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The human eye is one of the most complex parts of the body – surpassed only by the brain. It can focus on 50 different objects per second, with a resolution equivalent to 576 megapixels – an extraordinary amount when compared to the ‘high’ resolution of an Apple iPhone 13 at just 12 megapixels. In days gone by, the human eye was the original air traffic controller. Before Air Traffic Control (ATC) towers existed, pilots would use visual navigation methods such as a compass, map and identification of ground features to ascertain the aircraft’s position. Unsurprisingly, it was difficult to accurately and safely verify an aircraft’s position.

Help on the ground was needed, so the roles of Civil Aviation Traffic Officer and Radio Officer were created. They handled air traffic through the use of radio and wireless telemetry equipment. In 1920, the world’s first dedicated Aerodrome Control Tower in Croydon, London was born with three simple features; a platform 15 feet above ground level, large windows and a wind vane.

A new experiment between British and American scientists to locate objects, such as ships and aircraft, by reflecting radio waves was introduced known as Radio Direction and Ranging - or the more catchy radar. Originally developed as a defensive mechanism in WWII, it took some time to ensure the design systems and equipment met the vastly different requirements of civil ATC. Fast-forward almost 100 years and radar is the standard international practice to monitor airspace, with the original 1930s invention being used as the primary system. Like the original, it uses reflected radio signals from all its equipment on the ground to see what gets reflected back. However, it doesn’t differentiate between aircraft, high terrain, weather and even flocks of birds. To ensure controllers have the best possible image of what’s in the skies, a secondary system was needed. The secondary radar system, based on a military function of Identification Friend or Foe, is much more selective and only displays information from the aircraft equipped with a transponder on board. The combined might of the primary and secondary radar systems ensured controllers not only received an accurate image of an aircraft’s navigation, but could also monitor its intention and intervene if necessary.

Although radar provides an accurate and dependable picture of the skies for air traffic controllers, it doesn’t stop their job being named as the most stressful in the world. Only 1% of those who go through training qualify as a controller and will one day become responsible for thousands of flights per shift.

A notable trend in the industry is the move towards digital displays meaning more information is readily available for controllers to view, with better resolution and on larger displays. Although controllers no longer have to deal with misplaced pins or flags on paper maps, they still have to contend with frequency congestion, weather, communication and noise often at the same time. As ATC systems can now display much more information, this means controllers have an increasing workload with more flight data to monitor – which could lead to a higher error rate.

With the adoption of modern technology, controllers face new challenges such as space constraints, readability of screens and ease of use in order to find and use relevant information as and when needed.