Airmen control sky; ensure air traffic safety

  • Published
  • By Airman 1st Class Allison M. Boehm
  • 2d Bomb Wing Public Affairs
BARKSDALE AIR FORCE BASE, La. --  While aircraft are en route to and from Barksdale, it is the responsibility of fifteen air traffic controllers to ensure control and regulation of air traffic by use of visual, radar and non-radar capabilities. By doing so, they safeguard the aircrew on board of each aircraft.
During their 40-hour work week, the controllers are responsible for air traffic control clearances, instruction and advisories. 

The positions manned in the control tower are broken into three main categories and two supervisor positions to ensure a professional, skilled interface between controller and aircraft. 

The position of local control focuses on determining whether an aircraft is cleared for take-off and landing while flight data crew member acts as a secretary--coordinating with other base agencies to ensure involved organizations are kept informed on the status of flights in and out of Barksdale. The position of ground control then handles everything that occurs on the ground related to the flightline. 

However, before an Airman is allowed to man a position alone, they must complete months of on-the-job training in order to become certified for each position. 

"The training is very rigorous," said retired Master Sgt. Donald Jacobs, air traffic control watch supervisor. "There is so much information that we must know and apply at a moment's notice. There are at least 20 different regulations we stay current on as well as using phraseology and dealing with a lot of numbers that must be processed to keep planes separated." 

With numerous responsibilities and lives at stake, working under stress is synonymous with air traffic controllers. 

"Stress is a stigma that comes with this job," said Mr. Jacobs. "Air traffic control is classified as a stressful job--it's written in black and white. There is a lot of stress in every job but generally it's said that there is anxiety here that mainly comes if we make a mistake. We are a no mistake career field and we operate knowing if we make a mistake we can possible kill pilots and aircrew. There is no room for mistakes here." 

Since error can cause fatal disasters, the Airmen and civilian controllers focus on completing the mission at all times. 

"The most important part of this job is the mission accomplishment," said Mr. Jacobs. "Planes cannot fly unless we are here. If we don't get planes airborne they don't meet their mission--our job is where the rubber meets the road." 

As part of mission accomplishment, air traffic controllers also are the focal point for coordinating emergency response teams for flight emergencies. 

Once the controllers receive word of an inbound in-flight emergency, they work to gather as much information as possible about the situation. The flight data controller relays that information to first response agencies on base as well as other need-to-know agencies in order to have assistance waiting in place for the aircraft. 

"If we weren't here, there would be no relay of flight emergencies, planes would be crashing and our aircraft would never make it off the ground," said Airman 1st Class Katelyn Vargas, air traffic control apprentice. 

The air traffic controllers are a vital role in ensuring Barksdale mission makes it off the ground.