Special language, UFO surveillance, and curse prohibition: 13 air traffic controllers secrets

Without air traffic controllers, airline pilots would fly blindly. Reader's Digest talks about secrets that only these professionals know.

Фото: Depositphotos

Air traffic controllers are not the ones who wave their arms on the runway.

The people who control the runway are called apron controllers. Air traffic controllers (DVDs) are different from them: according to the Federal Aviation Administration, DVDs are responsible for the "safe, orderly and rapid passage of air traffic through the country's airspace." For example, DVDs ensure that aircraft remain at a safe distance from each other. They also lead pilots away from bad weather. In fact, air traffic controllers tell pilots where and when to fly.

Not all air traffic controllers work at the airport

“While control towers are by far the most visible part of our jobs, tower controllers are only responsible for airport sites and the airspace immediately surrounding the airport,” explains air traffic controller Vic Vector at thepointsguy.com. Traffic in the airspace around major airports is controlled by controllers who work in "dark, windowless rooms, sometimes hundreds of miles from the airspace they are monitoring [via radar]."

Airport tower workers rely on their eyes

Air traffic controllers working in the airport towers spend as much time looking out of their windows as they do on the radar screen.

“In short, we look out the window a lot,” explain Dutch air traffic controllers Feike and Carline on the KLM Airlines blog. “In fact, we can handle more traffic if we see it directly than if we had to rely on technology.”

In bad weather, DVDs cannot fully observe the movement, which may mean delays for passengers.

On the subject: 20 new rules at airports that will affect passengers in 2020

Their work is shockingly unpredictable

Engaged in work that relies on absolute accuracy, air traffic controllers cannot predict what the shift will be.

“No day is the same, and they never know what they might encounter when they come to work,” explains retired air traffic controller Keith Brown on quora.com.

But their stress is not as strong as everyone thinks

Despite the fact that the work of an air traffic controller is one of the most stressful, this fact does not particularly bother professionals.

“The fact that many people could be at risk if they make a mistake was a positive stressor for me,” Brown explains in another post on quora.com. Additionally, less than 5% of the duties performed create significant stress for workers, former air traffic controller Jeff Jarre adds in a separate post. “If your job stresses you out,” he says, “you won’t last long.”

Six-figure salary, generous benefits

The typical air traffic control specialist earned $2016 in 127, according to the FAA. But that's nothing compared to the bonuses: “As federal employees, air traffic control professionals receive a benefits package that rivals, if not exceeds, those offered in the private sector. These include a variety of insurance, retirement, vacation and flexible spending options for employees and their families,” according to the FAA.

Фото: Depositphotos

Dispatchers must take breaks

Air traffic controllers work 8-9 hours a day, during which time they should rest, so that fatigue does not affect their concentration. According to a NASA study for the FAA, most workers take a break every 75–90 minutes, usually 20–39 minutes at a time.

The employment process is very long

According to Vector on thepointsguy.com, the whole process from applying for a job to hiring can take from several months to several years. And you will need a good time management skill.

“About once a year, the application window on usajobs.gov opens and usually stays open for a week or so,” he says.

Age matters

You must be at least 30 years of age at the time you apply to get a job as an air traffic controller in the United States. Retirement is required at the age of 56. You must also undergo a criminal examination and a physical examination, which includes an examination of vision, color perception, hearing, tests for psychological health, substance abuse, the state of the cardiovascular system and nervous system.

On the subject: Top 10 most strange finds in baggage of air passengers in 2019

They speak a special language

“In our world, we speak a unique language called radiotelephony (RT),” Karlin and Feike note. “The language is based on English and a bit of slang.” All pilots and controllers speak the same language, but even if English is your first language, it will take time to become fluent in RT.

Here are some RT words and their definitions:

• Squawk: set the mode or transmission code.
• Wilco: I understand your message and will follow it.
• Words twice: communication is difficult, so please send each word or phrase twice.

It is forbidden to swear

Although most jobs with high workloads (such as those of financial traders) seem to imply a lot of swearing, dispatchers are “absolutely” forbidden, explains pilot Doug Henchard on quora.com.

Do not blame the controller for delays

“How many times have you sat on a plane and heard the pilot say the flight was delayed? There are many possible causes, including some problems with the aircraft. But controllers and pilots know that most delays are not the air traffic controllers' fault,” Heathrow air traffic control manager Pete Glass tells The Sun.

Air traffic controllers sometimes see UFOs

Although pilots seem more likely to detect UFOs, controllers definitely see them more than once. For example, one night in March 2004, several air traffic controllers at a Canadian airport announced that they had spotted an unidentified flying object that did not appear on the radar. More recently, Oregon air traffic controllers reported that in October 2018, they discovered an unregistered flying object moving at an unusually high speed.

Read also on ForumDaily:

15 secrets of finding cheap flights every traveler should know

Own slang and a ban on beards: 20 secrets of pilots that they usually don’t share with passengers

Chinese coronavirus: is it worth wearing a mask on an airplane and how not to get infected while traveling

Do you want more important and interesting news about life in the USA and immigration to America? — support us donate! Also subscribe to our page Facebook. Select the “Priority in display” option and read us first. Also, don't forget to subscribe to our РєР ° РЅР ° Р »РІ Telegram  and Instagram- there is a lot of interesting things there. And join thousands of readers ForumDaily New York — there you will find a lot of interesting and positive information about life in the metropolis.