Reapplying
 

That´s interesting... MamfyJayne sais he/she took the initial selection stage test last year, passed but failed S2.
Do you have to retake S1 again this year? I thought it would have made sense that you can just reapply this year and jump straight into booking a slot for the new S2 test.

S1 initial
 

Hi there,

I was called to attend S1 in May and i have some doubts about my future possibilities in NATS.

I have the advantage of being already a Military Air Traffic Controller (tower) but i'm not a citizen of U.K.(and for that reason, as you can imagine, i'm not as fluent as Shakespear:O) . Do you think this could be a barrier to my acceptance?

best regards

I'm sure the MACC controller who has just validated and is from an island just off the Spanish coast, wouldn't think that you will have any issues.

Thanks
 

Thanks for that positive response T250!!

I was hoping someone knew of a good deal on a hotel close to the centre in order to save someone going through the process some cash, having just heard about my stage 2 was understandably excited and didn't have a look on the internet before I typed my post, sorry if this has upset you in some way as it seems to have done.

Anyway, I've now booked a hotel and a flight and will hopefully get through and get a chance to meet friendly people like yourself :)

T250
[QUOTE]On a rather different note, is it me or is the new format for stage 3 sound like they couldn't care less about your motivation in applying &wanting to join NATS, ie. Marco888's post stating the HR couldn't really find his visit to a NATS unit very valuable/useful.
How exactly are HR finding our motivation now? There's no motivation paper further than stage 1, no technical knowledge required, as at stage 3 they're interested in 'you'?!?
So a person who knows the right words and stuff to say could wing the interview and have no interest or motivation........[/QUOTE]

I find it hard to believe that HR would not have found an applicants unit visit useful. They will be making notes and no doubt the visit will have been a tick in the box.
There are other ways of testing an applicants motivation without having to quiz them on ATC. Just because an applicant may have a PPL, or may be a whizz at ATC simulator games, does not mean thay are going to be suitable to become an ATCO. The stage 3 tests are looking for suitabilty of a candidate based on personal qualitites that cannot be assessed by knowing the upper air routes in uk airspace. Having a very keen interest in ATC will no doubt help you at the college for all the basic tests, but dont be under the illusion that having the knowledge will guarantee you success. Would you consider someone who can tell you all the technical information of every aircraft ever made, who could tell you in THEORY the landing order of 3 different aircraft, who has visited every unit in the UK but they couldn't time keep properly, never learnt from past mistakes, couldn't take constructive advice or went wibble when under pressure. Surely the point is that if a candidate was excellent at all the personal qualities that studies have shown most ATCOs need, but couldn't tell the difference between an airbus and a 737, they would be suitable, after all the college is there to teach the technical and theory side.

Hi, question to anyone who has completed stage 1, how long roughly did it take to get your results through, ie, passed or failed, thanks guys

1st stage results
 

Hi

I sat my 1st stage on 24th March am and found out on the 7th April :)

Moravcik25,

Just out of interest, if you are successful in getting through the recruitment process and you're offered a place on the course, which course would you go for? Area or Aerodrome/Approach? Interested because you've already trained for tower...!

I wish you all the best for the future.

T250 - another 'out of interest' question! - what point of the recruitment process are you at?

Moravcik25

Thanks for that Moravick25, sorry, but only just seen your post about travel from Prestwick to South Coast, may be a but late now but spent 4 years traveling between Bournemouth and Symington, as such Hurn to Prestwick using Ryanair was often no more that 1p each way if you're lucky. Cheap hotels and B&B in Bmth too with good rail links to Swanwick. Sorry if its late but may be useful when you make the trip again.

Hey everyone, just a quick question. I've got my S3 mid-may and by the looks of things there's not much technical knowledge required, but just to make sure I'd like to buy a book of some sort to further my knowledge from the booklet they sent us for S1 and S2. Any recommendations?

Cheers

Thanks
 

002

Thanks for that, I hadn't finalised my booking as yet so I was able to have a look at what you suggested and looks like I'll be able to get down for about £10 instead of around £90 :ok:

I was looking for a wee bargain like that with my original question rather than the patronising answer I got.

Good luck with your application and if there is any info you need regarding stage 2 give me a shout in June and I should be able to tell you as much as I can, hopefully as someone who has passed it :)

Jamesrafferboy
 

Good book I read was Graham Duke - Air traffic Control 9th Edition...think everyone on here has read it! Very helpful however don't use it for aircraft recognition....there is a pic of a Boeing in there which has been stated that it is a B747...it very clearly isn't! There are a few other bits in there that don't quite add up but on the whole its a good read.

Hope this helps and good luck!

Moravcik25

Well you never know, if I get a pass for the Stage 1 I did then maybe I'll see you in June for Stage 2! Glad you found the info of use.

Agreeing with CJayne, 'ATC' by Graham Duke (9th Ed) gives quite a good overview of the job.
Some other books which I found out about which may help if you're interested;

'Air Band Radio Guide' also by G.Duke (6th Ed) helps understand how most of the RT take place.
'UK ATC' by David Graves. Even though that thing was written in 1989 and reprinted in 1990..... a lot of the fundamentals are the same. It goes into depth with each one of the London Airports and how their traffic is controlled which is quite cool.

