A person who wishes to act as an air traffic controller must hold a valid air traffic controller license issued or recognised by the local Civil Aviation Authority, which contains valid ratings and endorsements appropriate to the control tasks to which the controller is assigned.

The first step towards becoming an air traffic controller is holding the student air traffic controller license. The student license is granted after successfully completing the Basic ATC training for ab initio students and the appropriate ratings and endorsements.

The Basic Air Traffic Control module is the compulsory foundation level that provides the ab initio students with the necessary training for their future career. Upon the successful completion of the Basic ATC module, the students will gain the essential theoretical knowledge and practical skills to be able to fully comprehend and follow the specialised rating.

The Basic ATC training is the cornerstone of every future ATCO’s career and Entry Point North is up to date with the latest EU training developments in order to ensure a sustainable high success rate.

Ab initio students are taught the following compulsory subjects: Aviation Law, Air Traffic Management, Meteorology, Navigation, ATC Equipment and Systems, ATC navigation equipment, Human Factors.

Students receive comprehensive classroom theory learning, computer based training (CBT) and the opportunity to put the theory into practice within a high fidelity simulator environment, under the guidance of experienced instructors.

The successful completion of this module enables the students to progress further onto a rating training module, having gained an in-depth understanding of the work as an air traffic controller (ATCO) and the complete Air Traffic Management (ATM) system.

Entry Point North hires instructors from a current operational ATC environment. This enables us to maintain a very close link with new developments and a high level of competency. Throughout the training, all students operate in a teamwork simulator environment, enhancing a well structured learning process.

The module follows closely the Eurocontrol Common Core Content specifications and prerequisites, EU standards and Best Practice agreements.