Contract controllers vital link between airport, deployed base

  • Published
  • By Capt. Alisen Iversen
  • 376th Air Expeditionary Wing Public Affairs
MANAS AIR BASE, Kyrgyzstan (AFPN) --  Civilian contractors play a vital role in keeping the sky safe here. The Air Force Contingency Augmentation Program Air Traffic Control liaison contractors serve as a link between the Manas International Airport and the base.

“We are a conduit between the base and the airport authorities for airspace and aircraft parking issues,” said Hank Marquez, airfield operations manager. “The contract exists to take a little of the burden off the military."

Miguel Soares, chief air traffic controller, said they are here to support the base’s flying mission.

“We’re here to clear any confusion between the pilots and the Kyrgyz controllers. We are also safety observers,” he said.

Because the airport controllers use old Soviet and Kyrgyz flight rules and speak minimal English, it can be difficult for the American and coalition pilots to understand what to do, Mr. Soares said.

“The (Kyrgyz) controllers tell the pilots in English they are cleared to land, take off and taxi,” Mr. Soares said, but added beyond that, and especially in an emergency, the Kyrgyz controllers are not able to communicate with English-speaking pilots.

“We are safety observers. We listen to all the communications (on the approach control frequency) and step in (with the help of translators) when necessary,” he said.

The contract controllers have a lot of previous radar and controller experience, and many of them are former servicemembers.

“My controllers can listen to transmissions between pilots and the (Kyrgyz) controllers, and sometimes know, just by the tone of their voice, when the pilot is confused on what they’ve been told to do,” said Mr. Soares, who was a Marine air traffic controller.

In that situation, the contract controller would verify the Kyrgyz controller’s instructions with an interpreter, then contact the pilot to make sure he or she understood the instructions.

“We aren’t here to actively control the aircraft, just to prevent problems,” Mr. Soares said.

Besides serving as safety observers and communicating with English-speaking pilots on approach, the contract controllers serve as a contact for the base’s fliers for any questions pertaining to the civilian side of the airport. The contractors attend monthly safety briefings and instruct new crews on local procedures. They also help monitor weather conditions.

From the tower, the controllers help watch over all activity on the airfield -- civilian and military.

“On average we monitor 40 to 70 (take-offs and landings) a day,” said Vince Alford, one of the contract controllers. “(We monitor) close to 200 on big days with coalition activity."

Relations with the Kyrgyz airport authorities has improved recently, which has led to correcting some safety problems.

One significant problem involved the potential for incoming pilots to think they were at a significantly higher altitude than they really were. This was a recipe for disaster.

“We got the (Kyrgyz) controllers to simplify the way they give (altitude information) to the pilots,” Mr. Soares said. “We are always making progress in identifying new issues and trying to help solve them.”

Serving in a liaison role can be tough, the controller said.

“We have all the responsibilities (of ensuring coalition aircraft safety), but none of the authority,” Mr. Marquez said.

In spite of the difficulties, he said he likes his job and does not ever get bored.

“No two days are ever the same,” he added.