Air traffic controller - the pros and cons of the profession. How air traffic controllers work

An air traffic controller is an aviation employee who controls and maintains air traffic from his workplace in the control room. Its main task is to ensure the safe and orderly movement of various aircraft.

According to the psycho-emotional load, the profession of an air traffic controller is considered one of the most responsible and dangerous, because this specialist is responsible for the safety of not only equipment, but also human lives.

Places of work

The position of an air traffic controller is in demand in the dispatch services of airports.

Duties of an air traffic controller

Main job responsibilities of an air traffic controller:

• Air traffic control within the area of ​​responsibility of its control room.
• Strict observance of the regulations governing the work of air traffic controllers.
• Constant communication with the crews of reporting aircraft and colleagues from adjacent areas of responsibility.
• Interaction with meteorological services and the operational use of the information provided by them for the purposes of aircraft management.

Air traffic controller requirements

The main requirements for an air traffic controller:

• Higher specialized education.
• The conclusion of the medical expert commission on professional suitability.
• Knowledge of English (according to international standards).

Given the specifics of the work, only people with special training and high physical and emotional endurance can perform the functions of an air traffic controller. But there is a significant “plus” in this work - the right to early retirement (men at 50, women at 45).

How to become an air traffic controller

To become an air traffic controller, you need to undergo serious training: 3-4 years in specialized secondary schools and 5 years in higher educational institutions. In addition, every 3 years, the airline dispatcher takes advanced training courses, and every 2-3 years confirms the current certificate of the air traffic controller.

air traffic controller salary

The salary of an air traffic controller was not found in open sources, because. There are no vacancies on job sites. Generally speaking, the Federal State Unitary Enterprise "State ATM Corporation" and its branches ("Air Navigation") are engaged in hiring and training air traffic controllers, and the pay rates are announced personally. According to reviews, the average salary of an air traffic controller is very competitive and decent.

The crew, while flying the aircraft, is in touch with dispatchers who are responsible for the order of movement of aircraft and helicopters. All airspace is divided into areas of responsibility of control points. And the dispatcher manages the traffic within the area of ​​responsibility of his point.

airfield control tower controller draws up a daily flight plan, coordinates its implementation with other services, with his colleagues from other airports (for example, with the traffic control of another airport). He is constantly in touch with the crews of the ships, monitors the air situation. At some airports, this function is performed by a liaison team.

Taxiing Manager controls traffic on the territory of the airport.

Dispatcher "Start and landing" supervise take-off and landing ships.

Dispatcher "Circle" directs traffic within a radius of 50 km at an altitude of 2100 m and below (takeoff and landing zone). For arrivals, he issues permission to perform an approach, and for departing - instructions on the initial climb.

Approach Manager controls the movement at an altitude of 2100-5700 m. The coverage area of ​​the circle zone is 90-120 km. from the airfield. It determines the landing approach sequence, the landing intervals.

Regional center manager controls the flight at altitudes of 2100-17000.

Dispatcher of point of local airlines- directs the flight at an altitude of 1500 m and below in the airfield area.

Dispatcher of the local control center- manages the flight away from major airports - at an altitude of 1500 m and below within the established area of ​​​​responsibility (usually this is the area of ​​\u200b\u200bthe administrative region or a significant part of it).

The dispatcher constantly monitors the air situation using a special monitor, taking into account weather conditions, vessel traffic schedules, etc. The dispatcher is constantly in touch with the crews of the vessels and with his colleagues from adjacent areas of responsibility.

An airplane is too fast a mode of transport for the dispatcher to be slow. For example, in an unexpected situation, he must quickly disperse the aircraft to a safe distance, decide on a landing ban (or vice versa), etc. In addition, one controller can have up to 20 aircraft at the same time.

Since there is no time to think about the situation for a long time, all the actions of the dispatcher are strictly regulated.

The dispatcher's work is organized in such a way as to minimize errors in flight control. In addition to the rules and instructions, the dispatcher has equipment at his disposal: monitors, communications equipment, signal displays, etc. He also receives information from meteorological services and uses reference information. Every dispatcher knows that his wrong decisions can lead to disaster and loss of life. High responsibility with a large amount of work, high speed of decisions - all this means increased nervous tension.

