Mary
Mary
Professional Tower ATCO who needs to be reskilled into a rTower ATCO
Reskilling
Role
Air Traffic Controller
Mary's Persona was developed to represent a professional tower ATCO who is supposed to be relocated in another city in order to start working as a remote tower controller in a multiple remote tower. Her training needs are expected to deal with advanced use of the remote tower systems, as for the technical skills, and with problem solving, decision making and service orientation among the behavioural skills.
Information
Age: 30 Education/Expertise: was licenced in southern Italy after 5 years
Tasks
- Manage traffic from the local airport to a radius of 3 to 30 miles out
- Direct the movement of vehicles, including aircraft, on runways and taxiways
- Check flight plans
- Give pilots clearance for take-off or landing
- Monitor activity such as runway occupancy, weather, and visibility in real time
- Transfer control of departing flights to other traffic control centers and accept control of arriving flights
- Inform pilots about weather, runway closures, and other critical information
- Alert airport response staff in the event of an aircraft emergency
Main challenges in the workplace
- Replacement of the direct OTW view with relayed visual reproductions
- Multiple airport service
- Remote working
- Relocation to another airport
- Loss of sound, loss of depth perception, new visualisation cues (360 view projected on 160, 180, 240, etc.), working all day sitting, sometimes alone and having to switch and share views between different airports
- Interaction with OJTI who are less familiar than her with the remote environment
Roles and responsibilities
- Safe and efficient separation provision
- Delegation of responsibility for other services at the airport (emergencies, runway inspection...)
- Multiple licences holding and maintenance
- Motoring and management of multiple and complex situations in parallel
- Increase of job requirements for some small airports
Skills competences and study pathway
Study Pathway
The study pathway developed for Mary describes the formal training, technical skills and competencies that a Professional Tower ATCO who needs to be reskilled into a rTower ATCO needs to acquire.
Expected key behavioural skills and competences
Being a Professional Tower ATCO who needs to be reskilled into a rTower ATCO requires also a set of new and additional behavioural competences and skills to perform successfully in the context of single and multiple rTower operations. Each competence below includes a short definition, the key behavioural markers and theoretical knowledge associated. The behavioural markers are examples of observable actions and skills that one might demonstrate with these competences.
Change adaptability
Definition
The ability to quickly respond to changing trends, innovations and industry shifts.
Knowledge (Knows/aware of / familiar with)
- Change process and possible resistances to it
- Techniques to apply when change is needed
- Personal leverages to change
Behavioural markers (being able to)
- Look for ways to make changes work rather than only identifying why change will not work
- Adapt to change
- Make suggestions for increasing the effectiveness of changes
- Show willingness to learn new methods, procedures, or techniques
- Shift strategy or approach in response to the demands of a situation
Digital competences
Definition
Digital competence is a combination of knowledge, skills and attitudes with regards to the use of technology to perform tasks, solve problems, communicate and manage information.
Knowledge (Knows/aware of / familiar with)
- Awareness on digital competencies and their meaning
- How to use digital and virtual instruments to positively accomplish tasks
- Potentialities that digital tools have on the individual performance
Behavioural markers (being able to)
- Analyse, interpret and critically evaluate the data, information and digital content
- Share data, information and digital content with others through appropriate digital technologies
- Act as an intermediary, to know about referencing and attribution practices
- Understand where one's own digital competence needs to be improved or updated
- Be able to support others with their digital competence development
- Seek opportunities for self-development and to keep up-to-date with the digital evolution
Problem solving and decision making
Definition
The ability to find and implement solutions for identified hazards and associated risks, make well timed decisions, set priorities correctly, take initiative and act accordingly.
Knowledge (Knows/aware of / familiar with)
- The rules and the procedures changed due to the virtual environment
- The possible solutions to apply in specific situations due to the virtual environment
- How solve problems in a virtual environment and using digital tools
Behavioural markers (being able to)
- Determine possible solutions to an identified problem
- Prioritise effectively
- Manage risks effectively
Self management and continuous development
Definition
The ability to demonstrate personal attributes that improve performance and maintain active involvement in self-learning and self-development. It also consists in applying continuous learning in formal and informal ways through training, sharing, asking and receiving feedback.
Knowledge (Knows/aware of / familiar with)
- Where to find info and support for improving your learning and development
- How to recognize if a learning need occurs
- How to facilitate your personal learning process
- How to ask for objective feedback
- Techniques for assessing your learning process
- How to accept and elaborate feedback
Behavioural markers (being able to)
- Manage stress in an appropriate manner
- Self-evaluate to improve performance
- Use feedback to improve performance
- Adapt to the demands of a situation, as needed
- Engage in continuous development activities
Situational awareness
Definition
The ability to comprehend the current operational situation and anticipate future events, absorb information to form an overall picture, consistently be able to form an overall traffic picture based on all information available, be able to selectively pick the right information needed for the overall picture and keep a clear overview of the situation by regularly scanning.
Knowledge (Knows/aware of / familiar with)
- Perceptions' mechanisms
- What have changed from a physical tower to a remote one
- Which information needs to be scanned in a virtual scenario
- Factors that may reduce s.a.
- How to monitor ATC system and equipment' status in a virtual scenario
- How to acquire information concerning flight data, meteorological data, electronic data, surveillance and other means available in a remote and virtual setting
Behavioural markers (being able to)
- Monitor the operational situation
- Scan for specific or new information
- Comprehend the operational situation
- Anticipate the future situation
- Recognize indications of reduced situational awareness
