I was not betrayed in my shift
I have been working in civil aviation since October, 1974.My work in aviation was determined by the place of living and family circumstances. In traffic service I was accepted as an operator and then I decided to become a controller.
When I entered the team, the controllers' staff consisted of military pilots and later of civil aviation pilots. Heroic deeds of pilots during the period of the second world war were rumored all the time. It was nice to know, that you were working with the Heroes of the Soviet Union: Rassohin L.V., Haritonov V.N., Pozhidaev A.V., Nikiforov M.A., and with the pilots, participated in the war, who had a great length of service on military and civil aircraft: Reidel, Rosenhein, Volohin, Lazovsky.
I was interested in controllers' work and asked to send me to the training controllers' courses. Having finished courses in Teaching Training Unit, I started to work at "Ground" under supervision of Nikiforov M.A.
With great gratitude I remember all those people who taught me, directed and helped me during the whole period of work in the team.
Airfirm in Leningrad was developing, air transport services were increasing, air traffic intensity was growing, aprons were broading, the runway was constructed and new aircraft appeared. And the staff of traffic service was changing, as well. Controllers had to do a lot of work.
Our work is of great responsibility and it was pretty hard to work the shift. Working at "Tower" for the whole shift we forget about lunch. There were departures and landing every minute, and it was not easyto settle a lot of problems. It was necessary to form a correct estimate of the situation, to ensure safety of the separation, to coordinate the traffic with adjoining sectors, to perform everything up to the small things in your area of responsibility, i.e. to work confidently and promptly.
In our work, like in any battle, you should feel that, your neighbor not let you down. I wasn't let down in my shift and did the same.
Having made a mistake, you should analyze it before you are reported for it. And only at home you can feel relaxed but in case you worked properly.
I had to learn a lot, and I was grateful to the team for their help in my promotion. Having finished the training courses at Riga's aeronautical technical school, I got the access to work at "Tower", and then I finished the courses of English language, later I was entrusted to be trainer. My apprentices grew up, obtained professional skills, weight and prestige. It's nice to know, that I did something useful. I do not regret I have chosen this profession. I was lucky, I had many good people around me. It is impossible to enlist all of them.
My native first shift: Nikiforov, Gudkovich, Haritonov, Lininsky and other.