A Miami airport air traffic controller fell asleep while on night duty, the Associated Press reported Saturday (April 16, 2011). The incident happened early Saturday morning. During this night shift, 12 other people were working in the control room, and one of them reported a colleague who had fallen asleep.

According to the preliminary results of the investigation, the dispatcher did not miss a single radio signal from the aircraft, so the incident did not affect the operation of the airport in any way. However, the dispatcher who fell asleep at the post was removed from work.

This has already happened at airports in Texas, Nevada, Tennessee and Washington. A few days ago, a nationwide inspection of air traffic control services began in the United States, and the chief air traffic controller of the United States, Hank Krakowski, resigned. The leadership of the US Federal Aviation Administration has already stated that they will have to cancel the practice of single night duty and revise the work schedules of air traffic controllers.

Pros and cons

Particularly difficult in terms of emotional load is the work of the Approach dispatcher.

The profession of an air traffic controller is one of the most dangerous and responsible professions related to technology and human lives (from the point of view of psychology, the most interesting is

The dispatch service works around the clock, and the dispatchers keep their watch in shifts. This, like nervous tension, can be attributed to the shortcomings of the profession. However, these difficulties are compensated by a sense of satisfaction from a job well done and the realization of one's own indispensability.

Among the bonuses of the profession is the right to early retirement. For men - from 50 years old, for women - from 45 years old, if they have worked in direct flight control services for at least 12 years 6 months and at least 10 years. (clause 14 of article 27 of the Federal Law of the Russian Federation of December 17, 2001 No. 173 - FZ)

Important qualities

Stress resistance, high sense of responsibility, ability to manage one's attention. Good health (including the organs of the cardiovascular system) is essential. Therefore, once every 2 years, the air traffic controller passes a medical-flight expert commission.

Knowledge and skills

As already mentioned, all actions of the dispatcher are strictly regulated. There are established rules, instructions and scenarios for each working situation, and the dispatcher must know them. He must know the laws of air navigation, understand aviation meteorology ..

Training occurs once every 3 years, the confirmation of a valid air traffic controller license is made, depending on the class of the controller, after 2 or 3 years. In addition, a mandatory requirement for an air traffic controller at the present time is. 4 is a mandatory level on the ICAO scale since 2011.

Secondary vocational education:

• Krasnoyarsk Aviation Technical College of Civil Aviation,
• Khabarovsk branch of the Krasnoyarsk Aviation Technical College

Specialty "Air traffic management"

An air traffic controller is a conductor who directs an orchestra of aircraft turbines in the sky. And the dispatcher is also a talented artist who paints unique pictures of aircraft traces on the azure sky. Well, if you try to describe the profession of an air traffic controller in official words, then it turns out that this is a specialist who controls the movement of air vehicles from the ground. The main responsibility of an air traffic controller is to ensure the orderly and safe movement of ships in the area for which he is responsible.

The duties of the air traffic controller include informing the crews about the meteorological situation, both en route and at airports, as well as maintaining communication with the pilots. The exchange of messages must take place according to the rules of the radio exchange. In addition, the controller must enter data into automated systems so that they can correctly assess the situation in the airspace.

It is the air traffic controller who must maintain safety in case an unforeseen situation arises in the air. It also controls the movement of the aircraft if there is little fuel left on board, and also creates a safe distance between aircraft. It is also the prerogative of air traffic controllers to control the quality of communication and the condition of radio equipment. In adverse weather conditions, air traffic controllers provide assistance, and if necessary, redirect ships to other airfields for landing. When conducting search or rescue operations, if aviation takes part in them, the dispatcher coordinates the direction of these operations. Profession air traffic controller description

Air traffic controller is the general name of the profession, which includes several specialties.

Dispatcher at the control tower at the airport. His tasks include drawing up a flight plan for the day, coordinating this plan with dispatchers at other airports.

Departure dispatcher allows flight on the declared course specified in the plan. Permission is issued on the basis of information supplied from the control room.

taxi controller manages aircraft and airport services only on its territory. Only this dispatcher gives the right to start the engines of the ships and guides the aircraft while moving along the steering tracks and gives the go-ahead for a preliminary start.

