NATS interview process
Joined: Oct 2004
Posts: 531
Likes: 38
From: Southern England
Toomek
M3 southbound is fine, the traffic is all going the other way. The M27 Eastbound up until 07:30 is usually no problem. It starts to build from then and some mornings can be stop start from Junction 5 to Junction 9 by 08:00. Low sun in the Spring slows it down.
Eagle112
It depends when you are travelling and where you are staying. There is a direct National Express coach from Heathrow to Fareham and door to door that is the quickest and cheapest. Unfortunately the departures are infrequent so you may have to wait and at peak times they can be badly affected by traffic.
The problem with the train is that Heathrow has no direct rail connection to the trains to the South. Off peak the Rail Air coach to Woking then train works well but the coach goes on the M25 so can get held up.
M3 southbound is fine, the traffic is all going the other way. The M27 Eastbound up until 07:30 is usually no problem. It starts to build from then and some mornings can be stop start from Junction 5 to Junction 9 by 08:00. Low sun in the Spring slows it down.
Eagle112
It depends when you are travelling and where you are staying. There is a direct National Express coach from Heathrow to Fareham and door to door that is the quickest and cheapest. Unfortunately the departures are infrequent so you may have to wait and at peak times they can be badly affected by traffic.
The problem with the train is that Heathrow has no direct rail connection to the trains to the South. Off peak the Rail Air coach to Woking then train works well but the coach goes on the M25 so can get held up.
Joined: Jan 2010
Posts: 44
Likes: 0
From: UK
south M25 appalling ! M3 and M27 on the other hand no issues, just got to Whiteley so still got over an hour to spare 
M27 westbound though, my god, what a queue !
###########
just got back, passed FEAST alright but DART was a different story. It was ok and quite fun up to the fifth exercise where the amount of traffic was overwhelming
had no collisions though I did have three conflicts where I didn't notice the traffic coming up but reacted quick enough. let's hope for the best
M27 westbound though, my god, what a queue !###########
just got back, passed FEAST alright but DART was a different story. It was ok and quite fun up to the fifth exercise where the amount of traffic was overwhelming
had no collisions though I did have three conflicts where I didn't notice the traffic coming up but reacted quick enough. let's hope for the best
Last edited by tooomek; 12th March 2013 at 18:22.
Joined: Jan 2010
Posts: 44
Likes: 0
From: UK
at the moment unfortunately it is as they ment to be freezing the applications any time soon and they don't travel round the country anymore
anyway, just got me email I'm through to the stage three! has anyone got any advise as how to arrange a visit to one of the establishment ? I live in Essex - any numbers to near by towers would be highly appreciated
anyway, just got me email I'm through to the stage three! has anyone got any advise as how to arrange a visit to one of the establishment ? I live in Essex - any numbers to near by towers would be highly appreciated
Joined: Oct 2010
Posts: 203
Likes: 0
From: here
toomek - look up the aerodrome index in the AIP to find phone numbers for...you guessed it....aerodromes!!
NATS | AIS - Home
for Swanwick visits try [email protected] or [email protected]. He can take a while to respond, give him time, he's a busy man!
NATS | AIS - Home
for Swanwick visits try [email protected] or [email protected]. He can take a while to respond, give him time, he's a busy man!
Joined: Mar 2013
Posts: 3
Likes: 0
From: London
ATC stage 1
Hi there just got an e-mail in the morning that my stage 1 assessment due on the 11th of April has been moved to online and so no need for me to travel all the way to CTC.Just wanna know if there are other people that got assessment on that date and if they did receive same e-mail.thanks guys and wish to hear from anyone who's got an idea of what am talking about.
Joined: Mar 2013
Posts: 3
Likes: 0
From: London
Hi guys just got an e-mail from the HR in the morning which says my assessment for my stage 1 on the 11th of April will now be online based and no need for me to travel all the way to the CTC. Please I wanna know if there are other applicants booked for that same day who received same e-mail as me that stage 1 assessment will now be online based from the 1st of April. Replies from those who got an idea of what I am talking about will be highly appreciated.
