Présentation de Nadège

Hi! I'm an air traffic controller at Maastricht Upper Area Control. I control aircraft above Holland and the north western part of Germany above 24500 feet (about 8000m). So my job is not to control aircraft on the ground at an airport...but behind a radar screen. Working at Maastricht Upper Area Control, means my job is done in English. And with colleagues from over 20 nationalities, we use English to chat as well. As an air traffic controller my task is to keep aircraft separated from each other while providing them with an efficient service. This requires analyzing problems and rapidly assessing possible solutions in 4 dimensions, applying one and continuously reassessing its validity and correcting it if needed. In a way it's a bit like playing chess in 4D and against the clock... You need to be able to think quickly. You don't need to have studied at university to go for the selections if you want to become an air traffic controller at Maastricht UAC, but some of the skills you need are: a good level of English, good abilities to visualize in 3 dimensions, be quick at doing mental arithmetic and work as a team member. It's also important to be able to find quickly solutions to problems and take swift decisions. Equally important is the ability to adapt your plans to how the situation evolves. You have the lives of thousands of people in your hands every day, which means it's paramount to be a responsible and reliable person. On the human level, you need to be able to work with a teammate, who is not necessarily someone you get along well with, but you have to be professional enough to make this 2 person-team work for a couple of hours and nevertheless handle the traffic safely. I have been doing this job for over 20 years and still enjoy the challenges it provides. If you wonder if this job could be for you, and this presentation has left you with unanswered questions, feel free to get in touch, or check out this video https://youtu.be/UIrlKjZP2h4 . If you're thinking about applying, have a look here: https://atco.eurocontrol.int ! Nadège