A new air traffic control simulator has landed at East Midlands Airport - the only one of its type in the UK.
Students from Castle Donington College were among the first to test out the kit at the Aerozone - EMA’s dedicated on-site education centre.
The equipment is to be taken into schools and colleges across the region to inspire young people about careers in air traffic control.
Under the watchful eye of an expert, students will have the opportunity to guide aircraft in and out of the airport under various scenarios.
A voice-activated system makes for a life-like experience with users having the opportunity to verbally communicate with virtual pilots and respond to changing situations.
Paul Kay, Air Traffic Services Manager at EMA, said: “There is a perception that air traffic control is a vocation for the most academic students with the best education. I want to bust this myth.
"While it’s certainly a highly-skilled profession, I want more young people from all backgrounds to realise that it’s a career open to anyone. To succeed, you need a certain attitude and a preparedness to work hard.
"However, the effort required really does pay off because it’s one of the most fascinating careers to pursue.
"It’s for this reason that once trained, so many people stay in the profession until they retire and, with many controllers throughout the UK coming to the end of their careers, we need to start inspiring more young people to consider this work as a future career.”
