I passed stage 1! They had a problem with the email system apparently.

Booked stage 2 on the 19th july

Seb

Congratulations marke95! :ok:

aerospace83, here is a link i've been using for S/D/T:
Speed Distance Time | OASC: RAF Officer and Aircrew Selection Centre

As for the cube tests, NATS should have provided a link for the other tests when the motivational paper was e-mailed to you. here is the link to it:
http://natscareers.co.uk/docs/NATS_P...e_Leaflet2.pdf

Good luck!

esudfu,
stage 3 is tricky, there's no denying that. But you have been given a lot of good material from NATS; they do acctually say exactly what they're looking for. Use that and study it.

My Heathrow visit was great and I'm sure your's will be aswell. Take your time to ask questions and talk to them as they're all very helpfull. I also found that the LPOs (you'll see what they are tomorrow :p) in general seemed to have a bit more time to explain than the ATCOs and they're very good at it too so make sure to ask them. If they don't know they'll just have you ask an ATCO instead (which isn't always easy because they do tend to get quite busy:p).

Have fun, I hope you learn a lot and then just do your very best. In the end my best advice for stage 3 is the same as for the other ones.
Sleep well.
Proper breakfast.
Do your very best and try to relax.

Good luck :ok:

how do those visits to towers work? Who do you ask to visit? Is it you who decide the date or do they suggest you one?

Thanks in advance*

Roitios, HR can give you contact details (I think they only do it if you've passed stage 2 though). Then it depends on the unit I suppose, in one case I could suggest a date in the other the unit did.

esudfu,
if your visit has the same structure as mine you will have to leave at two-ish when the watch changes. But it is all dependant on the day, but it seems you can usually stay until two o'clock.

Yes indeed, the interview is just what they say it is. So all you need to prepare is on there really. But I'm sure you'll be fine :)

Stage 1
 

Hey on stage 1 was there many fuel calculation questions? I seem to be getting the hang of S/T/D but not so much on the fuel ones which are slightly harder.

Thanks for the links slapmy. didn't realise that the spatial awarness was the cubes everyone has been refering to. From the material sent, has anyone had any problems with the diagraming? is there a set method to do it, work from top to bottom? On the material sent by email i cant seem to figure out Q4. The answer is marked as E but i think the top box is the black square, second box should be the white triangle and the third box empty but this isn't even an option.

Any views or help would be much appreciated.

http://natscareers.co.uk/docs/NATS_P...e_Leaflet2.pdf

aerospace83,

You work from the top to the bottom, taking each function at a time.

Step 1: The black circle is swapped with the black square.
Step 2: the black circle is then swapped with the triangle(circle is now at the bottom, triangle in the middle)
Step 3: the circle is moved up replacing the triangle.

Does that help?


I know a couple of people that read and post on this forum were at the morning assessment in Fareham last Friday. We were told our results would be emailed to us on Monday. Have any of you received these yet?

Esudfu,

Coming from a different career path is not a problem in the slightest (I came from an optical engineering background), at the end of the day, if you can demonstrate that you have the skills they are looking for then you are in. The main point is finding excellent examples from your current career (and previous history) demonstrating the areas they are asking after. As Crazy Voyager said, they do pretty much tell you what they're after, just expand around those themes.

esudfu,

I'm afraid we haven't got a visit system at Heathrow. The lady whose details are given out by HR hosts visits in her 'spare' time, despite the fact that she is actually one of the busiest people on the unit...she ends up working late and starting early to make up on the time she spends hosting the visit. To host a visit at Heathrow takes a considerable portion of someone's work day, given that we have to sort out airside passes with BAA, and then come airside to meet the visitor, collecting them and bringing them to the tower (and the same when the visitor leaves).

Understandably, there are only certain days when this can happen, given other work commitments.

That's incredibley nice of her. If I managed to get to stage 3, I was considering trying to organise a visit to Heathrow. I'd feel pretty guilty doing so now. Last time I managed to visit Swanwick and Gatwick and loved them.

Had my stage 1 last Friday. Now the waiting game for results. I forget how much I hate this part.

Stage one this friday
 

Hello all,

Can anyone give me any tips, i have 2 days to learn this massive booklet!!!! Do i need to know all of the aircraft with their heights, weights and passenger loads?

I cant bloody get on the practice test as my computer dosent support internet explorer 9.

HELP!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Michelleuk87, how have you only got 2 days to learn it? Have you been putting it off? If so, then you shouldn't take the test, it would be a waste of yours and NATS time and is not the trait they're looking for.