Landing and launch controller controls aircraft on the take-off and landing strips, permits the start, as well as the landing of aircraft.

Circle Manager Allows arriving ships to land, and orders departing ships to start climbing.

Manager approach and appoints the order of approach of ships during landing, and also builds certain intervals of takeoff and landing separation.

District center dispatcher performs control over the movement of ships in the horizontal within the areas that are established for him along the airways that lie in his area of ​​​​responsibility, and beyond them.

There are also specialties of the dispatcher of local lines of aeronautics, the dispatcher of the informant. These people work far from air hubs and highways where there is heavy traffic.

To work as an air traffic controller, you must have certain qualities and meet certain requirements:

- an exceptional state of health, and the requirements are the same as for the health of pilots;
- high responsibility;
- resistance to stress;
– good physical preparation;
- the ability to concentrate;
- fast reaction;
- excellent memory;
- the ability to quickly count;
- the ability to navigate in space;
- to have spatial thinking.

We also offer to get acquainted with the profession of a pilot, linguist and bartender.

The controller must be able to select the necessary information from a variety of messages, as well as be able to represent the position of aircraft in space at the moment and after a certain travel time.

This profession appeared at a time when air flights became massive and it was necessary to establish certain flight rules, as well as provide radio communications and flight control. After that, an air traffic control system appeared, where the dispatcher controls the process of aircraft movement. And traffic safety depends on the dispatcher.

If for a moment imagine a situation where the dispatcher simply did not come to work. Immediately, real chaos will begin in the air. Hundreds of aircraft will fly in different directions at different heights, and even in poor visibility. It's scary to even think about it. That is precisely why the controller must have good diction and the ability to correctly assess the situation in the air and instantly respond to any changes in it.

Although the profession of an air traffic controller is considered romantic and creative, it, like other professions, has not only positive aspects, but also quite serious disadvantages.

Of the advantages I would like to note:

- the salary of an air traffic controller in Moscow and in other cities is quite high;
- a vacation that has a longer duration;
- medical insurance;
- free flight once a year.

The disadvantages of the profession are significant:

- a constant state of stress;
- shift work schedule;
Air traffic controller errors can lead to criminal liability.

Despite the presence of stressful situations, the work of the dispatcher is considered incredibly important and you need to understand that without these people it is simply impossible to fly on airplanes. After all, it is they who make all flights easy and calm, and few passengers think about who is the most important in aviation.

You can learn more about the profession in the video:

“The Investigative Committee dropped the charge against trainee dispatcher Svetlana Krivsun in the case of the crash of a Falcon plane at Vnukovo” - this is a two-week-old TASS report about an event that occurred almost a year and a half ago. Then the young specialist came under house arrest and all this time experienced considerable stress. Nice start to a career!

Yes, this is one of the risks of this profession. But such risks do not reduce its attractiveness. After all, an air traffic controller is a special profession, but how does it express itself?

How does is called?

Air traffic controller is the name of a whole family of air traffic control professions. If you think that a plane that has gained altitude flies as it wants, then you are deeply mistaken. He is closely monitored by the dispatcher who controls the horizontal flight on his territory. It not only ensures flight safety by suggesting the right altitude and lane for pilots, but also recommends the best route to help save fuel.

All controllers are connected and interact with each other within the framework of a single air traffic management system in the country, and outside it - guided by uniform international rules. What kind of controllers are there?

1. The departure controller issues permission to fly according to the declared flight plan.
2. The taxi dispatcher controls the movement of liners from the moment the engines are started to the preliminary start and from the moment they taxi into the taxiways after landing.
3. The launch and landing controller permits takeoff and landing, controls aircraft taking off and landing, controls traffic on the runway and the runway.
4. The "circle" controller controls the movement of aircraft in the take-off and landing zone at altitudes up to 1500 meters and within a radius of 50 km from the airfield. Issues approach clearance for arriving aircraft and instructions on initial climb for departing aircraft.
5. The approach controller controls the movement of liners at altitudes of 1,800-5,700 meters and within a radius of 90-200 km from the airfield.
6. The controller monitors the movement of aircraft at altitudes above 3350 meters within the established limits in the horizontal plane and transfers control of the flight to the next controller when the aircraft leaves his area of ​​responsibility.
7. The local air traffic controller controls flights up to an altitude of 1,500 meters within the area of ​​​​responsibility (usually commensurate in area with the administrative region) in the horizontal plane.

