Clear for take-off

  • Published
  • By Senior Airman Sean Martin
  • 2nd Bomb Wing Public Affairs
BARKSDALE AIR FORCE BASE, La. --  The 2nd Operations Support Squadron Air Traffic Control Tower controllers play a vital role in the success of the mission at Barksdale.

The tower provides the information pilots use to ensure safe take-off and landing as well as mission success.

"Our job in the tower is to separate and sequence aircraft," said Tracy Brittan, 2 OSS air traffic control watch supervisor.

The controllers provide pilots with any information pertaining to the airfield including: cable info, bird watch conditions, flight plan changes, weather information, runways in use and navigation aids that are available.

Navigational aids are critical to a pilot during flight. There are two different type of aids available to pilots -- instrument and visual flight rules. Instrument Flight Rules are used when visibility is low and the pilot has trouble landing the aircraft. Visual Flight Rules are used most often and is the general knowledge the pilot uses to land the aircraft by himself.

"If an aircraft was not capable of receiving transmissions, the pilots must know their navigational aids are working properly," said Brittan. "It is our job to ensure these are available to them."

Air traffic controllers must always maintain mission readiness and stay sharp while performing their daily duties.

"The controllers are provided crew rest in order to maintain their proficiency," said Brittan. "We also ensure they receive all adequate training needed to fully complete the mission."

Maintaining mission readiness is key when so many people's safety depends on the airman in charge.

There are various areas in the tower that must be manned at all times. These areas include ground control, charged with taxing all aircraft on the airfield; tower control, controllers in charge of setting up the flow of the runway; and flight data, the main coordinator for the aircraft.

"All the positions in the tower utilize a team concept," said Brittan. "Each position passes information to one another and assists in ensuring the overall safety of air traffic control operations. The entire tower runs as one cohesive unit to maintain an expeditious flow of traffic and provide the flying community the best possible service here at Barksdale."

As with any job, the controllers face many challenges and barriers they must deal with. One of those barriers is communicating with pilots from different countries.

"Throughout training, we develop what is called a radio ear, which means we are taught to pick out key words and phrases as they speak," said Senior Airman David Warner, 2 OSS air traffic controller. "It is a really cool experience dealing with foreign aircraft and pilots because when they come up to the tower, we get that culture exchange and also get to know them on a more personal level."

Each day in the tower brings a new experience and opportunity to learn, which can also be rewarding for some said Warner

"When you are really busy, like during an exercise, it is rewarding to see all those planes that you helped launch or recover," said Warner. "Knowing you were a part of that is something special."