Hi! :-)
You might be wondering what I do at Manila Control Tower as an air navigation system specialist (ANSS).
Well, I watch TV. I eat. I sleep. I laze around. I read newspaper, books, anything I can get my hands on. I surf the internet. I chat with friends. I play PC games…Oh, don’t be surprised, it’s what I really do when we don’t have equipment trouble and after I do all the scheduled preventive maintenance (PM) and tasks for the day. But this is mostly what I do, 80%...no make it 90% of the time. Yet, if one of our equipment malfunctions, wish me luck if I could find time to blink my eye. (I was just exaggerating lol)
ANSS are the counterparts of Air Traffic Systems Engineers in other countries. Why were we called differently? I’m not sure. There was this explanation I heard from a superior that we didn’t used “engineer” because our compensation would be limited to the salary grades of engineers. In order to claim higher compensation, we had to use “specialist” instead. Okay….
I am really proud of my job because of the responsibility that I carry. It is our duty to make sure that all communication and navigation equipments/systems in NAIA are operating continuously and efficiently. If one of these systems fails, surely NAIA’s operations are affected; at worse, halted. Of course, I do not work alone. These complex systems need a team to maintain it. I belong to the communication team. So the equipments I deal with are all in relation to communication between air traffic controllers (ATC) and pilots during a flight and between ATCs of different facilities during handling of air traffic. It is a system composed of transmitters and receivers, microwave links, automatic information systems, antennas, consoles, intercoms, telephones, and hotlines.
The navigation team on the other hand, deals with equipments that aids airplanes find its way during a flight and in taking off and landing at airports. It includes Instrument Landing Systems (ILS), Distance Measuring Equipment (DME), Very High Frequency Omni directional Range (VOR), Non-Directional Beacon (NDB), weather instruments and runway lighting systems.
There are also ANSS that maintain RADAR equipments, their antennas and their data processors.
One of these days, I will discuss with you each of these systems as well as their role in air traffic control.
Being an ANSS requires great effort and lots of guts. One must be emotionally an
d mentally prepared all the time because equipment breakdown always comes unannounced. One must be able to handle the pressure and ensure the shortest, if not zero, downtime as not to disrupt and delay airport operations. One must be concerned to perform preventive measures as to maintain fail safe operating conditions all the time.
Most of all, one must be able to know what to do when we type in our log “all active circuits/equipment are normal” (see above activities).
Till then folks :-)
You might be wondering what I do at Manila Control Tower as an air navigation system specialist (ANSS).
Well, I watch TV. I eat. I sleep. I laze around. I read newspaper, books, anything I can get my hands on. I surf the internet. I chat with friends. I play PC games…Oh, don’t be surprised, it’s what I really do when we don’t have equipment trouble and after I do all the scheduled preventive maintenance (PM) and tasks for the day. But this is mostly what I do, 80%...no make it 90% of the time. Yet, if one of our equipment malfunctions, wish me luck if I could find time to blink my eye. (I was just exaggerating lol)
ANSS are the counterparts of Air Traffic Systems Engineers in other countries. Why were we called differently? I’m not sure. There was this explanation I heard from a superior that we didn’t used “engineer” because our compensation would be limited to the salary grades of engineers. In order to claim higher compensation, we had to use “specialist” instead. Okay….
I am really proud of my job because of the responsibility that I carry. It is our duty to make sure that all communication and navigation equipments/systems in NAIA are operating continuously and efficiently. If one of these systems fails, surely NAIA’s operations are affected; at worse, halted. Of course, I do not work alone. These complex systems need a team to maintain it. I belong to the communication team. So the equipments I deal with are all in relation to communication between air traffic controllers (ATC) and pilots during a flight and between ATCs of different facilities during handling of air traffic. It is a system composed of transmitters and receivers, microwave links, automatic information systems, antennas, consoles, intercoms, telephones, and hotlines.
The navigation team on the other hand, deals with equipments that aids airplanes find its way during a flight and in taking off and landing at airports. It includes Instrument Landing Systems (ILS), Distance Measuring Equipment (DME), Very High Frequency Omni directional Range (VOR), Non-Directional Beacon (NDB), weather instruments and runway lighting systems.
There are also ANSS that maintain RADAR equipments, their antennas and their data processors.
One of these days, I will discuss with you each of these systems as well as their role in air traffic control.
Being an ANSS requires great effort and lots of guts. One must be emotionally an
d mentally prepared all the time because equipment breakdown always comes unannounced. One must be able to handle the pressure and ensure the shortest, if not zero, downtime as not to disrupt and delay airport operations. One must be concerned to perform preventive measures as to maintain fail safe operating conditions all the time.Most of all, one must be able to know what to do when we type in our log “all active circuits/equipment are normal” (see above activities).
Till then folks :-)
1 comment:
Good day,
Hi! I'm Darwin. I work as a Broadcast Engineer in one of the FM radio stations here in Cebu. I do believe that we have similar job tasks and responsibilities as an engineer. I googled ANSS and it spewed out your blogsite. I read your blog on ANSS and I was wondering if you are still working for ATO(or CAAP? Did they change acronyms?...) The blog was dated 2007...
Anyway, I'm really trying to get info on how to become an ANSS. As far I know, there is an examination. I have contacted our local ATO office in Mactan, but they kept replying that no exams are scheduled for ANSS yet. Do they schedule this exam annually? What does the examination cover?
Nice blog by the way! I hope you can shed light on my inquiries regarding ANSS. You are so lucky to have a cool job that pays well. Thanks for your time. I'll post my contact details below.
Darwin A. Duran
90.7 Crossover FM-Cebu
Engineering
E-mail: darwinism13@yahoo.com
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