Trinidad and Tobago Air Traffic Controllers Association
Sep 21, 20203 min
The role of the Civil Aviation Training Centre... is to provide training in the field of Air Traffic Services and other areas within the Civil Aviation industry in Trinidad and Tobago and the Caribbean. To this end students from the following countries have been trained: Anguilla, Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados, Belize, Dominica, Grenada, Guyana, Haiti, Jamaica, Montserrat, Saint Lucia, St. Kitts-Nevis, St. Vincent & the Grenadines, Suriname, The British Virgin Islands, The Cayman Islands, The Netherland Antilles, The Turks and Caicos Islands and Trinidad and Tobago.
The Training Centre is has local and international accreditation through the Accreditation Council of Trinidad & Tobago. It is also an ICAO Trainair Plus Full Member and an IATA Authorized Training Centre. Some of the overseas institutes utilized in the training of Instructors include:
Federal Aviation Administration Academy, Oklahoma City, U.S.A.;
The Royal Air Force School of Education, U.K.;
The College of Air Traffic Control, Hurn, U.K.;
The International Aeradio Limited, Bailbrook College, Bath, U.K.;
The Eurocontrol Institute of Air Navigation Services in Luxembourg;
International Aviation Management Training Institute, Montreal, Canada.
The University of Southern California, Los Angeles;
IATA Training Institutes in Montreal Canada and Miami Florida
The CATC has been staffed by Instructors from the Trinidad Air Traffic Control staff who were themselves graduates of this Training Centre and have acquired extensive experience with our International Airports. They were exposed to “Instructor Techniques” training at an International Institute. A Manager heads the staff at CATC, which comprises a Chief Instructor, ATS Instructors, a Secretary and a Clerical staff.
From its inception in 1963 to this time, the Centre has conducted ‘Ab initio: training courses in Air Traffic Control, Aeronautical Information Services, including Automatic Message Switching Techniques and Supervisory Management. In addition the CATC has been doing refresher and developmental training for controllers from Trinidad and Tobago, and accommodates international courses for Caribbean and South America in the aviation field from time to time. Up to this time, the following courses were conducted.
Air Traffic Control – Aerodrome, Approach and Area
Aeronautical Information Services
Apron Control
Assisting Families & Survivors in Aviation Disasters
Instructor Training Techniques
Radar in Air Traffic Control
Effective Shift Supervision & Management
On the Job Training Techniques
Aeronautical Fixed Telecommunication Network
Radio Telecommunication Procedures
High Frequency – Single Side Band Radio Training
Refresher – Radar in Air Traffic Control
Training in unusual situations and emergencies
Threat and Error Management
In recent years the Trinidad and Tobago Civil Aviation Authority saw the need to venture into other areas in keeping with its role and in collaboration with the University of Southern California conducted the following courses:
Photography for Aircraft Accident Investigation
Accident/Incident Response Preparedness
Aircraft Accident Investigation
Human Factors in Aviation Safety
Aviation Safety Management Systems
Helicopter Accident Investigation
Aviation Security
Incident Investigation/Analysis
The Civil Aviation Training Centre was established in June 1963, as a joint project between the United Nations Development Program and the Government of Trinidad and Tobago. The International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), a specialized agency of the United Nations, initially provided instructors while the building and other facilities were supplied by the Government of Trinidad and Tobago. The Centre’s first Chief Instructor was the late, Mr. L. J. Murphy, an ICAO Civil Aviation expert from the United Kingdom.
The Government of Trinidad and Tobago provided overseas training for the local personnel and in 1972 accepted total responsibility for the administration of the Civil Aviation Training Centre through its first local Chief Instructor, Air Traffic Services, the late, Mr. Samuel Bhagwansingh. At that time, ICAO withdrew the last of its personnel from the project. The CATC formed part of a functioning unit of the then Civil Aviation Division and from 1st October, 2003 the CATC became a unit of the Trinidad and Tobago Civil Aviation Authority, which took over all the responsibilities of the Civil Aviation Division.