Seven types of controllers are listed here, but there are other types, for example, the area procedural and radar controller, the approach and procedural radar controller, the airfield controller, the landing radar controller, the simulator controller. So they are different.

How to become an air traffic controller?

The training of air traffic controllers, as well as representatives of any other complex profession, is a serious and responsible process.

Specialists are trained in specialized one-year courses, in secondary specialized educational institutions (for example, the St. Petersburg Aviation and Transport College of Civil Aviation) and in universities, for example, at the St. Petersburg State University of Civil Aviation, the Ulyanovsk Higher Aviation School of Civil Aviation and the Moscow State Technical University civil aviation. These universities have branches in different cities.

Dispatchers regularly undergo advanced training and certification with different frequencies, depending on the class - annually, once every two or three years. Managers are trained and certified less often.

Training is conducted either at the airline or on the basis of specialized educational institutions.

The future dispatcher passes a medical commission before entering the university. And becoming a specialist, he does it regularly. The medical-flight expert commission issues a conclusion on professional suitability, allowing you to continue working for the next 4 years, if the air traffic controller is not older than 40 years old, then every two years and from the age of 50, the air traffic controller must pass a medical-flight expert examination commission each year if he has not retired by that age.

What qualities do you need to have to be successful in this profession?

The workplace of the air traffic controller is equipped with navigation devices, means of radio communication with pilots and telephone communication with other controllers and airfield services. In addition to a computer with specialized programs, there are monitors of the air and meteorological conditions, various displays, indicators and sources of sound and visual signals, tablets, charts, documents and reference books at the workplace.

At the same time, the specialist negotiates with the crew, monitors the progress of the flight on the radar or monitor screen, maintains contact with the meteorological service and the crews of the liners, informing them about weather conditions or informing them of a route change.

At the same time, 10-20 aircraft can be under the control of one air traffic controller at the same time.

Working with equipment, different sources of information and communication channels of different levels imposes a number of requirements on dispatchers.

Requirements for professional qualities:

Secondary specialized or higher education in the specialty "Operation of aircraft and organization of air traffic" or "Air traffic control".

The air traffic controller must be able to English language and know professional flight terminology in that language. According to modern requirements, only those who speak the language at level 4 (out of 6) according to the ICAO (International Civil Aviation Organization) scale receive permission to fly on international routes. If the dispatcher does not have such a certificate, he can only work on local lines.

Requirements for psychological qualities:

In terms of psycho-emotional load, this profession is one of the most difficult, since the dispatcher is responsible not only for expensive equipment, but also for human lives. Moreover, the emotional resonance in the media and people's minds from air crashes is stronger than, say, car crashes, although they occur hundreds of times less often.

Therefore, in addition to absolute health, for successful work, an air traffic controller must have high responsibility and discipline, stress resistance, large RAM, spatial imagination, and the ability to maintain attention at a high level of activity for a long time.

He must be able to quickly determine the air situation, since he has to simultaneously monitor and control several objects moving in three-dimensional space in different directions at different speeds. The dispatcher must give commands on the air and synchronously listen to the conversations of his colleagues working in adjacent sectors. In addition, it is necessary to monitor the radar screen and keep records on the graph.

How is a career in this profession built?

The primary career step is a trainee dispatcher. Further, controllers can specialize, for example, in the direction of air traffic control or in the direction of aerodrome control. But, one way or another, they can be assigned classes: first, second or third. They reflect the degree of qualification of a specialist.

Further growth stages: senior dispatcher, dispatcher-instructor.

The head of the controllers is the head of flights, the head of the control center or the control center of various scales - the regional, zonal or main center of air traffic management.

If you visit dispatcher forums on the Internet, you can see how involved these people are in their work, how proud they are of it, realizing the complexity, importance and uniqueness of such work. They feel they are part of the world system, and these are not words: any controller who speaks English can work abroad, since the air traffic control system is international.

