Have equipment, will travel

We recently delivered an engineering course for the Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore (CAAS) and Temasek Polytechnic personnel at Temasek Polytechnic that had been in the pipeline since before the pandemic.

Our excess baggage for the trip consisted of specialist air traffic communication equipment required for the ‘ATSEP (Air Traffic Safety Electronics Personnel) Voice Communication’ training course we were delivering. Transmitters, receivers, aerials and test equipment were all safely packed while the College provided first class training facilities.

We delivered the training across two locations – training in ATSEP Surveillance was hosted at our base in the UK. From experience, we know that the best learning is practical, and so significant time was invested in providing concrete opportunities for everyone to put their theoretical learning into practice. No less than six practical sessions were conducted utilising our own fully operational miniature Labvolt Primary Surveillance RADAR, in addition to demonstrations of live RADAR data of aircraft traveling through UK airspace.

CAAS and Temasek Polytechnic course participants having successfully completed the ATSEP Surveillance and Voice Communications course.

Training in ATSEP Voice Communications was then delivered on site at Temasek Polytechnic. The course is divided into five modules examining the various types of communication lines and their applications within the industry. It covers air-ground and ground-ground communications and voice recordings with a particular focus on safety and reliability. There were also practical elements embedded within the course, for example, how to take accurate measurements of the transmitters and receivers to indicate the health of the equipment. The trainees were able to practise these skills first-hand using our testing equipment. These qualifications form a key part of their work as an ATSEP engineer.

Both of these courses are essential building blocks in the pathway to competency for all ATSEPs. Once fully qualified, our students will be joining a very select group of specialist engineers who maintain and operate the electronics and software used in air traffic control systems. Their expertise covers everything from communications to navigation and surveillance and plays a key part in maintaining safe and resilient air traffic systems.

As industry experts in monitoring, maintaining and fixing just about every kind of air traffic control technology, our trainers were able to provide the students with a solid foundation in the engineering skills they needed to move forward to work on more technologically advanced systems.

It was a pleasure helping them get started in their careers.