Air Traffic Controller

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Terminal Area Controllers

Terminal Area Controllers use radar to manage the orderly flow of aircraft arriving and departing from major city airports. Terminal Area Control services are provided from the Brisbane and Melbourne Centres and Terminal Control Unit’s in you can expect to work in Cairns, Sydney, Adelaide or Perth.

Profile of a Terminal Area Controller - Susan Smith

Hi, I'm Susan Smith, and I would like to give you some ideas and information about the work I do as a Terminal Area (Approach) controller at Sydney (Kingsford Smith) Airport.

I've been an Air Traffic Controller for 20 years now, continuously based in Sydney. During that time, I've worked as a Data Officer (ADSO), Enroute controller and for the last 11 years, I've been working in the Sydney Terminal Control Unit (TCU). As you may know, terminal area (or approach) controllers manage the airspace immediately surrounding an airport.

The area of responsibility usually extends out to about 40 nautical miles from Capital City airports. This makes the approach controller's job a particularly busy one, given the concentration of aircraft in a relatively small space.

Terminal area controllers handle not only the traffic arriving and departing these major airports, but also helicopter and light aircraft movements within the vicinity of these airports. Hence, not only is the traffic concentrated but also complex, with a mix of very different types of aircraft; each requiring a different level of service from the controller.

The Sydney TCU is a busy operational environment where you need to be able to make quick and accurate judgments, respond to changing circumstances, and take into account the requirements of not just the pilots but the community as a whole. As well as doing my job as an Air Traffic Controller, I also have the role of Stream Specialist for the TCU. This job requires me to respond to Air Traffic Control problems, be they staffing issues or problems with control procedures. I am required to liaise with not just other controllers but pilots, airline operator and community representatives. Hence, being an Air Traffic Controller can involve much more than separating aircraft.

I particularly enjoy my career because of the responsibility and everyday variety. It is a job which offers you a real sense of achievement every day.