October will see control towers around the UK throwing open their doors for the annual ‘Visit ATC Day’ initiative.

As part of the project GA pilots are invited to take a tour of their local air traffic control unit to see life from the other end of the radio.

The Airspace & Safety Initiative (ASI) which helps co-ordinate Visit ATC Day has now released details of this year’s participating units. Pilots curious to see life from an air traffic controller’s perspective are encouraged to sign up for a session at their nearest unit during October and November.

Now in its sixth year, Visit ATC Day intends to increase the mutual understanding of pilots and air traffic controllers. All the visits will require pre-registration and are open only to holders of private pilot licences (NPPL, PPL, BGA certificate etc and student pilots). Those attending will be required to show their licence or evidence that they are learning to fly. Pilots who have not pre-registered or cannot produce their licence or evidence on the day unfortunately will not be admitted.

ATC units already confirmed include Bristol, Farnborough, Exeter, Glasgow, Southampton, Leeds Bradford and Prestwick Centre.

A full list of participating units, with dates when each unit is open for a visit, as well as contact details for pre-registration, are listed below and will be update on the ASI website.

Updates will also be tweeted over the coming weeks from the ASI Twitter feed @airspacesafety

Places are limited and will be allocated on a first come first served basis. All the events are free of charge.

Participating Units:

Exeter – 17 October, contact Claire.cottrell@exeter-airport.co.uk or 01392 354913

Southampton – dates TBC, contact souga@nats.co.uk

Glasgow – dates TBC, contact Martyn.SEGAR@nats.co.uk

Farnborough – 16/24 and 27 October and 17/21 November contact: FarnboroughLARS@nats.co.uk

Bristol – dates TBC, contact michael.cockcroft@nats.co.uk

Leeds Bradford – 18/19 October, contact andy.geldart@lbia.co.uk

Prestwick Centre – TBC, contact Andrew.WILLIAMS2@nats.co.uk

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