A Tower Controller’s Perspective.

The world of aviation is not just inhabited by Pilots, Flight Attendants and Engineers. There are many more people behind the scenes making sure aviation runs like a well oiled machine. Perhaps none are more important than the Air Traffic Controllers.

We are delighted to introduce Janet Taylor, ATC, as she gives us an insight into her role, her aviation loves…. and answers those burning questions …. Do they judge your landings? Are they scary? Well! You’d better read on to find out!

All yours, Janet….

Janet Taylor in her favourite environment

I grew up in the Manawatu and was always keen on aviation even though no one in my family was involved in the industry.

Whilst at high school I worked part time in the office at my father’s engine reconditioning workshop as well as having a paper route. This gave me enough money to start flying at the Manawatu District Aeroclub in Palmerston North at a young age and I was one of those “had-a-motorbike-licence-at-15-and-could-fly-before-I-could-drive-a-car” teenagers, moving on to gain my PPL soon after whilst still at High School.

I was interested in joining the RNZAF however, gender wise, they hadn’t advanced beyond WW2 and realised that females also had a brain and could fly! So, the more senior aviators at the aeroclub suggested I look into ATC, and here I am some 37 years later, still “living the dream” as I really love my controlling job.

Looking back, training was a 3-year cadetship. Initially I was posted to the Auckland Centre, doing Flight Data duties for a couple of years before moving to Rotorua to get my ATC licence.

Rotorua was busier back then with the Mt Cook 748’s, the Air NZ Friendships and B737 as well as Ansett Dash 7’s (then 8’s) and BAE146 (Whisper Jet) all on scheduled Ops. There were also several local tourist operators, both heli and fixed wing, taking visitors on everything from White Island and Ruapehu scenic flights to landings on Mt Tarawera. Tandem parachutes would drop onto the field as well and regular weekend gliding activities took place. About three scheduled aircraft would overnight, which helped the social life at the time!

Whilst at Rotorua I did some relieving at both Tauranga and Hamilton Towers, as well as continuing to do some private flying at the Waikato Aeroclub.

Each Tower was great fun with a good mix of local operators and the Towers all had their own local procedures whilst following a national standard. One of the opening watch tasks at Rotorua was to replace the card in the Campbell-Stokes sunshine recorder on the tower balcony. This device uses a glass sphere to focus the sun's direct radiation on a graduated card and the length of the burn trace on the card corresponds to the duration of sunshine.

Campbell-Stokes device measuring sunshine hours

Back then, Hamilton had a ‘Landing T’, this was large white T on the ground that had a motor attached and we had a switch in the Tower to turn it to the direction of landing. This was used for the occasional non radio equipped aircraft that would phone in for a clearance to enter the control zone, we’d tell them how to enter the zone and to do an overhead rejoin and look for the landing T to indicate which runway was in use. More than once we’d start the T moving to set up for the correct grass vector in use but as it would turn quite slowly it was easy to forget about and you’d look down 30 mins later and see the T still slowly turning.

After about 5 years the “big smoke” of Auckland called and I moved to a job at Auckland Tower before eventually going “downstairs” to work the Oceanic roster, controlling all international flights to/from New Zealand. This was followed by a move to Christchurch, where I had a few years instructing at the Airways Training Centre before moving to Christchurch Tower.

In amongst my days instructing at the Training Centre I also spent time working in Palmerston North Tower.

I currently spend 50% of my time working the roster at Christchurch Tower. The other half is spent as a Performance Specialist assisting domestic Tower Chief Controllers; and Tower management with any issues they may have. I also conduct Operational Reviews on the Towers to ensure consistency of procedures across the ATC network.

One of the roles I am really proud of and enjoy is being an ‘ATS Examiner’ which means I am able to assess and issue licences to controllers on behalf of the CAA much like the Flight Examiners do for pilots.

Christchurch Tower, not a bad place to work!

In addition to my “work” mentioned above, I also volunteer to work at Matamata Tower during the Walsh Scout Flying School held in January each year, controlling from the mobile tower. The Walsh Scout Flying School gives 16–19-year-olds a taste of aviation and the opportunity with some hard work to fly ‘first solo’.  

During the two-week period Matamata Tower becomes the busiest controlled aerodrome in NZ.  For those that haven’t seen it, the Airways Mobile Tower is a shipping container that has been refurbished and decked out as a Tower cab, with windows, radios, all the equipment we need to control aircraft (and the highly sort after air conditioning during the hot summer days).

It sits on a truck trailer and can be moved around the country and used as a contingency Tower at existing controlled aerodromes or for Airshows.

Myself and some of the team working Matamata Tower

(Melissa here… Women Rock!)

As I like to give back to the aviation community, I seek additional roles that allow me to upskill and to do this. For the past five years I’ve been a general member representative on the NZALPA Board of Management and have recently joined the ATC council. In both of these roles, we strive to keep and improve working conditions for NZALPA members, making it better for those that follow as well as ensuring safety is paramount in New Zealand aviation.

Having lost a friend to suicide a number of years back I am passionate about the work-life balance and the wellness of those around me. I spent several years as a First Responder with Victim Support working with the Police when they were called to a traumatic event but soon realised that I would like to concentrate my focus and time on my aviation colleagues.

In 2014, I became a Peer Support Volunteer for the NZALPA Peer Assistance Network (PAN), a program which provides confidential peer-based support and assistance to Controllers, Pilots and Flight Service staff in times of hardship and need.

I’m also a Woman’s Assistance Forum (WAF) coordinator, which is a program intended to provide mutual support and an information venue for women in aviation dealing with female specific matters.

Myself and some fellow aviators helping to spread the word at the Omaka airshow

I’m a firm believer that both females and males make great aviators and that they can do any role within the aviation industry.

If you can dream it, you can be it.

There are many role models in the aviation sector that are willing to give support and mentoring, to show you what’s possible and the pathway required to reach your dreams. Once you qualify as an Air Traffic Controller, the working conditions and pay help to provide a good standard of living, the flexibility of rosters let you enjoy your hobbies and can allow for the raising of a family whilst still working (for those that want to be parents).

Unfortunately, my own flying went into hibernation for a while when a mortgage and children came along but since they’ve long left the nest flying has resumed. I love aircraft and I love flying and it’s been an absolute pleasure (and a touch of pride) to be flying again -  especially alongside my son who has his C-Cat Instructors rating as well as currently training to be an Air Traffic Controller.

Janet and son sharing the best of life

Recently, a Facebook post made a comment that “girls don’t fly because they don’t like dirty, oily, noisy things”. The author must have been talking about a time long ago, because in the last 40 years I haven’t flown or controlled in anything dirty, oily or noisy. I’ve had the pleasure of working in 6 control towers and flying in many machines with the greatest being a clean, fast and exhilarating Mustang flight with a friend, a surprise birthday gift from my family, and, wow what an awesome flight!

Janet and Mustang

So, are controllers scary? Yeah Nah. We are ordinary people doing a job we love and being the voice in the pilot’s headset. We may have many aircraft within our airspace, and we are issuing clearances and instructions to keep then all separated. So, if you are out flying and are in doubt about a procedure or clearance, just ask us to explain or to repeat what we have said. We are more than happy to help.

As for the question at the top of the page, do the people in the tower judge your landings?

The answer is ... only your bad ones!