My Best Profession

Finishing school is the beginning of independent life for millions of school leavers. Many roads are opened before them: vocational and technical schools, institutes and universities. But it is not an easy thing to choose a profession out of more than 2 000 existing in the world. Some pupils do this at industrial training centres, some follow the advice of their parents, others can’t decide even after leaving school.

As for me I made my choice long ago. I want to become an air traffic controller. My choice of this occupation hasn’t come as a sudden flash. During all school years my favorite subjects were mathematics, geography and English. I’ve read a lot of books about traveling by air, geography and especially aviation.

I understand that I have to do my best to reach my dream: to become an air traffic controller as my father is. I would like to control traffic cruising in the sky.

I know that controlling air traffic is a very specific and difficult job. It shouldn’t be taken easily. The controller is a person who is responsible for safety of people’s lives.

There are many requirements to a candidate to be a controller: the age not less than 18 years old, citizenship of Ukraine, strong health, fluent speaking English.

Most of all, this work is a team-work. Its result depends upon all members of a team. It is very important to be well experienced and have a good knowledge of the main rules of flight, flight management and regulation documents.

Desired features of an air traffic controller are efficient memory, friendship attitude to colleagues, be loyal to all members of working process. One must know his region of responsibility and procedures for all stages of flight under different weather conditions in different situations that may happen to the aircraft.

Answer the questions.

1. When do young people begin their independent life?

2. How do they choose a profession?

3. What does the word “controller’ mean?

4. What are the requirements to a candidate to be a controller?

5. What are the main professional features of an ATC controller?

An Air Traffic Controller’s Job

The profession of ATCO is very interesting. It carries a high, level of responsibility and so it requires a high level of professionalism.

An ATCO is responsible for safety of flights and this is the main objective of ATC service. A controller is a master of the sky, a conductor of airways and routes. He controls all air traffic. A plane cannot take-off or make any manoeuvre without prior permission of ATC. A controller knows about his plane everything - its position now and in 5 minutes, the number of passengers on board, its endurance, the meteorological conditions of flight. A controller hears the plane and observes it on the radar screen. He is ready to help the crew at any time - from start up moment up to landing.

In order to be a good controller he has have to possess some special qualities such as: to understand and to analyze the situation at once, he must be calm, quick thinking and make a decision in any difficult situation, be ready to give the instructions what to do to a pilot. He must have a very good efficient memory. He has to remember and transmit a lot of information - aircraft call signs, runway heading, meteorological reports and forecasts and so on. A controller has to have good eyesight and hearing because it is necessary to pick out necessary and important information on the background of noises, to be able to work hard in difficult and nonstandard situations.

An air traffic controller needs English for his job. If he does not know English he has nothing to do at his work and without knowing English he cannot find a job. English is an ICAO language, and he must have a good command of it. All the ICAO documents are in English.

It is necessary to know not only English phraseology, but general English as well. An ATCO should speak English fluently to feel confident while controlling international flights.

So, we can say that the main characteristics of being an ATCO are:

1. extremely good memory;

2. ability to make quick decisions (to be a “Quick thinker”);

3. begin able to multi-task and prioritize things;

4. ability to handle stress.

On the one hand, controllers enjoy pleasant working conditions, an attractive salary and excellent social benefits.

On the other hand, their work is very stressful. A controller must try not to let the pressure affect him and stay calm and focused in any stressful situation. Stress is a physiological syndrome. It is inappropriate to solve the problems with which a controller is faced in work. Stress is a cause of a heart attack, one of the most common diseases among controllers.

Answer the questions.

1. What is an ATCO responsible for?

2. Does the controller have to know about his plane everything?

3. What special qualities does he have to possess?

4. Why is it so necessary and important for the controller to have good eyesight and hearing?

5. Why does an ATC controller need English for his job?

6. Does he have to know only English phraseology?

7. What are the main characteristics of being an ATCO?

8. Why is the controller’s work stressful?

9. What is the most common disease among controllers?