I've got mine in two days, have been learning it since March and still having difficulty remembering parts.

ive only just found out that there a course in fareham. any tips?

I would postpone until you know the material off by heart, have brushed up on speed/distance/time calculations as well as spatial awareness/diagramming. Might even be worth researching the FEAST test.

Thanks Tim, same goes for you for stage 2. I was hoping we'd get some early results for stage 1. Also, congratulations Crazy Voyager.

michelleuk87; if you are planning on going through with stage 1 I'd encourage you to go to the NATS site and read everything about stage 1 on there. There is a lot of very useful information. Then you can use what little time you have left in order to do the best you can. I would also echo what others have said when they've advised you to perhaps put it off and come back when you're fully prepared.

No, don't worry, you didn't cause offence!

I just know how busy my colleague is, that she feels that she can't really say no, and so does everything she can to accommodate visits. I know that the very fact it is Heathrow means it's very tempting to want to visit. She's retiring this year, and won't be replaced (as is happening to support staff all across the company), and more and more of my colleagues are having to take on more work as support staff numbers decline, meaning they will have even less time to host visits.

At this early stage, candidates can gain as much, if not more, by visiting smaller units where the controllers themselves have more time to chat and security arrangements are more straightforward if the tower is landside.

Informations about Online test with NATS
 

Hello! everyone I'm Jimmy I'm new in this Forum.

I'm trying to prepare myself for the next Air traffic Control application for the next Autumn.

I never done it before.
Please my questions are about the so called "Online test"(before the assesment day one)

How does it works? I mean you register and they let you chose a sobject for the online test? I don't know

or they will ask you everything online like:
-verbal & numerical reasoning, Inductive reasoning, personality test, mechanical reasoning, Accuracy test?

Sorry but I never done tests like that before.

About me I have been always bud in Mathematics.
have I any chance to suceed it? is it all about Math?
or is it enough to study only some math sobjects and not all math.
if yes which ones? (I ask to those who done the online test)

Thanks

I will appreciate any good comment or advice

postpone
 

hi there,

i have taken your advice and postponed until a later date becomes avaliable. My computer will not allow me to run the tests that you can get through the NATS website, is there anywhere i can practice these calculations and spatial tests?

Anything you can give me will help very much. Could you let me know how you do at stage one too?

Michelle

I'd say your english could do with a brush up too.

Maths is a very important part of their testing, so assume it's important for the job itself. Being able to multiply or divide in your head is pretty essential for the numeracy tests. You should get a piece of paper and pencil if you need to write it down to work it out. However, speed is also a deciding factor, so try not to take too long on each question, skip to an easier one if need be.

Speed Distance Time | OASC: RAF Officer and Aircrew Selection Centre

Practice the speed distance time test and the fuel calculation test. Not sure if the fuel one will come up or not, but it's good practice.

I can only say that without Gonzo's collegue my visit would never had happened. She really did everything in her power to make my stay the best possible and it was a great day. She even asked favours of people to allow me to stay an extra hour in the tower since I had flown in from abroad for the visit and had a few hours until my flight left.

Gonzo, when you see her next time give her a pat on the back from me! As I said in an email to her the other day that visit really inspired me coming into my interview and reminded me why I want to do this job.

Not to mention, without her I wouldn't have been able to meet all of the great people working in the tower, several of them also took their break time to talk to me and help me out with my questions.

I have also made a visit to a smaller unit though and I would recommedn that, Heathrow is very special and I'm glad I got to see it but I think that if you come up there with no clue about how ATC works you will find yourself having a hard time to keep up. I only managed to keep up with what they were doing at a few times during the day, most of the time you're just wondering how they do it:p

Diagraming
 

Thanks posijohn, i can see it now. Can't beleive i had been looking at wrong so many days. Im gonna have to take my time on Friday and not rush things.

Just to confirm for those who have sat stage 1, is it all multiple choice? how much is based on the written information from the material? Have read it like a 100 times and it doesn't feel like anything has sunk in.

To start with you have two multiple choice tests. The first one is about all the information you were given. It helps to really know the material as it's never an obvious answer, a lot of them are similar. The second is the mental arithmetic. Again, a lot of the answers are very similar. I found going through a lot of the s/d/t questions linked on here helped me a great deal for this section.

If you've passed those two, then you do the diagramming and spatial awareness tests.

