Hi all, just about read this entire thread, alot of helpful info!
I applied through the website the other day and was immediately requested to book a time for my stage 1.
I feel like I should make sure this is something I can do before wasting anyone's time though.
My main question is, after the college is it possible to request where you'll be posted? Anywhere in Scotland would be fine (nothing against you English types :)) or would you have to wait a few years for availability (if thats even a possibility.)

Thanks.

Sadly, you have absolutely no real way of choosing where you are posted. It really is done on business need and where you would be best suited in terms of the work, where you're likely to do well and validate, not which location would suit you.

There's a guy who's just gone through college whos life is in Aberdeen, girlfriend is in Aberdeen, held at Aberdeen between courses, the Manager ATC of Aberdeen really wanted him to work there - and he got Cardiff.

You, of course, may equally get exactly where you want but it's russian roulette at the best of times and it changes every other minute as regards where needs people and how badly.

Obviously also the different disciplines will direct you to certain places. If you get sent onto the area course then there's only really 3 choices of where you can be posted (Manchester/Swanwick/Prestwick) - but if you get sent onto the airports courses then clearly the choice is far more widespread. As regards whether you can choose to do the airports/area courses - you can make a preference but again - it's a business need decision. There are people going through at the moment who made no request onto the airports course, but got them anyway even though they presumed, and were told, that if they made no request onto airports they were going to get area.

So there you go!

Thank you for the insanely quick - and in depth - reply Timelapse!
I'll go for the stage 1 anyway (its free!) and see how it goes from there. Darn family ties! :)
Thanks again.

Timelapse has got it absolutely spot on.
I will add one thing which may help though. Our CDM said to us that as we were mobile grades an could be sent anywhere (you have to sign a bit of paper saying so) the best tactic regarding posting is to think of the worst possible place you could be sent and be prepared to go there. Not saying that's where you'll be but if you're ready for the worst, you can only be pleasantly surprised.
You are asked where your preference is but that is the last consideration after business need, where your skills are best suited and a hefty dose of black magic!!

Hi all, first post :).

Im hoping to apply for NATS in September 09, I currently have bugger all GCSE wise and am going back to college for a year In September 08 to redo English and maths which will bring the total GCSE grades at A-C to 4. I have read on the NATS site that they require 5 passes A to C, is this an absolute must have?

To get 5 I would need to take another course but I have the important ones down already (English, maths and science), and I cant see what else would be relivent to the job. I dont really fancy taking an extra course just to make it magic number 5 but I will if I must :).

Also, Ive read this thread from start to finish and I can see it being a great help to people going through the stages now, read it if you can!

Edit: Also, can I apply to join NATS before I get the results of my GCSE courses? I would like to go through the stages before getting the results, as I am now at the age where I have to pay for college courses and plan to do A levels if I dont make it into NATS. It would be a shame to pay for the A levels then get accepted into NATS and leaving a fully paid for course, or not applying at my college but not getting into NATS therefore having to wait a year before starting my A levels.

Just to note, I will be applying at NATS every year like clockwork till I make it :) aviation is where I belong.

Unfortunately that is the catch of an otherwise interesting deal of free training (and a wage) and a secure well paid profession at the end of the training (if you pass).
Imagine the queue if the same route was introduced to pilot jobs...

I must confess that one of the main factors that were holding me back frrom applying was not being able to choose where you work, but unfortunately that's the way NATS do it.
If there's a shortage of skills and ATCOs that's also one of the reasons.
I don't mind the initial low salary, but I am "worried" about where I could end up posted. After all once you unplug the headset you got to live somewhere and if it's somewhere you don't want to be, it can be hard.
I am sure there's a lot of people with skills who are put off from applying because of having no control whatsoever over where you'll end up living and working for the rest of your career.....

regards

Ivor

It should be noted that once you validate somewhere you can always request to transfer to another unit.. it takes a while and isn't always possible but it happens alot from what I hear.

Thanks for all the info everyone.

This might seem like a strange question, but do ATCOs have mortgages?
If you can be posted to another unit at the other end of the country it at any time it seems like a wasted investment.

Is there a certain number of years return service with NATS after passing the college course? Surely there must be otherwise people who didn't get a posting they wanted would just disappear after validation. Or am I wrong?

Nope there's no bonding at all..

On the Area side of things there really isn't much of an issue with bonding (provided people are planning on staying in the UK) as you would have to work for NATS regardless.
For airports/aerodromes then yes, I suppose you could argue that you get posted somewhere you didn't like and bugger off - but if you were training with NATS then presumably your preferred posting was at a NATS airport who are unlikely to take you after walking out on another NATS unit.

Also bear in mind that if you leave before validating, then technically you don't even have a rating to be able to sell yourself with. I think you need the have started an SRG approved unit training plan within one year of finishing the course.

Gonzo, I've noticed reading this thread that you conduct stage 3 interviews? Is this something you still do and if so, at which locations? Also are you open to bribes? ;)

• I do
• I can be anywhere
• Yes.

Two of the above are true.

Well the third was a joke! :)
Any tips on what you look for in the interviews?

Well, I have written at length throughout this thread on things I like to see....preparation being a good starting point.

To be honest, the other areas we look for are characteristics that you either have or you don't have.

I don't think that the interviews we run are any different to any other, so the sort of things every interview candidate should be doing before an interview will stand you in good stead......doesn't mean you'll be successful of course, I could be faced with the best prepared candidate in the world but (s)he might not get through because of other factors.

Just to update something Gonzo said.. it's 6 months now - between completing a rating course and starting a unit training plan.. otherwise you have to do an APC (a few days back at the college to remind you/prove to instructor that you can still do it all!) before you can begin the training at a later date...and that's provided that your student licence hasn't expired! (2 years).

So yeah, you'd want to be getting valid!

I'm potentially applying in 2009, been following this thread recently.

One aspect I'd like someone to elaborate upon is the 1st stage tests where I have read people explaining about questions such as:

aircraft is 'xx' miles/km from an airport, travelling at 'xx' knots descending 'xx' feet etc will it make it to the airport?

I understand the DST triangle formula will be involved but could anyone here please provide a clear example (or two!).

Aircraft 40 nautical miles away, at 30,000 ft descending at 3000ft per minute and travelling at 240 knots.. can it make it?


240 knots = 4 miles per minute, which means 10 minutes to get the 40 miles to the airport.

3000 feet per minute for 10 minutes means a descent of 30,000 feet.

So in this scenario - depending on the wind, the phase of the moon, etcetc and how much luck the pilot had, and if his callsign was BAW038 or not.. he might just make the runway. Just.

For example :P

I'd like to ask a question to you all, maybe Gonzo might be the most suitable person to answer but any information would be greatly appreciated..
I'd like to know whether european citizens can participate in the NATS selection or not. I already tried Eurocontrol and I passed all the tests, group tests but unfortunately I wasn't successful at the interview..I am currently undergoing an ATC selection here in Italy but the process is very very slow as it could take as much as one year and a half from the first test to the medical tests so I was thinking of applying for NATS too..Does anybody know if it's possible? Thanx! :)