• Recent
  • Towns
  • Topics
    • Arts
      • Language
      • Museums & Galleries
      • Public Art
    • Civic Life
      • Citizen Engagement
      • Governance
      • Health & Well-Being
      • Refugees
    • Community Heart & Soul
    • Economic Development
      • Breweries & Distilleries
      • Entrepreneurs
      • Transportation
    • Education
      • K-12
      • Community Colleges & Technical Training
      • Colleges & Universities
    • Environment & Sustainability
      • Parks & Recreation
      • Trees
    • Local Institutions
      • Libraries
    • Local Journalism
    • Travel
      • Aviation
  • Homepage
  • About
  • Donate
  • Newsletter
  • Recent
  • Towns
  • Topics
    • Arts
      • Language
      • Museums & Galleries
      • Public Art
    • Civic Life
      • Citizen Engagement
      • Governance
      • Health & Well-Being
      • Refugees
    • Community Heart & Soul
    • Economic Development
      • Breweries & Distilleries
      • Entrepreneurs
      • Transportation
    • Education
      • K-12
      • Community Colleges & Technical Training
      • Colleges & Universities
    • Environment & Sustainability
      • Parks & Recreation
      • Trees
    • Local Institutions
      • Libraries
    • Local Journalism
    • Travel
      • Aviation
  • Homepage
  • About
  • Donate
  • Newsletter
  • Aviation

From the Air Traffic Controller’s Perspective

  • James Fallows
  • June 30, 2016

This is not the controller I spoke with last week at Denver’s Centennial airport, because this man is working that same day in the control tower at LAX. But this gives you an idea of what controllers are looking at and dealing with. (Bob Riha Jr / Reuters)
This is not the controller I spoke with last week at Denver’s Centennial airport, because this man is working that same day in the control tower at LAX. But this gives you an idea of what controllers are looking at and dealing with. (Bob Riha Jr / Reuters)

Two days ago I mentioned the unflappable, multi-tasking and multi-dimensional competence with which an air-traffic controller at Denver’s Centennial airport handled a sudden shift in winds, and the resulting complete re-organization in flow of airplanes headed toward his runways. Deb Fallows did her “view from the right seat” complementary report on the episode.

A long-time controller, who runs a site about ATC, writes about what he heard in the audio archive of that interaction (emphasis added):

As a 30 year ATC veteran, I appreciated the clip you posted going into APA [the code for Centennial airport]. You’re right, the local guy did a very good job. I’ve sat in that metaphorical seat often, myself, although I’ve always been a center guy.

As a controller, I can tell you that crisp transmissions, grasp of the situation, and execution of clearances are very helpful when there are plenty of “say agains” going on. And trust me, your “nice job” was not missed nor wasted in the melee—just not time available to acknowledge. [At time 23:15 of this ATC recording, I give a rushed and spontaneous “Good job!” to the controller after I’ve landed, in appreciation of what I’d heard him do.]

Also, as a veteran of many tape talks (both given and received) I can tell you that he was about four times as busy as the tape indicates. All that talking is the result of a lot of scanning, a lot of planning, a lot of thinking, and a lot of recall.

I’d like to direct your attention to an audio recording of me at my ATC website. You may enjoy it, if you’re not sick of listening to ATC recordings already. I was working an arrival rush to ORD [O’Hare], not as dramatic as the APA guy, but it was a decent workout.

Tweet
Share
Share
Share
Related Topics
  • From The Readers

Related Articles

The path a regional jet took this past Thursday, after taking off from Dulles airport outside Washington and then quickly returning, following a clockwise route. The plane is ID’d on this map as Delta 3857, and its passengers had Delta tickets. On air-traffic frequencies it is called “SkyWest 3857,” the name of the Delta feeder airline. (This image is a screenshot from the AirNav RadarBox site.)
View Post
  • Aviation

Cooperation, Calm, and Competence: This Is How It Sounds

  • James Fallows
  • February 1, 2022
View Post
  • Aviation

The Quiet Competence That Makes the Country Run

  • James Fallows
  • October 20, 2021
Banking to the right, looking through the clouds toward the water and the ground. (Deborah Fallows)
View Post
  • Aviation

In Flight

  • Deborah Fallows
  • January 17, 2017

STAY CONNECTED

Receive the latest news and updates

SUBSCRIBE

© 2023 Our Towns Civic Foundation. All Rights Reserved.

  • Contact
  • Privacy Policy

Input your search keywords and press Enter.