The En-Route and College Regulation Section (ER&CR) is responsible for oversight of En-Route Air Traffic Control Centres in the UK and their supporting navigational, communication and radar infrastructure. Predominantly based at Gatwick, we carry out the regulatory oversight of the Swanwick Centre near Southampton and the Scottish Centre at Prestwick. We are also responsible for oversight of UK Air Traffic Controller Training Centres.

Our 17 staff are spread across the ATS and Engineering disciplines. The investigation role is now distributed between the regions and ER&CR, and cross-training has been taking place to train ATS and Engineering Inspectors in investigation skills. New Inspectors will therefore have a wider and more challenging role of Inspector / Investigator.

Although we come from different professional disciplines, we work as a close-knit team, allowing us to take a ‘joined up’ look at ATS organisations. The whole of ATSD employs the principle of multi-disciplined teams and, as a result, one frequently finds oneself involved in a diversity of jobs, gaining experience of different projects.

Most controllers who meet Inspectors might be forgiven for thinking we spend all our time conducting boards. While this is only a small but important part of our work, it is a good opportunity to meet the controlling community. Their task is a demanding one and gaining the right to exercise the privileges of one’s licence is hard won. That is why we take great satisfaction when a candidate passes his or her first board.

The task that takes up the greatest amount of our time is auditing. The move to a more audit-based oversight system in recent years is generally considered a notable and positive change for the industry. Prior to this, the conduct of safety regulation was focused on an ‘inspection’ régime, often based on a prescriptive approach. This tended to generate a ‘tick box’ mentality which, in effect, meant that the regulator was managing safety rather than the regulated organisation managing it.

These days NATS, or NERL, first assures itself that its operation is adequately safe and that risks across the operation are being managed on a continuing and consistent basis. It is our job to ensure that risk is being controlled and it is the service provider's job not only to manage the risk but also to be able to demonstrate its capability to do so in a systematic way. Safety Cases and Safety Management Systems (SMS) allow providers to do this. An SMS details the policies, principles and procedures in place to gain the required assurance that its operation is adequately safe and managed. Via audits, we confirm that these are being applied and are effective.

The unit may be carrying out a major project such as a resectorisation and a feature of our audit would be to look at how the work was managed from initial development, through approval of new airspace and airways, to training of controllers. Some parts of this would require us to work with our colleagues from the CAA Directorate of Airspace Policy. In our internal discussions we would decide on the scope of our audit and develop an audit plan to be sent to the unit. Any of the section Inspectors could be chosen to act as Audit Manager. The nominated Inspector organises the visits to the unit, arranges interviews with staff and managers and, along with the rest of the audit team, produces the questions that will meet the objectives set for the audit. When the visit is complete a report containing observations and recommendations is sent to the unit.

We must always bear in mind our role: “To ensure that high safety standards for UK civil aviation are set and achieved in a cooperative and cost effective manner”. A cooperative spirit and cost effective manner are essential ingredients in the relationship between service providers and Inspectors. We are in the business of safety improvement for the UK.

A typical audit takes about four to six weeks to complete, and there may be more than one audit underway at the same time. A unit inspection would on the other hand, last only three to four days. ER&CR carries out several audits a year.

ATS Inspectors are often out and about with the industry but there is a need to spend some time back in the office. You may think that with all these audits, safety assessments and incident reports it would be a sea of paper. However, the CAA has moved towards a “paperless” office and Inspectors can access documents from remote locations via the supplied IT facilities.

What other work can an Inspector expect to be doing? We work in a much bigger arena now and Inspectors get involved in a range of European policy groups - which can require trips to Brussels, Luxembourg or Germany. Well, someone has to do it! Other Inspectors are co-opted onto national working groups, looking at various aspects of UK ATS safety. Recent examples include very successful initiatives regarding ‘Level Busts’ and Runway Incursions. I have been involved in groups that produced new guidance for Handover and Takeover of Operational Positions and the development of TRUCE from the original concept of controller Emergency Continuation Training (ECT).

There are always changes and developments going on, with new skills to learn and new challenges to meet. The work is undoubtedly varied and demanding. As one starts out, it is all a bit daunting, but the training and development support soon helps. One thing I am sure of is that it can be very rewarding. I enjoyed being an operational controller, but I take great satisfaction from my contribution to those parts of the ATS operation that I have been able to work with and influence as an ATS Inspector.

Principal Inspector En-Route Regulation