Tower vs Area
 

Hello,

I'm sure this topic has been discussed many times before, however instead of asking who thinks what discipline gives the most job satisfaction, I was wondering how do potential trainee ATCOs decide, if given a choice, which disipline they prefer to undertake? I've visited both tower and area control centres, and can see advantages and drawbacks to both positions. Do most people know instinctively which discipline they prefer or do they just grow and learn to love their job!

Does anyone ever switch between the 2 roles and if so can they give a more unbiased view of which role they prefered.

FDD

Approach :ok:

If a golden ray of light penetrates the clouds and rests upon your head, casting you in an angelic glow as if annointed the Almighty Himself, you, my boy, might just make an approach controller. :ok:

But "Approach" could mean being at Swanwick! The best situation was when the Approach facilities were at the airfields but now many are at major centres. In those days you could see the planes and do the radar bit.

Bottom line is, do you want to see aeroplanes? If the answer is "yes" then you need to try and get to a tower facility.

If your love is radar then you need a centre, or one of the few remaining airfields which have both..

Scooby don't..... did someone call me?? :-))))

......Like Southampton, Birmingham, Cardiff, Farnborough.

One memory of a tower night around new year some years back.

The weather print had an unusual code, had to check it. It said
"diamond dust". Never seen that before, or ever since. Very very tiny
ice particles that filled the air. Requires just the right combination of
temperature, humidity and air pressure and the gradient.

But wow, it was staggering. All the view was sort of shimmering,
it looked like the tower was under water. The taxilights, the
runway lighting all were sort of under a long tide. Beauutiful.
That can be seen only in a tower. And even very rarely there.

Then the reflections of early morning sun on the fuselages,
when the planes turn to apron from the runway. And you can
really live the liveries in a new light...Can only be
seen from the tower.

Tower has some benefits... An office with a view...

if you want to get your balls out at 3am like mr.777, do approach....

alternatively, if you want a band 3 job for band 5 pay do approach at swanwick.

W:ok:

The only place you'll see the "Air traffic" you're controlling as an Air traffic controller is ...... ..from the Tower ( nuff said )!

I'm Area....love it and at Aberdeen......and can look out of the window ontot he runway when working at the radar!!!!!:ok:

WOWZEE. That is the best of the best...
(Not been working in APP/RAD)

Can I post here?
I'm an ATSA, and I've done...Area, Tower, Approach, Runway Control and "Pennine Radar"....
My "favourite"?.....The job at the time....
bb

Good one.

<Off topic>
A gentleman, just a few years older than I am, told me a story
of a person with some wisdom.

This person said that one secret to life is to enjoy and embrace the thing you
do fully. When planting cherries, he said," I am only planting cherries".

Although an instructor once said that you really can enhance your capacity
for multiple tasks. Try something like: read a newspaper, listen to the radio
at the same time, try writing down some thoughts from the radio, then you
can even try to talk on the phone while scanning some info from the
newspaper. And do some crosswords or play tetris at the same time...

Jokingly we could describe this as a "Full body fast pace air traffic control
emulation."

You will need some rest after the exercises.
Relaxation techniques are OK.:D

Then after the exercises, enjoy the things you do fully again.
<End Off topic>