Air Traffic Management valedictory held

Dundigal: The graduation ceremony of the ‘100th Air Traffic Management (ATM) and Air Laws (Basic) course’ along with 131st Air Traffic Surveillance Service course held at Air Force Academy, Dundigal. The ATM & Air Laws (Basic) Course is a flagship course of Air Traffic Control Officers’ Training Establishment (ATCOTE) which transforms young officers into Air Traffic Controllers. It is a six-month long rigorous instructional programme aimed at imparting ab-initio training on surface movement control, aerodrome control and approach control functions. Air Traffic Surveillance Services (ATSS) is a mid-level course that upgrades serving Military Air Traffic Control Officers from ‘Procedural’ Controllers to ‘Radar’ Controllers. The graduating officers shall soon be shouldering crucial responsibilities of Air Traffic Control Tower Controllers and Radar Controllers at various military airfields in India and abroad.

The solemn evening witnessed the graduation of 22 ab-initio Air Traffic Controllers and 25 Radar Controllers not only from the Indian Air Force but also from Indian Navy, Indian Army, Indian Coast Guard, Hindustan Aeronautics Limited and officers from Laos PDR, Afghanistan and Sri Lanka. With his ‘Exceptional’ performance Sub Lieutenant Tejinder Singh topped the chart of 100th ATM & Air Laws (Basic) course while Flight Lieutenant Vijay Sharma was adjudged first in the order of merit in the ATSScourse.

A spectacular valediction ceremony was held at the Academy Officers’ Mess in a traditional military splendour.  To make this momentous occasion even more alluring, Air Traffic Control Officers’ Training Establishment released its maiden memorabilia, a coffee table book, ‘Flying – Without Wings and Blades’.  The book was unveiled by Air Marshal Arvindra Singh Butola, Commandant, Air Force Academy, the reviewing officer for the ceremony. It depicts the magnificent history of this ‘one-of-its-kind’ Military Air Traffic Control Training institution of India from its inception in 1971 to present. The chief instructor, group captain RV Ramkishore said, “This is a proud moment not just for Air Traffic Control Officers’ Training Establishment and Air Force Academy, but also for the Indian Air Force.”