We at Aerospace Systems have dedicated a series called "DO YOU WANT TO INSPIRE GIRLS?" Our objective is to introduce every week some of our Female Air Traffic Control colleagues, their opinions about the Air Traffic Control Carreer and highlight the contribution that they make to the world.
In this first edition, Orlando Coronel, Director General, Aerospace Systems interviews Female Air Traffic Controller Claudia Gonzalez.
AIR TRAFFIC CONTROLLER CLAUDIA GONZALEZ - CHILE
Claudia is an experienced APP radar /Aerorodrome ATCO having worked at SCFA and SCIE.
Hi Claudia - could please tell us… what are the most critical tasks/duties/priorities as air traffic controllers?
Yes of course Orlando. Air traffic controllers' primary PRIORITY is definitely SAFETY. In other words, the primary mandate of air traffic control is to ensure the safe transport of people and cargo by keeping aircraft at a safe distance from each other.
Ok, let me play the role of the devil's advocate and ask...
What do you mean when you say that aircraft could be at risk of collision?
Well, there is an impending risk of collision every time two or more aircraft would be on converging trajectories and similar altitudes.
Even, aircraft equipped with ADS-B In systems, surveillance technology that enables pilots to view traffic information about surrounding aircraft if those aircraft are equipped with ADS-B out, pilots have very limited tools to get an complete overview of the airspace in which the fly, or the surrounding traffic and pilots' intentions.
You also have to take into consideration, that; since aircraft travel at significantly higher speeds compared to other modes of transportation, the time available for flight crews to react to dangerous situations is typically very short. So, they have to rely on air traffic controllers to guide safely, aircraft going through critical traffic situations. For that reason, it is essential for ATCOs and flight crews that flight paths are well planned and carefully managed to minimize the risk of collision of aircraft, mitigate the effect of dangerous weather or even avert obstacle collision.
The second priority is efficiency and the third one is traffic flow organization.
We manage the flow of tactical military/civilian aircraft in and out of airports, even the flow of airport vehicular movement within the maneouvering area, guide pilots during takeoff and landing and monitor aircraft as they travel through our skies.
But aircraft depart in a random way, generating limitless flying patterns and controlling challenging situations. So, once we separate them, we must establish arrival/departure sequence, direct aircraft efficiently to minimize delays and organize patterns of traffic to facilitate the handling of the next relevant air traffic control unit and the handling of the supporting air navigation services .
Oh but one level up of complexity occurs when there is bad weather in our sectors. We constantly monitor weather, assess its effect on our operations, adapt operationally to maximize safety and obtain best achievable efficiency. Dealing with bad weather and heavy air traffic is one of the most difficult things for air traffic controllers to manage. Weather unpredictable nature means aircraft aren't able to fly their usual routes, altitudes or speeds resulting in unusual flight patterns, reroutings, change of altitudes, delays, slowdowns, congested communication frequencies that add hugely to the complexity of the airspace and the workload for each controller.
A very critical task is to implement emergency procedures to handle emergency operations. That includes coordination such as; alerting airport emergency services (fire services, RCC, etc) in case of emergency or when an aircraft is experiencing difficulties.
We constantly conduct verification/validation testing for compliance with regulatory standards, navigational aids, working tools and equipment, organizational procedures and policies.
It is complex, Air Traffic Control is not just a walk in the park. But that level of professional challenge gives us a sense of accomplishment and pride.
When you decide to become an air traffic controller, you are not just choosing a job, you are choosing a rewarding career and a challenging but wonderful lifestyle.
Language support and translation provided by the Aerospace Systems Aviation English Faculty.
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