Joined: Feb 2013
Posts: 4
Likes: 0
From: Leeds
I'm a bit concerned about the whole visitation to ATC centres prior to stage 3. I passed stage 2 on Wed and thought i'd have some time till stage 3 to organise this but it popped up in the email today that the next stage 3 is available next friday. Seems like a bit of a rush and i'm not sure i will be able to organise anything. I've emailed Swanwick and spoken to Bristol ATC but they say i have to send an email to the manager who won't see it till Monday so i'm not optimistic.
Would it be a good idea to maybe not go to this stage 3 to make sure i get it sorted? It's hard to gauge how important it is, seems everyone says u really should do it but i also feeling delaying the process is not a good idea either.
Would it be a good idea to maybe not go to this stage 3 to make sure i get it sorted? It's hard to gauge how important it is, seems everyone says u really should do it but i also feeling delaying the process is not a good idea either.
Joined: Sep 2008
Posts: 77
Likes: 0
From: UK
I'd start getting everything in motion to try and arrange a visit to a unit, and then contact HR to find out if/when the next Stage 3's are after this one. I went to my Stage 3 having not managed a visit to Swanwick; I explained the efforts I'd made, and the short time frame between Stage 2/3. I think NATS understand how compressed the time scale is at the time for applications.
Joined: Feb 2013
Posts: 2
Likes: 0
From: Devon
Through to Stage 3
Did my Stage 2 FEAST and DART Friday and have just been invited to Stage 3 this morning. 30 people at the start of the day, 20 left before the DART. Really felt I had failed the DART, but maybe I was being too hard on myself. I had 2 conflicts, 2 warnings and a couple radial errors. The warnings I corrected, one conflict I corrected the other kind of threw me. Considering you should go in with no preparation, a couple mistakes in 2 hours is not all bad.
I made no preparations for FEAST and DART, as recommended by others, as I wanted to make sure I was a natural fit rather than wasting my own time as well as NATS if I made it through and didn't get along with the training.
I went in to the NATS application with the "I'm either good enough or not, it doesn't matter how it goes" mindset, now it's becoming harder to keep that mindset.
Also, my email states "The day's programme will consist of an interview, and scenario based questions." Is there no group assessment? As the times provided state 8:15 until 3:30 that would be one epic interview without one. Stage 3 is this Friday, I don't think I can get a visit to an aerodrome in before then.
I made no preparations for FEAST and DART, as recommended by others, as I wanted to make sure I was a natural fit rather than wasting my own time as well as NATS if I made it through and didn't get along with the training.
I went in to the NATS application with the "I'm either good enough or not, it doesn't matter how it goes" mindset, now it's becoming harder to keep that mindset.
Also, my email states "The day's programme will consist of an interview, and scenario based questions." Is there no group assessment? As the times provided state 8:15 until 3:30 that would be one epic interview without one. Stage 3 is this Friday, I don't think I can get a visit to an aerodrome in before then.
Last edited by extrasafe; 18th March 2013 at 14:05.
Joined: Mar 2013
Posts: 3
Likes: 0
From: sussex
hi everyone i had my stage 1 selection last wednesday down in southampton, was just wondering if anyone else was there and if so have they heard back at all? i know they said allow 14 days however i know someone who has already been told and i am yet to hear either way...roughly how long did people wait? was it the full 2 weeks or are they quite good at getting back to everyone in a reasonable time? also how long do you have to prepare for stage 2 as im worried if i get to stage 2 it may come around quite suddenly from what i have been reading?. any tips and advice anyone has is welcome and good luck to all those to take selection tests or like myself awaiting results xxx
xxx
Joined: Feb 2013
Posts: 1
Likes: 0
From: Essex
Hi Charley,
I was also in Southampton last Wednesday and haven't heard anything as yet despite frantic checking of my email inbox ! Apparently constant checking doesn't make it appear quicker !
Do you know of many other who have already heard ?
Here's hoping and good luck to anyone else on the journey
I was also in Southampton last Wednesday and haven't heard anything as yet despite frantic checking of my email inbox ! Apparently constant checking doesn't make it appear quicker !
Do you know of many other who have already heard ?
Here's hoping and good luck to anyone else on the journey