Can anyone suggest a job to suit my UK ATC experience?

[bubble30]

Hi all,

I am currently researching and planning a move to Canada from the UK. I am doing as much as I can to get info on various ATC jobs out there, joining this forum and searching endless websites.


I have 9 years experience as an Air Traffic Control Assistant in the UK. I assist controllers in the Visual Control room and Approach/Radar. I also work in ATC Operations - flight planning, notams, aircraft training bookings, qualified Met Observer, deal with ATC and airport Emergency Co-ordination. I have written Assistant Training & Operations Manual and am an On-the-job training instructor for assistants.

I have no experience in despatch/aircraft handling.

Do Canadian Towers have such a role as ATC Assistant?

Can anyone offer any help or provide valuable contacts?

Kind regards,

Bubble30

[thatdaveguy]

AFAIK no towers have ATC Assistants anymore...maybe Vancouver or Toronto but I have no idea about those two.

Your job sounds like a blend between two different jobs here-- ATOS and FSS. Air Traffic Operation Specialists (ATOS) handle IFR Flight Plans and generally support IFR Controllers in the centers.

Flight Service Specialists (FSS) handles VFR flight plans, NOTAMs, weather observations, weather briefing, and various search and rescue capacities.

Now FSS is further divided into two subcategories (but the same bargaining unit, you can switch between them without trouble)

FIC - Flight Information Centre specialists handle the Flight Planning, Weather Briefing, NOTAM, Enroute Information frequencies and S&R aspects. They work in an office with phones and remote radios.

AAS - Area Advisory Service. That's me. We handle jobs very similar to VFR Controllers, minus postive control. We are often thought of as UNICOMs, although I'd like to think we're a lot more useful than that. In addition to the radio we do some local NOTAM's, S&R type operations, and Weather Observation. We are paid the least out of any of the ATS in Canada.

Hope I helped clarify a bit.

[bubble30]

Thanks to 'thatdaveguy' for your help. That certainly clarifies a few things for me. Much appreciated!

Cheers

Bubble30

[thatdaveguy]

Thanks to 'thatdaveguy' for your help. That certainly clarifies a few things for me. Much appreciated!

Cheers

Bubble30

If you go the FSS route, keep in mind the company is brutal about placement. You'll be sent anywhere out of training (including the remote arctic) and relocated an unlimited amount of times to anywhere for the first 7 years.

[lilfssister]

Bubble, note that for either ATC or FSS (not sure about ATOS, but probably that as well) you must be a Canadian citizen or have landed immigrant status.

[squibbler]

Bubble, note that for either ATC or FSS (not sure about ATOS, but probably that as well) you must be a Canadian citizen or have landed immigrant status.

Actually that's not strictly true. A work permit will suffice but Nav Can will have to get approval through the CIC. That's how us foreign ATC's got in through the Experienced Controller Program. In this case however Nav Can to my knowledge have never recruited FSS / ATOS from overseas therefore there's nothing set up with CIC to help you here. So you'd have to apply from "off the street" within Canada and therefore you would have to be a landed immigrant / citizen. Or something like that.

[grimey]

You also need to be able to get a security clearance, which involves a 10 year background check. Depending on where you've lived, this could be a huge pain in the ass. The UK or US probably wouldn't be a huge problem. If you spend a year teaching English in a small south-east asian country, though, it might be another story.