Airmen get view from tower

  • Published
  • By Tarsha Storey
  • 20th Fighter Wing Public Affairs
SHAW AIR FORCE BASE, S.C. (AFPN) --  Picture yourself sitting in your car, stopped at a traffic light on a very busy highway. Every time the light changes, vehicles take their turns crossing the intersection. If not for that traffic light, you probably would not be able to cross the road to go home.

Airmen of the 20th Operations Support Squadron’s air traffic control section here function as traffic lights for aircraft. They are responsible for separating, controlling and sequencing all air traffic and ground movement of aircraft in Shaw’s area of jurisdiction, said Tech. Sgt. Cynthia Borton, a 20th OSS air traffic control tower watch supervisor.

“Air traffic controllers are not the people on the flightline with light sticks assisting the aircraft into parking,” Sergeant Borton said.

They do however have to properly separate the aircraft before, during and after takeoff. That also involves coordinating all emergency vehicles, such as firetrucks, that may have to cross the runway.

Communication is the key to maintaining safety on the runway, Sergeant Borton said. If communication lines go down, air traffic controllers use light guns. Pilots can be instructed by way of a series of red, green and white flashes from the light guns, said Staff Sgt. Drew Spradley, a 20th OSS air traffic control tower watch supervisor.

Throughout the years, the ATC career field has undergone many changes. Many procedures are updated every day to ensure the safe, orderly and prompt flow of air traffic, said Senior Airman Stacey Knowlton Jr., a 20th OSS air traffic controller.

One of the biggest changes is the training, Sergeant Borton said.

“When I went to my first assignment, I was handed a training package, told to plug in and start working,” she said. “Now, after Airmen go through their initial training, they are under the supervision of a controller in a trainee position. It is then the trainee can actually come into the tower and start training.”

One key aspect of training for all air traffic controllers is the simulator. Designed to resemble the actual tower, the simulator allows controllers to experience what happens if they make a mistake, without endangering anyone or any equipment, Sergeant Spradley said.

The simulator has been part of training since its arrival here in February 2004. Operators can program any number of flying situations into a 270-degree view voice recognition real-time scenario simulation. In these simulations, they can include any types of U.S. military and several foreign military aircrafts. Like a real-life situation, they can also simulate any type of weather conditions from hurricane-strength winds to snow, said Tech. Sgt. Reese Holloman, a 20th OSS radar approach controller.

Because precision judgment is necessary for all controllers, they are all on flying status and have a lot of the same rules and regulations the pilots follow, said Staff Sgt. Heather Beauchamp, a 20th OSS air traffic controller.

“Not only do (the air traffic controllers) provide safe separation of aircraft in and out of Shaw, but they’re the eyes and ears when we can’t see out (because of) poor weather,” said Maj. Brent Sprouse, 77th Fighter Squadron assistant operations officer.