Photo By Tech. Sgt. Kaleb Mayfield | Baird Kilpatrick, local pilot, [left] and Airman 1st Class Patrik Walter, 4 OSS air...... read more read more
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Approximately 40 air traffic controllers from Seymour Johnson Air Force Base flew with local pilots Oct 19, 2019 at Wayne Executive Jetport, Goldsboro, North Carolina.
The Scare-a-Controller series is an annual event designed to allow pilots from Eastern North Carolina and Airmen of the 4th Operations Support Squadron to experience radio communications from each other’s seat.
“This is a point so that we can show the air traffic controllers what it looks like, not on their radar tube, but what they actually see outside and why sometimes we don’t see traffic that they’re calling out to us,” said Ret Lt. Col. Bob Ingle, 4th Training Squadron F-15 Simulator Instructor. “They can see it as radar blips but it’s harder to see visually.”
Pilots flew the controllers in their personal planes, performing low approaches at Kinston Regional Jetport and Seymour Johnson’s runways. Controllers manned the radios to get a feel for contacting the control towers during the flights.
“It’s a great event because as an air traffic controller and getting my pilot’s license, I feel like there’s a big disconnect between pilots and controllers as far as what we need them to do, what they can do, what they can accept or what they want to do,” said Airman 1st Class Patrik Walter, 4 OSS air traffic control specialist. “Events like these bring us together and help us see the other side of it.”
The pilots followed the same route to Kinston Regional Jetport, Seymour Johnson, over Princeton quarry, and returned to Wayne Executive Jetport.
“They’ve got a very high workload” said Ingle. “It’s just a way to say thanks and have fun,”.
The series is a two-part event. On Sep. 19, about 30 local aviators were visited Seymour Johnson to tour the air traffic control tower and Radio Approach Control (RAPCON) building to see what it’s like controlling a large, highly active airfield.
| Date Taken: | 10.19.2019 |
| Date Posted: | 10.23.2019 13:12 |
| Story ID: | 348884 |
| Location: | GOLDSBORO, NORTH CAROLINA, US |
| Web Views: | 73 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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