One year after the Haneda accident…A series of accidents has brought the “work of air traffic controllers” into the spotlight
Brain at full speed, full concentration at peak times.”
On January 29, a U.S. military helicopter and a small airliner collided in Washington, D.C., the capital of the United States. All 64 passengers and crew on board the aircraft and three U.S. soldiers were killed in the catastrophe, which CBS News reported at the time of the accident as “being handled by one air traffic controller when it should have been handled by two. Although the cause of the accident will be left to future investigations, such as analysis of the black box, the accident has brought renewed attention to the existence of air traffic controllers.
However, while pilots and cabin attendants are well known in the airline industry, the work of air traffic controllers is not widely known. Picture them atop a glass tower in an airport, watching a monitor, communicating with pilots, giving them instructions and permission for takeoffs and landings, and so on. Mr. Towerman, a former air traffic controller and author of “Air Traffic Control: Overcrowded Airports Alert,” describes the work of air traffic controllers as follows.
At Haneda and Narita, we communicate with dozens of pilots in the air and on the ground to ensure efficient and smooth takeoffs and landings. Of course, maintaining the safety of the runways and taxiways is a prerequisite. Our brains are fully occupied and we are aware of everything that is going on.
I rotate between being in charge of the runway, ground, and coordination, taking breaks every 40 to 50 minutes or so. During peak hours, I concentrate on my work with all my attention. When I am not working at my desk, I sometimes glance at my watch to see when the work is finished, but at the site, I don’t even have time for that, and time flies by in a blink of an eye.
He says that predicting and making moves based on the movements of the aircraft he is in charge of and the information on future operations is similar to the feeling he gets when he plays chess. Air traffic controllers endure stress while performing complex and difficult tasks without hesitation. Not only at major airports with heavy traffic, but also at regional airports, there are always situations where you can’t relax.
Some people find it enjoyable, others find the pressure severe, and so on. Some air traffic controllers are so relieved to get home that they fall asleep at the door, and the next thing you know, it’s midnight. However, the exhilarating feeling of being released after working as a team to get through a tough situation and finish the job is something I have only experienced in that job.