Don't be tempted into buying 'Air Traffic Control Career Prep' by Patrick R.Mattson if you ask me. It's all pretty much strictly directed for AT-SAT (FAA's ATC Selection and Training) and kept VERY americanized as one would imagine... I only found the Flight Progress Strip chapter of any help.

I´m still kind of curious. Anyone been in this situation or knows how it works?

First I contacted NATS HR via phone, who then forwarded my request.

Not me :O

Just done a search on amazon and fleaBay, the 10th edition of ATC isn't out until August and the secondhand books are eye wateringly overpriced. :ugh:

I'll probably borrow 'UK ATC' from a library and have a look at some of the documents on the NATS website.

For Graham Duke's book, I just popped into my local Waterstones who ordered it for me - no silly expensive second hand prices, and got it within a week or so.

If anyone's having real trouble getting a copy of this book, PM me and I can lend you mine.

Moravcik25 - check your PMs - I sent you some stuff about travelling down from Scotland but you obviously missed it...

I found Duke in the library... but it's somewhat out of date and there are a fair few mistakes and inaccuracies. I suppose it's a good place to start if you have little or no prior knowledge though!

There is a lot of information in the AIP as well. Not sure how relevant it is at this stage, but having a flick through may help increase your knowledge!

Hi

If you can't wait til August for the 10th edition, I've found Duke's 9th edition on WHSmith's website that can be sent out in 1-2 weeks.

I've not read the book yet so I've got it ordered in the hope I'll make it through to NATS stage 3! I'll feel more confident if I have swotted up as much as I can on ATC.

In that case, if anyone has enough spare time on their hands, and are crazy enough (like myself), I guess its much more useful to have a flick through a couple of the CAA publications:

CAP 493: Manual of Air Traffic Services - Part 1 | Publications | CAA


And the CAP413-Radiotelephony Manual is also quite helpful;

CAP 413: Radiotelephony Manual | Publications | CAA


I was a bit cheeky and printed them at work! But good luck, those are a handful!.......

WHSmiths have now just emailed me to say it's out of stock at the publisher! And they haven't said how long it might take to send one to me! :(

Have you tried your local library service?

For example Surrey Libraries have several copies...

Stage 3
 

I have my stage 3 on May 26th.
Was wondering if anyone else is going on that day?

DJNick
 

As far as I am aware, you cannot just jump in to retake from stage2 - you have to go through the whole process again regardless of which stage you got to. I retook the whole lot this year after failing at stage 2 last year...plus you have to wait a year from the date of your initial application, not the date of taking stage 1.

Hope this helps!

I too have my Stage 3 that day, so I guess I will see you there.

My year is up and I have applied again booked my stage 1 for the 26th of May, so if anyone is also going to be there at the 1400 one I may see you.
I'm assuming stage 1 hasn't changed all that much from last year? in terms of the actual content... I did have a quick read through some posts and seen people talking about stage 2 and 3 changes so was just wondering.

I have been looking into getting Graham Duke's book also.

It appears everywhere is out of stock at the minute, due to the pending release of the 10th edition in August.

I have been able to find it elsewhere for as little as £4.99 +P&P, just can't for the life in me remember where. As soon as i do i will shout

I've found it here Radio Society of Great Britain General Books
for £4.99. :)

Plenty to be found on Google Shopping. You don't need the 9th edition, the 8th (or maybe even the 7th) will do fine. I have a 3rd edition, but you don't want that. A lot has changed since 1989. Hell, it was only marginally useful in 1999 when I needed it! :)

Stage 1
 

Hi guys,

Everyone sounds immensely clued up in here, I applied to get on this course and chose my Stage 1 date before I knew what was required to pass the stage one process. Im just looking the through the leaflet they send you and am not sure I can absorb all this information by Tuesday. I was wondering if they were likely to ask questions relating to the 6 individual specifications of the planes, as this is a lot of information to learn parrot fashion in 4 days. Any input would be greatly appreciated.

Cheers

Learn as much as you can, but definitely at least have an appreciation for sensible values for the figures for jet and turboprop aircraft.

is a turboprop a propeller aircraft?

anthonygraham1,

Yes a turboprop is a propeller aircraft. As JonathanB says have a good idea of destinations of aircraft. E.g can they make a transatlantic etc... and speed e.g do they fly at 300 knots/450 knots etc... I dont recall being asked about number of passengers etc... but yours could be different to mine !!!
Good luck with it

thanks chaps - I thought it was a wind up when I saw all the individual specifications... apparently not.
oh well, every cloud.

aircraft pun not intended.

anthonygraham1,

If you want to PM with an email address i made some "top Trump" style cards to help learn the aircraft, also i wrote out the information in my own way and the orginal version and transferred it onto my ipod via a speech program and listened to it in my car on my way to work. I also have those mp3 if you fancy it !!!

Stage 1
 

I've recently sat stage 1 and if it's the same tests I passed then you don't need any in depth knowledge of the different planes, I read the information 3 or 4 times before the exam and felt quite confident after the test.

As you've probably saw from other posts there are harder parts to it than the motivation paper, but I think staying relaxed throughout the tests is the best advice I could give you.

Good luck with stage 1 :ok:

To anyone who has recently done the "new" stage 2... Should I take a snack with me or do they give time to go to the canteen for lunch?

So Belfast to Manchester?

Stage 2
 

Hi,

Just another question for those who have taken the new stage 2 that are now like the FEAST tests used by Eurocontrol.

Is there anywhere online where you can practice these tests?

Thanks