In yesterday’s episode of Skies Above Britain we saw the maiden flight of a hot air balloon heated by solar energy. But what’s the impact of hosting Europe’s biggest hot air balloon festival just a few miles away from Bristol International Airport?

There might not be any scheduled flights at Heathrow after 11.30pm, but that doesn’t mean the tower’s air traffic controllers have a chance to put their feet up. In fact the airport is almost as busy at night as it is in the day, with the race on to be ready for the next day’s first flight.

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….

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.

NATS has been taking part in the creation of a TV series with the BBC called Skies Above Britain. I hope you enjoy what will be a unique insight into what NATS does, but also many of the other fascinating, exciting and occasionally bizarre aspects that make up the aviation community in the UK.

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.

Operational Safety is our most critical priority as a business, which is why we’re introducing Safety 2 – a new approach that takes a far broader view of safety improvement than we’ve ever done before.