An army air traffic controller directs aircraft and monitors weather conditions and the airfield. They may also identify enemy aircraft and scout for mobile airfields, while controlling ground traffic and training less experienced personnel.
An army air traffic controller provides the same services as a civilian air traffic controller, both at established airfields and improvised combat airfields. Keeping a visual connection with helicopters, propellers and jet aircraft, as well as keeping a log of all activities, can be a very stressful situation for an army air traffic controller. Maintaining control over the airspace on and around the airfield, as well as directing all air traffic to avoid accidents, is a daily occurrence for an army air traffic controller.
There are many common tasks in any given day as an army air traffic controller, from landing aircraft to monitoring all aircraft in a specific grid or airspace. In certain situations, an Army Air Traffic Controller may be responsible for directing multiple aircraft at the same time, positioning and directing them without allowing the aircraft to get too close. In an emergency situation, the controller may be responsible for clearing all air traffic from the aerodrome in order to allow an emergency aircraft to land or take off.
Controlling aircraft is not the only duty of the aircraft controller on a military base, as weather conditions and the airfield are also areas of concern for a controller. Monitoring wind direction and speed is equivalent to the controller directing flights using specific airstrips to take off and land. One area that differs greatly from the job of a civilian air traffic controller is the army air traffic controller’s need to be able to identify enemy aircraft. This is often a difficult task given existing technology such as cloaking devices, stealth capabilities, and radar jamming devices. Monitoring radio traffic to detect any emergency situation and then instructing co-workers or first responders on the day’s events are also job requirements of an army air traffic controller.
In some combat situations, the Army Air Traffic Controller may be called upon to scout a site for a mobile airfield. This requires specialized knowledge of wind currents, terrain and man-made obstacles in the area. In addition to air traffic control skills, the controller must also control ground traffic in and around the runway area to avoid any contact or collision between ground traffic and the aircraft. The training of less experienced military personnel is also a task undertaken by more experienced controllers at a given airfield.
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