This spring, Entry Point North started offering tower simulator services at Stockholm-Arlanda Airport. The first courses were aimed at preparing air traffic controllers from Visby and Uppsala Airports for upcoming military exercises which would result in a temporary substantial increase of traffic. A total of eleven participants divided into two groups took part in two days of intensive hands-on training in a simulated replica of their local airspace. The participants were trained in various scenarios that may occur due to an increase of traffic, and they also established new procedures based on their experiences.
Prior to the training, the participants had the opportunity to test their local simulated airspaces at our training site in Malmö to ensure optimal realism of the scenarios they would face during training. At the start of the course, the participants were familiarised with the simulator system, so they could also act as pilots during the training. Taking part in the training as pilots enhanced the participants’ learning experience, as they were continuously involved in the training process even when they were not in the air traffic controller seat.
“We are pleased with the simulator training we have received, for the goals of our exercises it was a useful addition to pilot ourselves. Both our on-site instructor and the data-preparation team in Malmö were very helpful and I was impressed by the ability to deliver the course on short notice and to incorporate our specific requests into the exercises,”
– says Mr. Nils Homp, Air Traffic Controller at Visby Airport
“The controller groups were experienced, well organised and had detailed goals they wanted to achieve. They were positive, interested in learning all about the new simulator and its capabilities, and I was excited to be involved in helping them achieve their objectives,”
– says Ms. Sheila Grady, Simulator Specialist at Entry Point North in Stockholm.
For almost two years, we have been providing a similar tower simulator setup for Naviair in Copenhagen, Denmark. All the regional Naviair units, including Copenhagen tower, are now using the simulator for their unit training. This includes pre-OJT, continuation training, conversion training and training in unusual/emergency situations.