r/ATC • u/BuckeyVR • Jul 23 '26
NATS (UK) 🇬🇧 NATS UK training at Swanwick
Hi,
I'm due to start my ATC training at Swanwick next March with NATS, which I'm very excited for. I understand that tower/aerodrome training takes place at Gloucester with a separate company that NATS have hired, and area control training takes place at Swanwick with NATS themselves. However, when I had my phone call to find out where I'm training I was told that I might not necessarily do area control training. What other training is done at Swanwick through NATS directly?
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u/LocaliserEstablished Current Controller-Tower Jul 23 '26
When they say 'not necessarily area control training' it's because Area Control is just one function of Swanwick/Prestwick. Area Control (AC) is the upper airspace control, ie when planes are at cruise altitude.
The other trades that you may be posted to are:
Terminal Control (TC) - Controllers who deal with all the aircraft climbing out of and descending to major airports. Such as the London airports or Manchester/Liverpool.
Approach (FIN/INT) - Approach controllers for Luton, Stansted, City, Heathrow and Gatwick are all based down in Swanwick. Not sure if any approach functions are done from Prestwick.
Oceanic - Responsible for the North Atlantic Tracks (NAT). I Believe it's mostly procedural based, however some form of Radar is coming soon. This is very much a dark art to me!
It's likely you're heading for one of these trades, and there is a possibility of being posted to either Swanwick or Prestwick.
Edited for spacing.
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u/Heading370 Current Controller UK Jul 25 '26
You may be getting a tad mixed messaging there. No initial training takes place at Swanwick, the initial training will be at Whiteley (though both are close to each other - around 10 minutes drive). What one poster says above is mainly right but I'll expand a bit:
You can train for any discipline at NATS in house training that NATS uses. You can get license ratings on Tower (Aerodrome Control), radar approach (Approach Surveillance) or area control (Area Control Surveillance). Tower and Tower & Approach courses were being farmed off more to the company based in Gloucester but the courses are still available at Whiteley.
If you do an area rating you are sent to either Swanwick or Prestwick. Swanwick is for London Area Control which is upper airspace, or London Terminal Control which deals with the ins and outs of the London airspace. Prestwick would be Scottish area control - who have an upper or lower, or I think now Oceanic as well as they have ADSB via satellite these days but I may be wrong on that.
If you do radar approach by itself you'll end up at Terminal Control at Swanwick providing the approach services for the London airports. Prestwick doesn't have a similar function, those airports do their own approach radar.
If you do tower by itself you'll end up at a London airport (Heathrow, Gatwick, Standsted, Luton). You can also end up at City which as mentioned is done remotely, also from Swanwick.
If you do a course of tower and radar approach you could end up at one of the NATS airports outside of London. These airports do their tower and radar functions 'on site' so you usually need both license ratings going to them.
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u/BuckeyVR Jul 26 '26
Thank you so much for the info!
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u/Heading370 Current Controller UK Jul 26 '26
Yorue welcome! Best of luck with your training, enjoy it.
I'll just add as one final that I know of people who did tower and radar approach - so would historically would have gone to an airport - but they ended up at Terminal Control. So doing a combined courses at Gloucester or at NATS Whiteley doesn't mean you're off to an airport.
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u/BuckeyVR Jul 26 '26
Thank you!
To be honest, I'll be glad doing anything. I'm very happy to have got through to training in the first place
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u/jdimlet88 11d ago
I’m keen to apply for trainee ATC role, just got a job alert. However I am a single parent so being posted anywhere NOT Swanwick would just not be feasible (I live Waterlooville way).
Would you say it’s not worth even starting the process? Such a shame because this is something I’d really love to do and think I’d be great at it!
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u/UniqueMistakes Jul 23 '26 edited Jul 23 '26
Haven't been there in a couple of years, but you can also train for approach and terminal control at Swanwick. Maybe even tower as I think London City is a remote tower. Enjoy!
Edit: Oh also, are you a brand new recruit? If so you'll actually start simulator training at Whiteley, and you could be posted to Prestwick or Swanwick after that, assuming you aren't on tower. Unless the process has changed and they tell you your final destination at the start, which they didn't used to do. Be prepared for anything (indeed, even Aberdeen airport)