Assistant Air Traffic Control Officer?

[malecontrol]

I have searched through this forum and come across many asking about assistant air traffic controllers. Many replied to that saying an assistant air traffic controllers don't exist, it's either Air Traffic Control Assistant (ATCA) or Air Traffic Services Assistant (ATSA).

But here (where I work) there is a position called Assistant Air Traffic Control Officer (AATCO)!! We did not use to have this....this is sort of a new trend. What they do is when a trainee does the basic ATC course they make him or her an AATCO and give them GND rating. One of the controllers after completion of his aerodrome course has got his aerodrome or TWR rating as well but still he is an AATCO....the idea is to make him an ATCO after 1 year from the day his TWR rating was endorsed.

Does this happen anywhere in the world?
Do air traffic control assistants get to control air traffic?
Do they hold any rating?:confused::confused:

[samotnik]

These are two separate problems. One of them is to offer fully licensed guy an ATCO position with some other fancy name, in order to save money. Well, it's bad, it's nasty, but it's plausible, if you take into account that it's everywhere in the world where management is crappy. Fight it as strong, as you can, otherwise it may spread outside your country. It's us who must fight for our T&C. Remember that it's incredibly easy to loose something with your T&C, and incredibly hard to regain it. Unufortunately, in my country we are watching a slow deterioration of our T&C at the moment as well, and I'm totally pissed off.

But the idea to give GND rating without any OJT training (if I understand you correctly) is your management's genuine idea indeed and I suppose there is no such bull**** anywhere in the civilized, ICAO world.

[chevvron]

The RAF use AATCs. They are able to 'control' vehicles (using radio) on the airfield but not aircraft.

[malecontrol]

Thanks samotnik. When it comes to orginal bad ideas no management can beat ours.

When we questioned about endorsing the GND rating to those kids we were told that it was under an exemption by the CAD, to compensate for the lack of rated controllers. Those kids with GND rating are yet to do the aerodrome course itself let alone OJT.

chevvron, I thought in RAF they had changed from AATC to FOA (Flight Operaion Assistant) or FOM (Flight Operation Managers)! But even if that exists in RAF could you apply air force rules on civil aviation? I mean seriously does ICAO approve of adopting military rules for civial aviation? And yeah for the controlling part...our guy holds GND/TWR rating and he controls aircraft or anything else that talks over radio on 121.6 or 118.1 and yet his designation is Assistant Air Traffic Control Officer.:ugh::ugh::ugh::ugh::ugh::ugh:

[4321NMC]

The RAF do not use AATCs in controlling support posts; they use Flight Operations Assistants (FOAs). FOAs do not 'control' vehicles, although they may pass instructions to drivers on behalf of the qualified ADC or Grd (TWR or GND in civil-speak). However, under no circumstances should FOAs originate executive instructions and even if someone says they can, then that someone is wrong!

[chiglet]

Things have changed
When I was an ATCA11 at Manchester [Many moons ago] I was a "Runway Controller", and I was qualified to clear vehicles to cross the Runway. The only thing that I had to ask the ATCO was to clear a tug towing an a/c..because I didn't have clear sight of said tug... because I was in a Runway Caravan, alongside the Runway...
Just a BOFs viewpoint :ok: