ATC monitoring by spotters: How do ATCOs feel about it?

[greek-freak]

I was just wondering how ATCOs feel about being monitored all the time by spotters? Since the introduction of mode S and the SBS-1 receiver, enthusiasts really have the possibility to get an almost full picture of the traffic situation in real time with something that comes pretty close to a real radar display.
Personally, I would really hate to have somebody standing behind me and looking at what I am doing
on my computer and how I am working.
So I am just curious how you feel about this?
Cheers

[flower]

To be honest it never crossed my mind.

[bottom rung]

I think you will find that most ATCOs are reasonably confident in their abilities... I don't give a second thought as to who may be listening to me. Despite all the recent advances in technology, your average earwigging spotty still may be a long way short of knowing the big picture. The day I start worrying about their perception of me is the day I hang up my headset.
Not an attack on spotters... just that ATCOs and professional pilots are self assured enough to get on with the job without taking into account the opinions of interested bystanders.

[HEATHROW DIRECTOR]

As a retired ATCO and lifelong spotter I agree with bottom rung. It simply did not concern me one bit. There were plenty of people looking over my shoulder anyway - usually taking the mickey out of my spacing!! In a busy ATC unit - eg LACC or LTCC there may be 50 ATCOs in one room and they can all see what each other is doing.

I have an SBS - it doesn't show half the picture, believe me. Still, it's a fun toy.

[AirNoServicesAustralia]

As ATCO's we are constantly watched by someone. We spend the first few years of our career being watched by someone during training in the college and then on the job, and in most cases get lots of criticism. And once validated we are still being watched as everyone else can see everyone elses traffic in a centre and when bored, you can bet someone is watching that close one that you have.

So basically we are more than used to being watched and as the guys said we don't really care, cos we have nothing to hide (well we shouldn't have!) when it comes to our controlling. BUT, watching from home and thinking you can do the job and doing it is a completely different thing, as you have to factor in that what happens on the radio and the radar screen is only a small percentage of our total job (something pilots forget, eg. "but you aren't busy so why can't I have direct tracking"), with coordination and planning taking up a large percentage of our brain capacity. Cheers

[clifftop]

During a very recent visit to a control tower, I asked this exact question and generally, the opinions were that the ATCO's simply "Ain't Bovvered!"

[greek-freak]

Thank you for your answers, I appreciate it.
I just think that it makes a big difference if you are monitored by
other professionals or by amateurs.
Heathrow director: The SBS is really a nice toy, kind of a childhood
dream come true I am very glad to hear that an ex-ATCO has one
(a friend of mine who works for Skyguide as an engineer declared me to be completely insane for having one).

[Jerricho]

Monitoring by "spotters" or people with a genuine interest in aviation, no problem what so ever. We all gotta start somewhere.

Monitoring by some scumbag journalist who takes it upon himself to publish almost word for word what he has just heard regarding an accident where someone was killed (aircraft experienced icing on departure and tried to return to the field but crashed a couple of miles short), where the controller involved did everything he possibly could ...............and had his actions questioned and analysed by rent-a-critics before the ink on the controller's initial report was even dry and the poor deceased was being dragged out of the wreck? Yeah, I have a problem with that. And yes, this did happen.

[FoxUniform]

My interest in ATC grew from listening (never a spotter but an avid listener). I wanted to be a pilot until I learned of the hidden chaps and chapesses keeping the metal apart. There's no harm in it. I do agree though that in this media driven world there is always some scumbag looking for an angle. I noticed that ITVs TERROR IN THE SKIES !!!!!!!!!!!! was about..........ermm.......security staff falling asleep. While not particularly acceptable - hardly the bloodbath that the program title hinted at....

[DirtyStopout]

I think it's fine that people listen in. I also think it is great that outside of the professionals both within our organisation and also the pilots that we work with, that some members of the public take a great interest in what we do! If I was scared about what people might hear I wouldn't be doing the job. Even if people weren't listening in it's still recorded for posterity on the tapes in case something goes tilt anyway so we're still used to be being watched!

I do agree though the R/T is such a small part of the bigger picture. Listening in can be fun but only fun. Inferring what is going on by just listening to R/T is both dangerous and misleading. How many times have spotters heard an ATCO ask a pilot on a quiet freq to say again because despite the silence he/she was on the phone???

[SM4 Pirate]

At any time for any reason someone may or will be assessing/reviewing/replaying your performance; what we do all the time is subjected to someone looking / watching. Wrong job if you have doubts about someone scrutinising your work; even if it’s an enthusiastic amateur or a scumbag headline chaser.

I have bigger concerns about the ‘ICAO requirement’ for non-operational area recordings (coming to a console/cab near you soon); they will IMHO be used more for evil than good. Just like CVR legislation we need something to protect us from discrimination and publication.

[Under_Valued_ATC]

Geek-freak, I've never seen an SBS - so I'll take your word for it that it gives "almost full picture of the traffic situation in real time with something that comes pretty close to a real radar display"
another aspect of the traffic picture which no-one has mentioned yet, (and I'm pretty sure you can't intercept/see???) is CPDLC messages [Controller-Pilot-Data-Link-Communication]
I often get pilots in my airspace saying "gee, it's quiet" - I have to tell them that actually I have 17 planes all 'email-ing' me via CPDLC [even though they are well withing VHF coverage!] and actually I'm pretty busy!

as for being watched, like the other's said, Big brother is always watching! It goes with the territory.

[tribekey]

Personally unsure what the sbs receiver is but there are also plenty of non ssr equipped aircraft whizzing around in the open fir which spotters wouldn't 'see'. As others have stated we are monitored all the time , however, any trend towards the press monitoring then publishing r/t etc should be stopped. The live r/t is only maybe 50% of what the controller is doing and so can't possibly give an accurate picture of the pressure(or not) on any individual at any time. As for spotters listening in,if you've nothing better to do......

[Bern Oulli]

Colleague of mine used to take over watch at lunch time with the transmission "R/T check frquency ...., and good afternoon to all my listeners", whilst waving from the VCR to the spotters' car park.

[greek-freak]

Thanks for you answers, I am really glad to read that you don't mind and most of you seem to be glad that there are people who are really interested in your job
Under_Valued_ATC:
The SBS is a device (small box) which can be connected via USB to a computer and allows to receive mode S transponder signals and display them on a what looks like a pretty realistic radar screen (I have seen real ones).
You can PM me if you want more info. Of course one can only see Mode-S equipped aircraft, but their number will surely increase.
Heathrow director is right when he says that it does not give the
full picture, but at least it provides a good (incomplete) snaphsot of the traffic situation.
Only bad thing is that it does not come with a Linux driver which would allow for hacking some nice conflict detection algorithms ;-)
Bernoulli:
Nice one :-)
tribekey:
Listening in often helps me to fall asleep BTW I would not consider myself a spotter rather "genuinly interested", also did some research on ATC tools as a student. Listening into the procedural control in Athens
FIR untill the mid-nineties was also great fun (for me, surely not the controllers).

[Spangly]

I’ve heard a rumour that way back in the olde days, a certain controller / spotter was advised of shift changes by his colleagues at work because they knew he would be listening. Hanging offence these days of course.

One day on my way into work I’ll drive by the spotters, choose one with a colourful anorak and ask if they’d like to visit the tower. I know it would have made my day when I was a fence pedestrian.

[clicker]

I think most spotters with the SBS are likely to be looking out for aircraft they have not seen before and would not be watching for the overall radar picture so their area of attention would be more focused in one direction.

As Jerricho mentioned its others you may need to watch out for as spotters, in the main, are unlikely to ruin something useful to them.

[A I]

HD is not an ex ATCO he is a retired ATCO!! Once a controller always one. He still has a licence!!

Jerricho. If that happened in the UK then there are grounds for prosecuting the journo. See the sticky above - but you know that anyway.

Have to agree with all of the above. I was never bothered.

A I

[no30]

I am in the process of training as an ATCO and I have people watching my every move and listening to what I say every second I am on radar. So somebody standing miles away with a radio listening has never really crossed my mind, and now that you have mentioned it I can safely say it does not bother me. I used to listen to the R/T in my spare time, but now its too much like taking work home with me.

[Simtech]

If they've got nothing better to do than spend half their life looking at planes and listening to a radio, they're the ones with the problem

Like a TWR controller perhaps........?