Air traffic control engineer
The air traffic control engineer is a special occupation in operational air traffic control . Its task is to provide, maintain and monitor technical systems for air traffic controllers to enable them to work safely. This includes the so-called air traffic control and technical facilities.
qualification
The air traffic control engineer has generally completed a degree in electrical engineering , communications engineering or computer science at a university , technical college , vocational academy (BA) or dual university (DH) before completing a so-called permit course at air traffic control in accordance with the provisions of the FSPersAV and system-specific Passes authorization tests under the supervision of the Federal Air Traffic Control Authority (BAF). Like every air traffic controller and flight data processor, the air traffic control engineer must regularly prove his knowledge.
The predecessor profession to air traffic control engineer is air traffic control technician , based on an apprenticeship in the areas mentioned above. Due to the history of special air traffic control systems, different qualifications were necessary up to about 1990 than today - at the moment air traffic control systems are much closer to industrial standard components and at home in the computer world.
Field of activity
An air traffic control engineer oversees air traffic control systems. These systems are divided into the following areas:
- Communication facilities
- Wireless
- phone
- Data communication between air traffic control units
- Emergency systems
- Navigation systems
- Rotary radio beacon ( V HF O mnidirectional R adio Range)
- Non-directional beacon ( N on D irectional B eacon)
- ILS instrument landing system
- ...
-
Radar data acquisition
- PSR primary radar (radar reflection)
- SSR secondary radar (radar transponder)
- Mode S (active communication between ground station and aircraft )
- new: Wide Area Multilateration (WAM)
- Radar data processing and display
- Flight plan data processing and presentation
- Support systems such as Short Term Conflict Alert (STCA) and Minimum Safe Altitude Warning (MSAW)
- Weather data processing and presentation
- Data recording and documentation
Other activities include the development of new systems or decentralized support in the development of new systems, as well as technical advice for air traffic control services (e.g. as Engineer on Duty ).
Only approved technical air traffic control providers come into question as possible employers for air traffic control engineers. However, since the underlying studies qualify him for further activities, an activity outside of air traffic control is also possible - in contrast to an air traffic controller , whose training only and exclusively fixes him on his highly specialized work, provided he does not acquire another qualification.
Internationally, the professional group of air traffic control engineers is summarized under ATSEP (Air traffic safety electronics personnel).
Web links
- DFS Deutsche Flugsicherung GmbH - in Germany the employer of all air traffic control engineers
- GdF Air Traffic Control Union
- IFATSEA (International Federation of Air Traffic Safety Electronics Associations)
- ATCNEA (Association of Austrian Air Traffic Control Engineers and Technicians)