At the Brumowski airbase in Langenlebarn, the air force and air defense troop school trains officers and non-commissioned officers of the air force in the respective specialist area. One of these is air traffic control.
Air traffic control ensures the safe, orderly and smooth handling of air traffic in military and civil aviation. In order to be allowed to train air traffic controllers, the Austrian Armed Forces must comply with EU standards. This includes training on a simulator. Compliance with EU standards is necessary in order to be allowed to control civilian air traffic, as the airspace is the same for everyone. The same standards apply as for civil air traffic control. Extreme situations can also be trained on the simulator so that personnel can react correctly and quickly in the event of an emergency – this is vital for aircraft crews. The tower simulator has been in operation at the Aviation and Air Defense School since the end of 2017. It is operated with the most modern software available on the market and is continuously modified to keep up with the state of the art.
All military airfields of the Austrian Armed Forces can be displayed realistically on the screens, which offer a 360-degree all-round view. This allows the trainee air traffic controller to be optimally prepared for the local conditions. Even air traffic controllers who have completed their training and are currently on duty must periodically train emergency scenarios on the simulator. In practice, it has been shown that after a few minutes, air traffic controllers have the impression that they are sitting at their real workplace in the tower. The simulator can simulate all weather conditions and times of day as in real life, and the trainers can pre-program scenarios in a time sequence. This allows them to involve the trainee in more and more flight incidents as the exercise progresses in order to test their concentration and mental resilience. The instructor can call up the exercises again on the screen in a review and thus point out mistakes and well-done actions by the trainee. The simulator can also replay the exercise from the perspective of the pilot concerned. This allows the trainee air traffic controller to see clearly how their instructions affect the pilot – increasing the learning effect. Training on the simulator also shortens the time it takes to complete the training. Lieutenant Colonel Roman Janoschek, military air traffic controller and instructor at the Air Force and Air Defense School, is responsible for training on the tower simulator. He is in charge of the training and further training of military air traffic controllers in the Austrian Armed Forces. Prospective military air traffic controllers complete their specialist training; trained air traffic controllers train emergency procedures, test new approach and departure procedures or prepare for major events (e.g. airspace security operations, foreign missions, airpower). The training is demanding and extensive. The selection process for prospective air traffic controllers is very selective. Prerequisites are a school-leaving certificate, a medical and psychological selection procedure, specialist training at home and abroad and practical training at the respective workplace (airfield). The training can be completed as a military person or as a civilian employee. https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=2&v=2j_KaSviQy4&feature=emb_title
