio Handbook". The interesting thing about the international version is the short description of ATC services in most of the countries in the world (although the information might be a bit dated).

Hope this helps.

Edit: apologies for posting info about Graham Duke's book, I just saw previous post.

[encounter150]

thanks for all the information. cheers