In episode one of Skies Above Britain my colleague, Brian Wheeler, explained some of the impact fog can have on our operations. While we continue to enjoy the summer months, we’d rather forget that around the corner lie the misty and foggy mornings of autumn. But what exactly does fog mean for an air traffic controller?

In tomorrow’s episode of BBC 2’s ‘Skies Above Britain’ you will see how the unique training is air traffic controllers go through to ensure they keep the skies safe if an unusual or emergency situation were to occur.

One of the first things most people ask is whether air traffic control is a stressful job, so it’s a question we put to Operational Supervisors Brian and Steve.

When an unidentified aircraft, or ‘infringer’, with no clear or declared intentions enters controlled airspace without permission, a chain reaction is set in motion. We spoke with Amanda Rhodes, who you may have seen in action on the recent BBC2 documentary, Skies Above Britain, about what happens next….

Continually updating and beautifully cinematic visualisations of the previous 24 hours of air traffic around the world.

The air traffic control centre at Swanwick is the stage for most of the NATS-related drama in the upcoming Skies Above Britain TV series, which starts on Wednesday at 9pm on BBC Two.

In the past, we have supported STEM activities to inspire students and show how these subjects are relevant to the real world. Recently we hosted a STEM event with a difference; this event was for the teachers rather than students.

Since April this year the Harrier has been absent in order to be stripped down and repainted to ensure its continued preservation. It returned to Swanwick last weekend, resuming its place as the RAF(U) Swanwick Gate Guardian, only a few weeks after its 45th birthday.

Last week I was interviewed alongside Kevin Hightower, Aviation Chief Technologist of Lockheed Martin, as part of a live webcast on the concept of Intelligent Approach, including Time Based Separation (TBS) and Pairwise. These are the answers to some of the questions raised during the webcast.

Over the years we’ve probably all seen newspaper articles or documentaries revelling in the details of a so-called ‘near misses’, but as someone who was an air traffic controller for 14 years I can tell you that the reality is usually very different.