XN000022-1981-12-17 — Page 7

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 17, 1981

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IN APRIL, 1980, SHE WAS APPOINTED A STUDENT A.. RAFFIC CONTROL OFFICER AGAINST STIFF COMPETITION FROM OVER 300 ELIGIBLE APPLICANTS FOR THE JOB.

SINCE JOINING THE DEPARTMENT, SHE HAS UNDERGONE FOUR DEPARTMENTAL PREPARATORY AIR TRAFFIC CONTROL TRAINING COURSES AND THE BASIC AERODROME AND APPROACH COURSE AT THE COLLEGE OF AIR TRAFFIC CONTROL IN THE UNITED KINGDOM. SHE HAS ALSO COMPLETED THE DEPARTMENTAL REA CONTROL COURSE CONDUCTED TO ICAO STANDARDS AND ON-THE-JOB TRAINING IN AREA CONTROL DUTIES.

WITH THE AIR TRAFFIC CONTROLLER'S LICENCE SHE HAS JUST BEEN AWARDED, MISS LEE WILL BE AUTHORISED TO WORK SOLO IN CARRYING OUT CONTROL DUTIES IN HER FIRST QUALIFIED CONTROL POSITION.

SHE WILL SHORTLY EMBARK ON A FLYING TRAINING COURSE TO QUALIFY FOR A PRIVATE PILOT'S LICENCE, A PART OF THE TRAINING SYLLABUS DESIGNED TO GIVE AIR TRAFFIC CONTROLLERS A BASIC APPRECIATION OF THE TASK OF THEIR AIRBORNE COUNTER-PART, THE AIRLINE PILOT. THE COURSE WILL INCLUDE A FEW HOURS' INSTRUMENT FLYING WITHOUT OUTS IDE VISUAL REFERENCE.

TO FURTHER HER TRAINING IN AIR TRAFFIC CONTROL, SHE WILL HAVE TO ATTEND OTHER SET TRAINING COURSES AND GAIN MORE ON-THE-JOE EXPERIENCE LEADING TO THE AWARD OF FOUR OTHER AIR TRAFFIC CONTROL RATINGS AERODROME CONTROL, APPROACH CONTROL AND APPROACH RADAR CONTROL, AREA RADAR CONTROL, AND PRECISION APPROACH RADAR (TALKDOWN).

APART FROM PROVIDING AIR TRAFFIC CONTROL SERVICE, AN AIR TRAFFIC CONTROLLER IS ALSO RESPONSIBLE FOR THE ALERTING OF SEARCH AND RESCUE PERSONNEL AND THE CO-ORDINATION OF THE SEARCH AND RESCUE OPERATION IN THE EVENT OF AN AIR MISHAP, DETERMINING THE MOST PROBABLE LOCATION OF SURVIVORS AND THE CONSEQUENT AREA OF SEARCH TO ALLOW FOR VARIABLES.

MISS LEE WILL UNDERTAKE A SEARCH AND RESCUE MISSION COORDINATOR COURSE AFTER ATTAINING HER LAST AIR TRAFFIC CONTROL RATING. A SEARCH AND RESCUE CERTIFICATE OF COMPETENCY WILL BE AWARDED TO HER ON SUCCESSFUL COMPLETION OF THE COURSE AND ONLY THEN WILL SHE BE A TRULY FULL-FLEDGED AIR TRAFFIC CONTROLLER.

THE ENTIRE TRAINING PROGRAMME WILL LAST FOR ANOTHER FIVE TO SIX YEARS.

AIR TRAFFIC CONTROL IS A TOUGH BUT REWARDING JOB. THROUGHOUT HER CAREER, SHE WILL HAVE TO UNDERGO AN ANNUAL MEDICAL EXAMINATION TO ICAO STANDARDS TO RENEW HER MEDICAL CERTIFICATE, WHICH FORMS PART OF THE AIR TRAFFIC CONTROLLER'S LICENCE, AND AN ANNUAL PROFICIENCY CHECK ON EACH OF THE AIR TRAFFIC CONTROL RATINGS SHE WILL BE HOLDING.