What it takes to be an air traffic controller at Sydney Airport

Things can change. Weather can turn nasty, planes can have problems. We take a look at what goes into being an air traffic controller at Sydney’s Kingsford Smith Airport.

At some point, everyone who boards a plane has the thought. That split second of fear as the plane takes off or hits turbulence, it crosses your mind: What if something goes wrong?

Claire Bound is the reason it doesn’t. As a Sydney air traffic controller, she guides planes safely through the sky, making split-second decisions that keep thousands of people out of danger.

She holds the lives of hundreds in her hands. One mistake could mean disaster, but the 32-year-old remains steady and sure.

Air Traffic Controller and Shift Manager, Claire Bound. Picture: Julian Andrews

This is the irony of Air Traffic Control. For what is arguably one of the most stressful jobs in the world, the people who do it are remarkably calm, collected and focused.

Workers wear shorts and sneakers, and toy planes dangle from the office roof. They sit hunched over dozens of screens, using both their hands and feet to communicate with multiple planes, and external agencies such as the airport, fireys, and ambulance.

Yet, they carry themselves with a coolness. They could be going out for an afternoon picnic, not directing hundreds of flights. Flights must have a predetermined schedule, but they don’t always fly the same way every time.

Things can change. Weather can turn nasty, planes can have problems.

It’s the challenges that make it fun says David Binksin, head of Sydney Aerodrome and Airspace Services.

Behind the scenes at The Air Traffic Services Centre, where controllers are looking after aircraft cruising in airspace. Picture: Julian Andrews

“It’s very repetitive. 90 per cent of what we do is repetitive. It’s the 10 per cent that steps everything up for everyone,” says Mr Binksin.

That’s where people like Claire fit in. She thrives under pressure.

“It’s hard to put a number on it but a lot is going on. You have your radar screen for aircraft that are airborne, then you have your radar screen for planes that are on the ground,” she says.

“You have your voice control system which is how you interact with other agencies, and also a screen where you help aircraft line up.

“You also have people talking in your ear, being your pilots, your colleagues, your shift manager.

“That’s where the fun begins. It’s really good fun and very mentally simulating.”

She has a trait some would argue many young Australians are losing – the ability to focus completely and entirely on multiple jobs at once, all while remaining calm. Air Traffic controllers must be able to think in multiple dimensions, a concept many struggle to wrap their head around, let alone enact.

Phones are banned in the room, and we must keep voices low when we visit. It has the same energy of an exam room – this is a space where you know people are giving 100 per cent, every single second.

Behind the scenes in Sydney Tower, where controllers are looking after planes on the ground and up to a certain altitude. Picture: Julian Andrews

It comes at a cost – workers must take a thirty minute break every two hours.

“We need it because of the fatiguing nature of the work. You are constantly using your brain the whole time you are plugged in, so you need to that break to make sure you are switched on at all times,” says Claire.

The break room is equipped with a massage chair and video game arcade console, but workers relax in their own ways.

“Some people go for a walk, some people switch off and watch TV. I watch reality TV – people hate being on a break with me,” said Claire.

It’s a job that few are cut out for. Air Traffic controllers are a rare breed of humans, becoming increasingly rarer, says one worker, amid plummeting attention spans.

Those who pass the online tests must then undergo 18 months of training, followed by another three to six months of on-the-job training. Not everyone makes it. But there are some similarities between the ones who do.

Mr Binksin loves when applicants have previous job experience at fast food jobs or excel at sudoku.

Behind the scenes at The Air Traffic Services Centre, where controllers are looking after aircraft cruising in airspace. Picture: Julian Andrews

“We find that when we are interviewing, if you find someone and look at their resume and they have McDonalds on there, that will come out in their air traffic control training, because they are used to managing lots of things, lots of people all at the same time,” said Mr Binksin.

“If you can do sudoku you can do something around air traffic control. Sudoku means you need to scan up and down but also scan around as well. If you can pick up patterns normally you have an insight into what we do at air traffic control.”

Near misses are rare, says Claire.

“I have never had a situation like that or seen one either,” she says.

“The people I work with are super skilled, best in field, the fact I haven’t come across that in ten years just means I work with some awesome people. They really are the best of the best.”

Watch the video: dailytelegraph.com.au

Originally published as What it takes to be an air traffic controller at Sydney Airport