Simulator Training Instructor

Simulator Training Instructor is the top of controller’s career. Mainly it’s a person who has a good command of leading documents, who is perfect at practical skills, who has a long experience as an operational controller. It’s also a person who has some pedagogical skills and knowledge as his primary task is to drive home to controllers some aspects of their job, to drill their practical skills, to enhance their theoretical knowledge.

Simulator Training Instructors create various exercises for controllers: f.e. controlling air space with high congestion of aircraft or in restricted visibility due to thick fog or in limited situation f.e. with big front of CB activity and thus with a big workload for controller. They can also work out exercises with emergency situations – fire on board, depressurization, engine failure and so on.

Requirements for the controllers

ATC’s activity and responsibility for the lives of people specify certain requirements for candidates’ qualities to meet.

Every controller is required to be:

- quick-thinking ( as the aircraft moves rather quickly and especially during take-off and landing; so separation may be violated quickly and ATC’s decision should be made in some seconds)

- responsible (controllers assume responsibility for the people on the board of the plane within their air space)

- attentive (there are various rules concerning controlling air traffic, infringement of any of them should be spotted in time, otherwise it may become fatal)

- able to plan, predict and calculate in mind quickly (any conflict situation has to foreseen and eliminated)

- able to work under pressure/able to handle stress (in case of controlling congested airspace, working at busy airports; it creates tense and anxious atmosphere in the operational room because any distraction can be lethal)

- level-headed and able to make adequate decisions in extreme situations (in case of emergency controller has to pull himself together and do his best in order to cope with the problem and assist the crew)

- able to cope with multi-task (ATCs have to communicate with the crew, monitor other traffic on the screen and keep in mind theoretical information simultaneously)

- able to work in team and collaborate with people

Benefits and drawbacks of ATC’s job

Like every profession ATC’s position has its benefits and drawbacks

Benefits comprise

- working for a respected company

-high salary

-plenty of free time as it is shift work (we have 3 days off in a row)

-having long holidays (56 days with additional payment for health improvement)

-communication with pilots from all over the world

-having wide opportunities for promotion

- having free professional training

-working with state-of-art equipment

-having social benefits (medical insurance, high pension, early retirement, free sport activities)

-having free transportation from home to work and visa versa.

Drawbacks include

-dealing with stress due to traffic congestion and emergencies (as it is rather responsible job and any minor mistake can lead to fatality)

- fatigue due to night shifts

-pressure from constant professional exams and medical checks

VIII. Complete the sentences.

1. ATC is responsible for…………………………………………...

2. There are different sectors of control…………………………………

3. Ground controller…………………………………………………

4. Tower controller………………………………………………….

5. APP…………………………………………………………….…

6. ACC………………………………………………………………

7. Supervisor………………………………………………………..

8. Simulator Training Instructor……………………………………

9. Operational room is equipped with………………………………

10. On the pre-shift briefing…………………………………………

11. ATC has to meet requirements………………………………….

12. The benefits of controller’s job are………………………………

13. The drawbacks of controller’s job are…………………………..

 

IX. Describe the picture and speculate about possible reasons.

Use the active vocabulary:

· To collapse

· To scratch To eliminate the problem

· To assess the situation

· Buckled/dented

· To execute successful landing

· To take into account

· To adhere to

 

X. Agree or disagree.

· ATCs will be substituted by automated systems in the future.

· Native crews are easier to deal with than foreign ones.