Patricia
Patricia
New Entrant Remote Tower ATCO
Skilling
Role
Air Traffic Controller
Patricia's Persona was developed to represent a student, adopter of new technologies and very keen on discovering new systems and applications, who has just received her initial remote tower controller training and is supposed to start working as a remote tower controller in her own city. Her training needs are expected to deal with the basic use of the remote tower systems, as for the technical skills, and with service orientation.
Information
Age: 23
Education/Expertise: initial tower controller training in a remote environment
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 takeoff 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
- Remote working
- Multiple airport service
- Loss of sound, loss of vibration and other environmental cues
- Uncommon visualisation cues (360 view projected on 160,180, 240, etc.)
- Desk job, sometimes alone
- Switch between different airports views
- High skill gaps and training needs in case of transfer to a physical tower
- Interaction with OJTI who are less familiar than her with the remote environment
Roles and responsibilities
- Monitoring and management of multiple and complex situations in parallel
- Safe and efficient separation provision
Skills competences and study pathway
Study Pathway
The skilling study pathway developed for Patricia describes the formal training, technical skills and competencies that a new entrant rTower ATCO needs to acquire.
Communication
Definition
The ability to make all communications in a clear and concise way, use standard phraseology or non-standard phraseology, monitor the frequency and respond to pilots' calls or requests in time; obtain and verify acknowledgements and read-backs when required.
Knowledge (Knows/aware of / familiar with)
- The principles of the communication process
- The communication pitfalls
- The impact of interferences on communications
- The radiotelephony phraseology
- How a clear and concise message looks like
- Existence of communication styles
- How to change communication style according to the situation
- Technique of active listening
Behavioural markers (being able to)
- Select appropriate mode of communication
- Demonstrate effective verbal communication
- Demonstrate effective communication in written, automated and other non-verbal communication
- Demonstrate the ability to modify his/her style according to the receiver
- Write messages according to protocol or in a clear and concise manner where protocol does not exist
- Communicate relevant concerns and intentions
Coordination
Definition
The ability to manage coordination between personnel in operational positions and other positions and with other affected stakeholders.
Behavioural markers (being able to)
- Coordinate with personnel in other operational stakeholders in a timely manner
- Select coordination method based on circumstances, including urgency of coordination, status of facilities and prescribed procedures
- Coordinate the movement, control and transfer of control for flights using the prescribed coordination procedures
- Coordinate changes of status of operational facilities such as equipment, systems and functions
- Coordinate changes of status of airspace and aerodrome resources
- Use clear and concise terminology for verbal coordination
- Use standard ATS message formats and protocol for non-verbal coordination
- Use clear and concise non-standard coordination methods when required
- Conduct effective briefings during position handover
Knowledge (Knows/aware of / familiar with)
- How to select appropriate method of coordination
- How to perform coordination
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)
- Existing rules and the existing procedures
- Possible solutions to apply in specific situations
- Concept of priority and urgency
- The priorities in specific situations
- The impact on safety that some actions may have
- Problem-solving techniques
Behavioural markers (being able to)
- Determine possible solutions to an identified problem
- Prioritize effectively
- Manage risks effectively
- Implement an appropriate solution to a problem
- Evaluate possible outcomes of different control actions
- Determine the situations that have the highest priority
- Execute plan in a timely manner
- Persevere in working through problems without impacting safety
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 his/her learning and development
- How to recognize if a learning need occurs
- How to facilitate his/her personal learning process
- How to ask for objective feedback Techniques for assessing his/her learning How to accept and elaborate feedback
Behavioural markers (being able to)
- 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
- How to anticipate situations
- Which information needs to be scanned
- Factors that may reduce situational awareness
- How to monitor ATC system and equipment' status
- Meteorology and its impact on her/his area of responsibility
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
- Scan the traffic and incorporate the background traffic during all traffic
- Consistently have a complete overview of the traffic situation
- Appreciate the effect and danger of hazardous meteorological phenomena.
- Appreciate the effect and impact
Teamwork
Definition
The ability to operate as a team member building relationship based on trust and cooperation in order to make the team strong and performative.
Knowledge (Knows/aware of / familiar with)
- Team dynamics
- How to foster collaboration
- How to provide feedback in a respectful and assertive way
- Team dysfunctions
- How to have a clear idea of the roles in the organisation
Behavioural markers (being able to)
- Foster an atmosphere of open communication
- Encourage team participation and cooperation
- Use feedback to improve overall team performance
- Provide both positive and negative feedback constructively
- Accept both positive and negative feedback objectively
- Show respect and tolerance for other people
- Carry out actions and duties in a manner that fosters a team environment
Workload management
Definition
The ability to use available resources to prioritise and perform tasks in an efficient and timely manner, adapt workload to the traffic complexity, manage personal efficiency and work tempo and remain concentrated with various traffic levels.
Knowledge (Knows/aware of / familiar with)
- Strategies on traffic workload management
Behavioural markers (being able to)
On a consistent basis and during all traffic complexities being able to:
- manage workload
- develop good strategies to handle the traffic
- ask for support from team members and be able to assist them when required
- balance own workload with service delivery