Well, stage 1 tomorrow, and I can say I have never been so nervous! but excited also, and if I fail it's not the end of the world I guess, been learning it since March, I know quite a lot of the 25page booklet, and before it all started I couldn't do one bit of s/d/t, but now I can do that OASC test with about 20seconds on average getting about 1 wrong, so I should be okay right? And then the cubes and diagramming are more logic than anything else, anyway..

What suitable ID should I take? Will Birth Certificate, Provisional Driving License, Bank Statement and P45 do?

Cheers, and good luck

Mrblues92, is yours at fareham tomorrow? Mine is, im taking my passport as my ID.

But a basic command of the Queen's English obviously isn't "wee buns guys".
- A shame.

Invited to stage 2, booked for the 18th July :)

Staying in Southampton again and I'll drive over, the Premier Inn in Fareham is about double the price.

Stage 1 failed:-(
 

Hey guys, for those who were at prestwick today in the morning hope you didwell. I left after the first 2 tests, i was in the brownshirt and tie. Found the first test finewith all preperation but i struggled with the timingon the second and only answered half questions. my mistake was not guessing the ones i skipped. anyway onwards and upwards

Unlucky Aerospace, are you going to try again next year?

yeah, ill try again. avaition is my passion and never going to give up. I felt so prepared but i wasn't prepared for the time pressure. my mistake was not taking a watch, not guessing an answer i didn't know and reading the question properly. i need to brush up on digesting the information quickly and knowing fractions a lot better.

were you there today or are you working/at another selection stage?

ignore my last question Simon, should have read your post before mine, good luck for stage 2 :-)

Hey Simon!

Congrats, I am going on the 19th!

Seb

Stage 1
 

Hey guys,

Like a few others, I was at the Stage 1 interview at Prestwick yesterday with around 40 other hopefulls. Done well in the first test, only found around 3 questions difficult. The second test was very hard,. I thought I had failed, actually i was waiting for my name to be read out and it was a huge surprise when it wasnt. :) Felt for the people who never got through.

Went on to do the final 2 tests, i think i done ok but will soon see!

Good luck to everyone who got through.

@ aerospace83
I'm sorry to see you didn't progress through stage 1 this time.
Like you, I only answered half of the questions in the mental arithmetic test. The guy to my left had his watch out and timed it so he could answer all of the questions and the fellow to my right got all but three done.

... I passed with only half of the questions filled in and I had lots of elbow room to my left and right after the names were read out. :{:( :ok::( :ugh:
My point is that having a watch doesn't make anyone's math better. Just work away at the questions you can answer as quickly and accurately as you're able to and if you get enough of them right then you should be fine.
Good luck for next time.

@ kris123
Done. ;)

Thanks Frost.

Where were you sat Mark? you have the agonising 15 day wait now for your results, good luck, hope you do well. It was an intense atmosphere yesterday, you could sense the nerves and passion in the room.

kris,
sorry to appear pedantic, but many years ago, GCE 'O' Level English Language was a basic requirement to become an ATCA, let alone an ATCO. I think the GCSE requirement is still there. Members of the selection panel may read these pages. Occasionally we all make mistakes, but surely we should be on a constant drive to 'raise the bar', in all that we do, be it sport, music and especially ATC.
I hope that your 15 day wait is worthwhile, (don't panic, I am nothing to do with ATC selection).
Very Best Wishes, from the foot Of Mt. Belzoni.

Hi Mate,

I had the red jumper on and was one of the last people to come in the room. I was sat at one of the small tables to the right hand side of the door (when facing).

I think i remember seeing you, everyone looked very nervous!

Thanks mate, I just hope I can make it through!

kris123,
someone has, (sadly), removed your initial post. However I did manage to confirm my theory on the meaning of "wee buns" using the online 'Dictionary Of Urban Slang'.
Very interesting, and I also look forward to investigating the 'Dictionary Of Rural Slang'.
The "wee buns" were only part of the problem. Unfortunately, due to the removal of the initial post, the other errors are no longer visible for us to discuss.
ATC is partly about accuracy and checking information. It takes about a minute to proof-read and check your posts.
It may sound old fashioned, but the end result looks far more professional.
And PPRuNe is, a professional rumour network.

Since this is a "Rumour Network" I'd like to ask if anyone here has heard any recent rumours about the move to Whitely or any clues about when the application proccess will start back up? Are they even out of Bournmouth yet?
Personally I can't reapply until the beginning of next year but I'd rather not be competing for selection day places with all of the people who've been waiting to apply since April.
I'd really appreciate it if someone knows something.
Thanks in advance.