You’ve got through the selection process and started your air traffic controller training.

It may be hidden behind the scenes at times, but engineering is a vital part of the work we do.

SESAR – the Single European Sky ATM Research programme – has been a major focus for Europe’s aviation industry over the last 10 years. Whilst technology is only one part of the change required if we’re going to achieve the objectives of the European Commission’s Single European Sky project, it’s a vitally important one.

Every day, Heathrow Airport operates at over 98% capacity, a phenomenal achievement that drives the controllers in the tower to deliver the best service every minute of every day.

As our blog approaches its first anniversary we’d like to learn more about you, our readers to help us publish the stories you want to read.

When people hear that my role in NATS is to lead the Survey and Drawing Services (S&DS) team they often think I sit at a desk drawing things every day. But in truth, what the team and I do is much more varied and exciting.

Our new 360 degree aerodrome simulator set-up generated so much interest, I thought it would be worthwhile going into a little more detail on the technology and what we’re doing with it.

Whilst there can be no doubt that the world has shrunk over the last century, does the world feel any smaller to the network operations of an airline and are we at risk of missing the opportunity for a big future?

If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it, but then how would you train engineers to maintain equipment?

The answer lies deep in the green fields of Hampshire, where a unique site plays host to an array of ground based navigation systems that provide a hands-on training experience to all NATS engineers, as well as delegates from across the globe that seek our expertise.

Cross-border collaboration and multi-agency working is now a necessity in the world of Air Traffic Management as we work towards delivering a Single European Sky (SES). NATS, working closely with our UK-Ireland Functional Airspace Block (FAB) partners, has just project managed the delivery of a landmark cross-border trial in support of one of the next generation of SES concepts.