What would you like to do for a living?

peetee said:
theres a lot of you air trafficers isnt there, whats it like in civvy street? Iv got a few mates that are air traffic type jobs in the forces, kinda tempted to do it, they get fairly decent wages but civvy street has better pay etc, so its a good one to get into for when you finish.
Although i think ill end up opting for navy due to the better traveling.
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Good pay I guess (with the responsibility) but it seems pretty boring if you were controlling approach or director or sumit... just repetitive: thompson 456 hotel turn right 090 degrees... ryanair blahblah turn left 090 degrees.. man I get tired of speaking after all that
 
peetee said:
theres a lot of you air trafficers isnt there, whats it like in civvy street? Iv got a few mates that are air traffic type jobs in the forces, kinda tempted to do it, they get fairly decent wages but civvy street has better pay etc, so its a good one to get into for when you finish.
Although i think ill end up opting for navy due to the better traveling.
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Conditions and pay are excellent, depending on unit you'll work a hell of a lot more traffic than the mil and it's generally more challenging and interesting. That's coming from a few ex military controllers who made the jump to civvy air traffic.

The only good thing I can see about the military route is if you want the military lifestyle then you can't get that in the civilian side of things.


neoduder said:
Has TC completely moved to Swanwick now? How did the move go?
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Aye, the military are still up there although I'm not quite sure how long for. The move was pretty smooth apart from a hiccup in the voice comms system on the second day which was "interesting" to say the least but it's all running great now :)


Spitfir3 said:
Good pay I guess (with the responsibility) but it seems pretty boring if you were controlling approach or director or sumit... just repetitive: thompson 456 hotel turn right 090 degrees... ryanair blahblah turn left 090 degrees.. man I get tired of speaking after all that
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I can't speak for approach units outside of terminal control but the approach sectors at TC are nothing like how you describe. Heathrow Approach, Luton Radar, Essex Radar, Thames Radar are all very busy and they operate in some very complex airspace. It is sometimes boring to watch a controller working, especially if you don't know what's going on but you can guarantee that the controller isn't bored. To your average Joe it looks like I just stare at a screen and speak gibberish into a headset and shout it across the room but I'm never bored, unless of course there are no planes and that's a rare occasion in the London TMA :D
 
I watched a show on BBC2 with a woman who was a free diver making films about sea life. That job would be really good in my opinion.
 
I want to be an artist, and draw the dole.

failing that, British transport police sounds kinda fun
 
Scuzi said:
I can't speak for approach units outside of terminal control but the approach sectors at TC are nothing like how you describe. Heathrow Approach, Luton Radar, Essex Radar, Thames Radar are all very busy and they operate in some very complex airspace. It is sometimes boring to watch a controller working, especially if you don't know what's going on but you can guarantee that the controller isn't bored. To your average Joe it looks like I just stare at a screen and speak gibberish into a headset and shout it across the room but I'm never bored, unless of course there are no planes and that's a rare occasion in the London TMA :D
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Ah, well in the occasional time we've got into manchester approach its been very -> freq. changes, climb to.. , radar vectors etc.. butI was listening to a manchester approach freq - but err.. think they were only controlling between FL240 and FL120... just endless "go to dublin/london/scotland on 113.757" or whatever and routing, radar vectors and descents, climbs.." doing that for an hour or what ever their shifts are would be knackering! especially in the busy times.

And is London nonstop traffic? and your TMA go down to FL60 before you hand them over to err whoever? - Haven't really done about airspace yet
 
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Spitfir3 said:
Ah, well in the occasional time we've got into manchester approach its been very -> freq. changes, climb to.. , radar vectors etc.. butI was listening to a manchester approach freq - but err.. think they were only controlling between FL240 and FL120... just endless "go to dublin/london/scotland on 113.757" or whatever and routing, radar vectors and descents, climbs.." doing that for an hour or what ever their shifts are would be knackering! especially in the busy times.

And is London nonstop traffic? and your TMA go down to FL60 before you hand them over to err whoever?
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Aye Manchester is a fair bit quieter than the London TMA. The London TMA goes from ground level up to FL245. I work the north sectors which deal with departures from as soon as their wheels are off the tarmac, up to between FL150 and FL240. We hand all the inbounds to the approach units, whether that be Heathrow, Luton, Stansted etc... at FL80 and above usually.

Doing an hour long busy stint is quite tiring, not physically so much as mentally. You only have to look at some of the zombies stumbling out of the ops room to realise that :D

If you get a chance, come down and pay us a visit. If you're going to be doing your IR at Oxford you'll be talking to me quite a bit and it'd be good for both yours and the controllers understanding if you could pay a visit to see how things work at our end and we could ask you questions about what things are like your end. It all makes for a better overall understanding which is beneficial to everyone.
 
philio16 said:
I don't know why...but if I was rich enough not to have to worry about the financial aspects of farming...I'd love to be a farmer!!
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Yeah same here with the Butchers shop as aside business. That would be so good. Looking after and caring for the cows, pigs etc. Knowing that the meat I would sell being the best there was..
 
It was graphic design but that bores me to death now. Always wanted to be an officer/detective so I'll be applying to my local police force when they start recruiting again.
 
Scuzi said:
Aye Manchester is a fair bit quieter than the London TMA. The London TMA goes from ground level up to FL245. I work the north sectors which deal with departures from as soon as their wheels are off the tarmac, up to between FL150 and FL240. We hand all the inbounds to the approach units, whether that be Heathrow, Luton, Stansted etc... at FL80 and above usually.

Doing an hour long busy stint is quite tiring, not physically so much as mentally. You only have to look at some of the zombies stumbling out of the ops room to realise that :D

If you get a chance, come down and pay us a visit. If you're going to be doing your IR at Oxford you'll be talking to me quite a bit and it'd be good for both yours and the controllers understanding if you could pay a visit to see how things work at our end and we could ask you questions about what things are like your end. It all makes for a better overall understanding which is beneficial to everyone.
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Ah yeah.. never see (or hear) any depatures on approach.. And that'd be great, going for it next year :)
 
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