A career change on the cards? MPs try their hand at air traffic control

Regular readers of our blog will have noticed our post on our new ATC games to see if you have what it takes to be a controller. Maybe you have had a go already!

We decided to take the games to Parliament to test the skills of our elected representatives, and see if they had perhaps chosen the wrong career! We also took along four of our trainee controllers to provide some advice and to talk about the training required to be an air traffic controller.

We invited our constituency MPs, and Ministers and MPs with a portfolio interest in NATS. Fifteen of them took up the challenge. The highest score was set by the Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Transport, Robert Goodwill MP, who scored 5845. We like to think his visit to our Swanwick Centre gave him the know-how! Runners-up were Brian Donohoe and Henry Smith, MPs respectively for Prestwick and Crawley.

Richard Deakin presented all three with a cheque for their chosen charity, with funds going to the Mayoress of Scarborough’s Community Fund, Meals on Wheels in Prestwick and the 7^th Crawley Scout Group. Our host Mark Hoban, Swanwick’s constituency MP, who was the first to set a score, also received a cheque for the Rainbow Centre in Fareham.

We thought you may enjoy some of the photographs from the event…

Robert Goodwill MP, Aviation Minister; NATS trainee ATCO, Kim Giles; and NATS CEO, Richard Deakin

Swanwick MP, Mark Hoban; and NATS trainee ATCO, Jo Crawford

Gatwick MP, Henry Smith; and Kim Giles

Brian Donohoe, MP for Prestwick; and NATS’ Managing Director, Services, Catherine Mason

Eastleigh MP Mike Thornton; and Kim Giles

Transport Select Committee member, Karen Lumley MP; and trainee ATCO, Jim Bradshaw

Romsey and Southampton North MP, Caroline Nokes; and Kim Giles

Transport Select Committee member, Martin Vickers MP; and Kim Giles

Aviation Minister, Robert Goodwill MP, with Mark Hoban MP, Richard Deakin and our trainee ATCOs

If you recognise your MP, let us know your score on ‘ATC Landing’ and we’ll tell you how it compares!