NATS interview process
Joined: Oct 2018
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From: Margate
Joined: Oct 2018
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From: Margate
I heard back first thing the day after via email. But I'm guessing it depends on how busy they are etc. Just keep an eye on your junk folder as well 😉
Joined: Dec 2018
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From: Uxbridge
I suppose the question for me now is about reapplying. The examiner mentioned something about a new system in April that may allow us to apply fresh but I didn’t really processed what was being said. Does anyone know about this?
Joined: Oct 2018
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From: Margate
Just heard back that I didn’t pass the DART. The mistakes I made were 100% unavoidable and this is gonna haunt me for months. I got too cocky instead of guiding the craft safely to the gate destinations. Pride before the fall folks... pride before the fall.
I suppose the question for me now is about reapplying. The examiner mentioned something about a new system in April that may allow us to apply fresh but I didn’t really processed what was being said. Does anyone know about this?
Joined: Oct 2018
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From: Ayrshire
They explain each stage thoroughly beforehand as well.
Joined: Oct 2018
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From: Margate
OK that's fair enough. Thanks for the tips. Was you there all day?
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From: Ayrshire
Joined: Oct 2018
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From: Margate
Joined: Jan 2019
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From: Shropshire
I've just been moved on to the course at Global starting in March! Is there anyone else on here who is on that course - are there any whatsapp groups or facebook groups? As I've only just been moved over I'm starting to get worried about trying to find a house within a month! Anyone else look to share a house with someone?
Joined: Oct 2018
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From: Cardiff
I would strongly recommend getting as close as you can to CTC, it makes life a lot easier not getting stuck in traffic everyday both ways. If you can walk in to college then the stress of travel is eliminated.
Joined: Feb 2019
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From: Fife
Good afternoon,
I've just passed Stage 1 and been invited down for Stage 2. I stay in Scotland and have a young family. All very much 'ifs and buts' but can someone please advise how things would pan out should I eventually be successful and gain a place on the course?
Is it very intense at college five days a week or would there be opportunities to return home at weekends?
I know this is very unlikely but do circumstances come into the equation at all when being allocated tower/approach/area and your destination?
Thanks in advance
I've just passed Stage 1 and been invited down for Stage 2. I stay in Scotland and have a young family. All very much 'ifs and buts' but can someone please advise how things would pan out should I eventually be successful and gain a place on the course?
Is it very intense at college five days a week or would there be opportunities to return home at weekends?
I know this is very unlikely but do circumstances come into the equation at all when being allocated tower/approach/area and your destination?
Thanks in advance
Joined: Jan 2008
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From: The foot of Mt. Belzoni.
NATSjock,
It was a long time ago, but each weekday night required 3-4 hours of post-college evening homework. Saturday was my 'day off', but the whole of Sunday was spent 'on the books'.
If you can share digs with fellow students, it's a great help. You can discuss stuff/scenarios etc.
It was a long time ago, but each weekday night required 3-4 hours of post-college evening homework. Saturday was my 'day off', but the whole of Sunday was spent 'on the books'.
If you can share digs with fellow students, it's a great help. You can discuss stuff/scenarios etc.
Joined: Dec 2000
Posts: 215
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From: Moon
The course is very intense and generally if you are from Scotland you will find it time consuming and expensive to get home. You really do have to put in a lot of extra hours of study outside the college times.
This next bit is a copy and paste from Flying184 from the 27th of January. I think the info is more or less correct.
“The additional training venues are to increase training capacity given the level of demand across the UK and the reduction in training facilities at CTC that happened a few years ago. The Union are also keen for training to be brought back totally in house.
- Do you get to submit a preference for which training location you would like or is it completely random?
If successful, you are a student and you get sent where there is a training space. You do not get a choice over Aerodrome/Approach/Area. That said, I believe you can opt out of the Spain option given that it is overseas.
- Is the full 6-9 months of college based training delivered at Global/Jerez, or just the 2 month basic course?
Global: 3 months Baisc, 3 Months ADI and/or 3.5 months APS as I understand it. This does not take into account breaks between courses. Spain: European basic course (4 months) and then back to the UK to do ratings at CTC as I understand it although stand to be corrected! There were rumours on here they were starting to deliver Area training at Jerez too but I am not sure.
- Do students at these locations all go down the aerodrome/approach route or do they also deliver area training?
Global do not deliver UK Area ratings and so if you went to Global you would do ADI/APS ratings. This does not mean you would go to an airport though.... there are plenty of APS only units such as Aberdeen Offshore, Aberporth Ranges, and of course a very big APS group at Swanwick providing approach radar for the main London airports. I believe there is currently a group at Global who have done Basic and APS and are destined for Swanwick approaches. I often read stories on here of people thinking "oh it'll never happen to me" to then find out they are off to Bonnie Scotland to do Aberdeen Offshore (which is a very interesting operation let it be said!)
Hope this helps. I cannot stress this enough..... you really need to understand and accept that if successful NATS will place you where THEY need you. This includes both training space and posting should you complete the course. E.g. Aberdeen is a very realistic posting, as is Belfast, Glasgow, Aberporth Ranges, Swanwick etc..... regardless of whether you have family in the south of the UK, children at school etc. If this is something you are not happy with, then I would really suggest another route into ATC!”
This next bit is a copy and paste from Flying184 from the 27th of January. I think the info is more or less correct.
“The additional training venues are to increase training capacity given the level of demand across the UK and the reduction in training facilities at CTC that happened a few years ago. The Union are also keen for training to be brought back totally in house.
- Do you get to submit a preference for which training location you would like or is it completely random?
If successful, you are a student and you get sent where there is a training space. You do not get a choice over Aerodrome/Approach/Area. That said, I believe you can opt out of the Spain option given that it is overseas.
- Is the full 6-9 months of college based training delivered at Global/Jerez, or just the 2 month basic course?
Global: 3 months Baisc, 3 Months ADI and/or 3.5 months APS as I understand it. This does not take into account breaks between courses. Spain: European basic course (4 months) and then back to the UK to do ratings at CTC as I understand it although stand to be corrected! There were rumours on here they were starting to deliver Area training at Jerez too but I am not sure.
- Do students at these locations all go down the aerodrome/approach route or do they also deliver area training?
Global do not deliver UK Area ratings and so if you went to Global you would do ADI/APS ratings. This does not mean you would go to an airport though.... there are plenty of APS only units such as Aberdeen Offshore, Aberporth Ranges, and of course a very big APS group at Swanwick providing approach radar for the main London airports. I believe there is currently a group at Global who have done Basic and APS and are destined for Swanwick approaches. I often read stories on here of people thinking "oh it'll never happen to me" to then find out they are off to Bonnie Scotland to do Aberdeen Offshore (which is a very interesting operation let it be said!)
Hope this helps. I cannot stress this enough..... you really need to understand and accept that if successful NATS will place you where THEY need you. This includes both training space and posting should you complete the course. E.g. Aberdeen is a very realistic posting, as is Belfast, Glasgow, Aberporth Ranges, Swanwick etc..... regardless of whether you have family in the south of the UK, children at school etc. If this is something you are not happy with, then I would really suggest another route into ATC!”
Last edited by AyrTC; 5th February 2019 at 20:47.
Joined: Oct 1999
Aviation Qualifications: ATCO
Posts: 324
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From: Near VTUU or EGPX
Just as a matter of interest, when you sign a contract with NATS is it made clear that you may be posted to a country (Scotland) that belongs to the UK of GB and NI where you will pay more tax than a colleague who is posted to a unit of the same banding elsewhere ?
To those that are contemplating Scotland, also be advised that thanks to the SNP/Greens budget deal, you may in future be charged for the privilege of parking your car in your unit's secure car park.
I am not knocking Scotland, I spent all my ATCO career there and still have a house in Troon, just trying to make sure you guys and gals are aware of the idiosyncrasies of the Scottish Government.
To those that are contemplating Scotland, also be advised that thanks to the SNP/Greens budget deal, you may in future be charged for the privilege of parking your car in your unit's secure car park.
