ROYAL AIR FORCE LAKENHEATH, England -- The soft lights of large displays reveal faces of Airmen as they sit in the dark room, the sounds of multiple voices speaking calmly into their headsets. Finally the watch coordinator’s voice breaks the low rumbling voices to congratulate everyone on a successful evening of ensuring Liberty Wing F-15s and Royal Air Force Mildenhall tankers tankers landed safely.
The Radar Approach Control center is always manned 24 hours a day, seven days a week and is responsible for the airspace stretching approximately 40 miles in each direction of the base, ranging from the surface up to 19,500 feet. The Airmen coordinate with different control agencies in the U.K. and other countries to execute flight plans for RAF Lakenheath and RAF Mildenhall aircraft, and also plans routes for transiting aircraft to and from deployed locations.
“We make sure [pilots] stay safe when they are flying,” said a 48th Operations Support Squadron RAPCON air traffic controller journeyman. “We give them traffic on what is in the air, details on the weather and make sure they get to where they need to go safely.”
Upon arrival at a new base, experienced RAPCON Airmen go through a three-to-four month training period to learn the new airspace, the altitudes they own, the runway configurations and the type of aircraft assigned to the bases, as well as their performance characteristics. It brings previously experienced controllers back to the basics.
In order to stay sharp with all their responsibilities, RAPCON Airmen take monthly proficiency tests and continuous on-the-job training, such as working with radar simulators, keep them at the top of their game.
“We sequence departures and arrivals simultaneously out of Mildnehall and Lakenheath” said a 48th OSS RAPCON watch supervisor. “We also sequence and coordinate flight plans, intentions of arrivals and departures flying in the region using both U.S. and U.K. standards.”
Depending on the operational needs of an air base’s flight line, air traffic controllers can either work at the air traffic control tower or in the radar approach control center. The two positions work cohesively to ensure smooth and safe flying operations.
“You know you are home when you hear that American accent,” said a pilot assigned to the 492nd Fighter Squadron. “They always feel like that friend that will get you back safe and sound. They are always cool, calm, and collected.”
The Liberty Wing’s RAPCON team ensures aircrew get on the ground safely and help provide worldwide combat airpower and unrivaled air refueling across Europe and Africa every day.
| Date Taken: |
02.07.2018 |
| Date Posted: |
02.07.2018 08:57 |
| Story ID: |
265034 |
| Location: |
RAF LAKENHEATH, SUFFOLK, GB |
| Web Views: |
37 |
| Downloads: |
0 |
PUBLIC DOMAIN
This work, RAPCON: Coordinating mission success, by TSgt Emerson Nunez, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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