What a team!

So today we've got a break. We had the last tasks of the Top Team course this morning and I've just come from a Q&A session with an instructor at the college and a validated ATCO at LTC (London Terminal Control). It's finished leaving a gap in the program.

This morning I got the first lead again and I was much more relaxed and happier. I tend to talk too much and I don't listen. I wasn't doing the nitty gritty of the task, I was mainly encouraging. we did great. It was some silly stepping stones nonsense and was quickly and effectively executed and we managed to do it before one competing team and after another, ie we came second and I was happy. The team was really great and went well.

Next we had a fairly easy exercise made very difficult by the group and after that it was the last race between 6 teams. It was a chariot race and the brief was handed to us. I was elected the leader by the group.

I won't go into the details but our team won fair and square about a minute and a half before any others so I'm feeling pretty good about myself at the moment! It was just brill! I've been smiling more now, especially after yesterday, I was dissapointed and frustrated, now I lead the winning team!

Got to get back for some more Q&A, this time with some current trainees from Bournemouth College...

Top Team : day 2

So today was more of the same from yesterday. We continued with the tasks and did some awesome ones. One of which was called sidewinder and just great great fun:

The task was to collect a missile safely from inside a box and get it out of an area. We couldn't go into the surrounding area where the missile was to be transferred out of but we had a long piece of rope and some pine poles. Immediately spotting an A-frame to tighten the rope because of the distance across the area (roughly 70 yards). So the rope gets tied on a tree and tightened by hanging men off the other end under an A-frame to keep the tension - ingenious.

Two hooks slid along the rope and manoevred by guide lines. The missile slid out perfectly to plan. Yipee.

My task to lead was much worse, or at least my performance was. It was intricate and annoying mainly. We hadn't grasped it and I was just frustrated with the performance and myself for making so many stupid leadership errors. grr. I've taught this stuff, why am I doing that! ggrrrrr.

AC

AC stands for Area Control. That is what is housed in Swanwick. From the corporate part of the induction day, on Monday, I know that in the Swanwick ops room (where all the radar screens and Air Traffic Controllers are) £500, 000, 000 per year is made so it is the most essential part of the whole of the National Air Traffic Services. As you can imagine the room is pretty impressive, I mean amazing!!!

It's huge and lofty, probably 3 storeys high at the highest point so not cramped or small. There loads of "bananas" of 6 workstations, called so because of their shape from above. I spotted London FIS which I have heard on the radio and his station although there was nobody there when I looked. It was all just so impressive.

The building is fantastic too. The safest building in Europe. Last fire drill it took 30 seconds to evacuate everybody, not sure what they do with aircraft, I think the procedure is to land them, but not sure. It's so serene. There are not flashing lights, sirens nothing it's all calm and white. They have beds and sofas, indoor trees and coffee bars, restaurants and gyms. The place is just out of this world.

We had a go on the sim. It was fairly easy, there were no conflictions but I issued a couple of clearances. There are people pretending to be aircraft in another room but everything else was awesome. We sat at an operational workstation to do the sim time and our guide and trainer showed us round the systems.

What I'm saying is I can't wait to go and work there, which should hopefully be in about 11 months, all being well I am scheduled to graduate from college on 14th May 2007 what a gift!

TOP TEAM

So today we've been beasted and I've got to go to Swanwick for a visit in about 3 minutes. Basically we've had teams of 6 doing tasks. We did 1 leaderless ex and from then on we've had leaders, although not me yet... Some great exercises which I remember from cadets so the solutions have been quite free flowing from myself. I think the trainers are all ex-RAF so I've got a little insight, although they're not quite as technical nor disceptive. We've done good though. Succeeded in all our tasks including one called "hot bed" which is where you have a bucket of "Toxic Chemical" which you can't go near and you have to lift it out of a cordon and into a "neutralising bucket". We managed it swiftly and effectively and I love this sort of thing!

Anyway must dash I'm going to Swanwick in a second.

My First Day

Today I've met a lot of new people. About 20 or so. The majority I can't really remember in detail and I'm a bit sketchy. This morning we were mainly going over some general advice for the course which we'll be given again and again. The pastoral carer is Graham and is fairly strict as you might imagine. He was getting hung up about dress etc which I think was a bit weird. I had some more discussion about the radio 1 shout out and then we sat and listened to some people tell us how ace our jobs will be when we get there in roughly 3 years' time.

We've had far too much information spoken to us and I've struggled to take it all in. We were basically sat listening for about 8 hours. Just finished now.

Dinner tonight should be nice, but not sure if I'll drink very much. We've got team building exercises from "Top Team" so I'd better get to bed.

The Drive

So most of you know, or maybe you don't, that I'm starting a job as a Trainee Air Traffic Controller tomorrow. Training doesn't start at the college, it's at a very posh place called "New Place" in the middle of Hampshire, not far from company HQ: Swanwick.

I drove down today, bringing a good proportion of my belongings. It is a long drive and I passed the time listening to the radio mainly, of course the England team played earlier. I got onto the A34 and was listening to Annie Mac at about 1500 an hour before the match and she had a boasting sunday event in which you may text a boast about what you're doing that day to the rest of the UK. Of course after pulling over in some services I texted that I was moving to Southapton to get a brand new job etc etc and she gave me a shout out! How cool is that! Thing is I only found out about it later when someone on my course asked me if I was the Si from the radio. I was gutted and will strive to listen as soon as I can online.

So the place we're all at (52 of us) is very posh. We all have our own en-suite rooms and the food ain't half bad. Drinks: £3.20 per pint! so a bit more than I'm used to. Going to get to bed as I've much to do tomorrow

The Cheek!

I've just completed this. It's a revision summary of the "distance learning" I've had to complete before starting at NATS next week. As well as an online assessment I have a written one too. It's pretty boring but it's raining so I can't use the rainy day excuse. Oh well. Better get on, it's bangers and mash for tea!