I am not knocking Scotland, I spent all my ATCO career there and still have a house in Troon, just trying to make sure you guys and gals are aware of the idiosyncrasies of the Scottish Government.
Joined: Oct 2018
Posts: 16
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From: Margate
Well have come back from doing Stage 2 this week on which I was the only one of 11 to make it to the afternoon DART session and was delighted to be told by the instructor as soon as I had finished that I had passed DART. I still don't think I have fully processed it tbh and now fully appreciate why people say you cannot really prepare for Stage 2 as it really is a barrage test and it is difficult to find a breath never mind completely analyse all the information relating to the tasks, including familiarity of their layouts.
I found it a lot tougher than I expected and was surprised to find I got to DART session as I thought there were one or two stumbling blocks, mostly the numbers sorting which is ridiculous! I think the main thing though, as I admit to actually freezing on parts of the numbers sorting, with informaiton overload when special rules were applying, is to forget about it quickly and just keep, going, clicking as each example changes is a matter of seconds. I would suggest the tests themselves are actually testing for this layered ability for candidates to not only work quickly and accurately but to do so under immense pressure, time constraints, with overload of information over a prolonged period of time, all to test how you fare when it can become too much which the numbers section did for me in places but in spite of that to keep working as best and accurately as you can during these stresses. I ran out of time in one test can't remember which but was one of the mapping ones and I have to say I found the cubes very easy maybe with the exception of 3-4 examples, finisheing that with 5-6mins to spare.
Anyway I have already booked on for my Stage 3 at Prestwick on March 6th so will be undertaking more prep for that now!
I found it a lot tougher than I expected and was surprised to find I got to DART session as I thought there were one or two stumbling blocks, mostly the numbers sorting which is ridiculous! I think the main thing though, as I admit to actually freezing on parts of the numbers sorting, with informaiton overload when special rules were applying, is to forget about it quickly and just keep, going, clicking as each example changes is a matter of seconds. I would suggest the tests themselves are actually testing for this layered ability for candidates to not only work quickly and accurately but to do so under immense pressure, time constraints, with overload of information over a prolonged period of time, all to test how you fare when it can become too much which the numbers section did for me in places but in spite of that to keep working as best and accurately as you can during these stresses. I ran out of time in one test can't remember which but was one of the mapping ones and I have to say I found the cubes very easy maybe with the exception of 3-4 examples, finisheing that with 5-6mins to spare.
Anyway I have already booked on for my Stage 3 at Prestwick on March 6th so will be undertaking more prep for that now!
But I had passed and I have my Stage 3 next week 😁
Good luck to you StuBob!
Joined: Dec 2016
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From: UK
Just as a matter of interest, when you sign a contract with NATS is it made clear that you may be posted to a country (Scotland) that belongs to the UK of GB and NI where you will pay more tax than a colleague who is posted to a unit of the same banding elsewhere ?
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Swings and roundabouts!
Joined: Aug 2015
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From: Carlisle
You should definitely start making plans, some people start the course and are still waiting on medical certificates. You will have to take the leap eventually. Accommodation is tight in Whiteley and some people who left it too late found it very difficult to find anywhere.
I would strongly recommend getting as close as you can to CTC, it makes life a lot easier not getting stuck in traffic everyday both ways. If you can walk in to college then the stress of travel is eliminated.
I would strongly recommend getting as close as you can to CTC, it makes life a lot easier not getting stuck in traffic everyday both ways. If you can walk in to college then the stress of travel is eliminated.
My only concern is that I could, for certain reasons, have difficulties with obtaining the medical certificate. That's why I'm not very keen on signing any tenancy agreements until I speak to the doctor.
Joined: Aug 2018
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From: UK
I've already started doing some research regarding accommodation. And yeah, I'd definitely like to be as close as possible to CTC. But it looks like that might be pretty difficult and expensive.
My only concern is that I could, for certain reasons, have difficulties with obtaining the medical certificate. That's why I'm not very keen on signing any tenancy agreements until I speak to the doctor.
My only concern is that I could, for certain reasons, have difficulties with obtaining the medical certificate. That's why I'm not very keen on signing any tenancy agreements until I speak to the doctor.