Aviation professionals who control and maintain the air traffic of airplanes, helicopters and other aircraft are called air traffic controllers. Their place of work is airports and military airfields. The main task of the representatives of this profession is to ensure the safe, regular and orderly movement of air transport. To do this, you need to know:

• air navigation (a science that studies methods and means of air transport control);
• aviation meteorology (atmospheric processes, their impact on aviation activities);
• separation rules and instructions (dispersion of aircraft over a certain distance so that there is no collision between them).

The work of an air traffic controller is organized in such a way that he can control all stages of the movement of an aircraft or other air vehicle, from takeoff to landing. At the same time, the airspace is divided into certain zones assigned to a separate dispatcher specialist, who manages the flight specifically within his area. Therefore, air traffic controllers have a different area of ​​specialization:

1. Airfield control tower - here they schedule a flight plan for the day, in coordination with other airport services, control the situation in the air during flights, and maintain constant communication with the crews of the vehicles.
2. "Taxiing" - checks the movement of vehicles on the territory of the airfield, allows or prohibits towing, starting the engine of the car, taxiing.
3. "Start and landing" - are engaged in the management of the takeoff and landing of aircraft.
4. "Circle" - controls the movement of cars in the take-off zone with a radius of 50 km from the airfield.
5. "Approach" - manages the flight at an altitude of 2100-5700 m, allows landing in turn, determining time intervals.
6. The regional center - controls the movement of aircraft at an altitude of 2100-17000 m.
7. Point of local airlines - operates in the area of ​​the local airfield at an altitude of 1500 m and below.
8. Local control center - occupies the area of ​​the administrative region far from major airports, flight control at an altitude of up to 1500 m.

The control and guidance of the movement of aircraft and other air assets is carried out by monitoring the situation in the air using a special monitor. In this case, meteorological conditions, aircraft schedules, etc. are necessarily taken into account.

Air traffic controllers do not have the right to make a mistake, since the lives of other people depend on their observation and reaction. Therefore, the organization of their work is aimed at preventing errors in flight control.

Dispatch service operates day and night - 24 hours a day. Because of this, in order to avoid nervous and psychological stress, air traffic controllers go out to perform their duties in shifts.

Air traffic controller skills

Employers, when hiring a person for the position of an air traffic controller, take into account such qualities as personality:

• resistance to emotional and psychological stress;
• the ability to distribute attention;
• care and responsibility;
• resourcefulness and self-control;
• initiative and organizational skills;
• analytic mind;
• developed visual-motor coordination of movements.

In this case, the air traffic controller must know:

• device and principles of operation of dispatching equipment;
• the construction of aircraft machines to give advice on the rapid elimination of any problems during the flight;
• English (or another foreign language, depending on the place of work);
• professional terms.

In addition to all of the above, it is desirable to have one of the diplomas of higher education in the specialty "Operation of aircraft and air traffic management", "Air traffic control".

Pros of being an air traffic controller:

• work is not related to physical activity (women of different ages can work);
• comfortable working conditions (indoors, sitting);
• the right to early retirement (men - from 50 years old (work experience of at least twelve and a half years), women - from 45 years old (with ten years of work experience)).

Salary of a Russian air traffic controller in 2019

The average salary of an air traffic controller per month is about 120 thousand rubles. Such information is provided on the website http://ru.zarplat.info/air traffic controller. Already today there is information about the salary increase for air traffic controllers by 30% in 2018.

Here you can also view vacancies in such companies of the Russian Federation: Strela - 90,000 rubles / month, AC 1st class - 72,000 rubles / month, Air Navigation of the North-West - 65,000 rubles / month, "Vanguard" Sosnovy Bor - 250,000 rubles / month.

How to become an air traffic controller

In Russia, there are not so many universities where you can get the profession of "air traffic controller". These are the Moscow State Technical University of Civil Aviation (Moscow), the State University of Civil Aviation (St. Petersburg), the Higher Aviation School (Ulyanovsk), the Higher Military Institute. V.M. Komarova (Yeisk). St. Petersburg State University of Civil Aviation has its branches in Khabarovsk and ATK GA, after studying in which you can get a secondary vocational education.

Every three years, air traffic controllers take special advanced training courses, after which they confirm their current certificate and capacity in accordance with the requirements.

Experts remind

An air traffic controller is one of the most responsible professions, which is associated not only with aviation technology, but also with human lives.