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November 2009

NATS expands use of BEST ATC simulator

Four further NATS airports have joined the growing number of UK airports that use the Micro Nav BEST simulators for air traffic controller training. The main UK air navigation service provider has chosen the BEST Tower simulators for Aberdeen, Edinburgh, Glasgow and London Gatwick airports.

The simulators are in operation supporting conversion training for the introduction of new Electronic Flight Progress Strip (EFPS) systems. Micro Nav has developed stimulation interfaces and training automation facilities for the Nav Canada EFPS system so that examples of the real equipment can be used for high fidelity training. The simulators will also support unit conversion, refresher and TRUCE training. Micro Nav originally developed the interfaces as part of the major 360-degree 3D tower simulator project for NATS London Heathrow Airport.

Juliet Kennedy, Head of Air Traffic Control for NATS Services, comments, “High quality simulation is key to enabling us to provide our controllers with realistic training when we introduce new technology and the BEST product helps us to deliver EFPS training safely and efficiently.”

The Gatwick simulator has a 3D tower display with an independent visual channel for ground control operations. The Aberdeen, Edinburgh and Glasgow simulators have 2D tower displays with the option of upgrading to 3D later.

Other Micro Nav BEST simulators at UK airports include: Jersey, Bristol, Bournemouth, Liverpool, Warton, Newquay, Leeds Bradford and Inverness.

Micro Nav has a successful 21-year track record of supplying and supporting ATC simulators for civil and military authorities worldwide. BEST simulators are used in training programmes that meet ICAO, UK NATS, UK MoD and other national standards.

About NATS:

NATS handled 2.4 million flights in 2008, covering the UK and eastern North Atlantic and carried more than 220 million passengers safely through some of the busiest and most complex airspace in the world.

NATS En-Route Ltd provides ‘en route’ air traffic control and management from the London Control Centre at Swanwick, Hampshire, Scottish and Oceanic Area Control Centre at Prestwick, Ayrshire and the Manchester Area Control Centre located at Manchester Airport.  

NATS Services Ltd (NSL) is the commercial arm of NATS and provides air traffic control services at 15 UK airports including Heathrow, Gatwick, Stansted, Luton, Birmingham, Manchester, Edinburgh and Glasgow and provides a range of other air traffic control services, engineering, consultancy, aviation data and ATC training services to customers in the UK and overseas.

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