The TMA Phase

So on our simulator we have a fictional piece of airspace, the Tyne sector, at a fictional Area Control Centre, the Medway ACC. It hasn't changed much since foundation. There are sectors all around and to the East of the sector is called the Medway TMA. A TMA is a large area of controlled airspace below which there are major airports. It is there to protect manoeuvring aircraft to sequence them before passing them to approach who line them up neatly on the runway. Hence TMA stands for Terminal (as in airports) Manoeuvring Area.
On this new course, us, that is the trainees, will have to work in the TMA sector as well as the Tyne sector (not all of it just one or the other) at the same time. This means that while training is underway for two people working in the Tyne sector, the TMA will be manned so that the aircraft leaving to go to the TMA will realistically respond, whereas before when it wasn't manned they just stay in level flight and dissapear off the screen, which isn't really realistic because they want to land.
Why am I telling you this, well because today we were being trained on the TMA. Now the Tyne sector is a whole load of airways (5 to be precise) and to operate in airways requires a different technique, you're always planning 10 to 20 minutes ahead and the aim is to sort out the problems early. The TMA is much more ducking and diving, weaving and waiting, it's a dynamic almost reactive controlling mainly based on the radar.
So that's what we were doing today and for the rest of the week; training on the TMA. It was great fun. Someone was doing the approach control at the same time. The consoles being in the same room meant there was shouting across like "Answer your phone you idiot" or "The Speedbirds coming straight in for runway 05 at 4000 feet" to which a thumbs up or a "got it" would usually come back.
The advanced sim room is much cosier, all the consoles being squashed in together. And it's quite dark as well so there's a different atmosphere. I'll get a picture tomorrow on my phone. But it means that everybody is working together as a team, it's brilliant! I had such good fun today. This job is brill sometimes but alas I have to get on and do my work tonight, that's the bad bit...

Well it's been a bit of a boring post today and I've honestly tried to find something interesting to put here but alas I have nothing. Sorry. Instead I leave you with this, it has no relevance to anything but it's nice to look at:

Released by Tristan Nitot under GFDL