Squadron leader K. Manikandan was adjudged ‘First in Order of Merit’ from a total of 14 officers of the 142nd ATSS - Air Traffic Surveillance Services Course, who graduated as radar controllers on Thursday.
At a graduation ceremony, which was held at Air Traffic Control Officers Training Establishment (ATCOTE), Air Force Academy, Commandant Air Marshal B Chandra Sekhar graced the occasion as reviewing officer.
ATCOTE is a premier training establishment of the Indian Air Force (IAF) training of officers from the Indian Army, Indian Navy, Indian Coast Guard, Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) and officers from friendly foreign countries in the field of air traffic services, apart from the IAF.
The three-month-long ATSS course is a mid-level course that trains qualified ATCs in the usage of radar for the provision of air traffic services. The course equips controllers to maintain an expeditious and orderly flow of air traffic.
Air Marshal Sekhar in his address to the course, acknowledged the critical role of ATCs in military aviation. The UDAN scheme is driving the growth of civil aviation connectivity in India resulting in more and more IAF airfields becoming joint users, hence there is a need to facilitate the usage of restricted airspace for expediting traffic.
He reiterated the importance of air traffic surveillance services in bringing the economy of scale, without hampering the operations of the armed forces, said a press release.
