What motivated you to do
your training at DFS?
"Standing at a height of 80m, being responsible for aircraft moving many hundreds of metres away from you is fascinating!"
Hannah Heckes Dual student, training as an air traffic controller in Düsseldorf
The career so far
"As a glider pilot, I’ve always been interested in aviation.
I completed my school-leaving exams in 2020. After this, I took on temporary work before starting my dual course of studies at the University of Applied Sciences in Worms in March 2021. I then started my degree, which included a practical phase between each semester. The first was in personnel development and the second in licensing, both in Langen. The third was something special: I was already working at the control tower in Düsseldorf during the university part of my training and made an educational video series with Tower Support about specific areas of the airport that are in direct contact with the tower, such as the fire brigade, bird control, tower evacuation, de-icing and so on."
The motivation
"When I first applied for a training position at DFS, I was still too young.
At a classic careers information event held at school shortly before the final exams, there was a former pilot who talked about flying and working at the airport, as well as about air traffic control. That really grabbed my attention, since I was no stranger to aviation anyway as a glider pilot. So, I applied to DFS – but was immediately rejected, as I was 17 at the time, which meant that the start of training was too far in the future for me. But I applied again later on, and this time it worked out."
The activities
"I’m already authorised to issue instructions – so what I say has weight!
I’m currently in the final part of my training. I sit in the tower at Düsseldorf Airport, where I work as an air traffic controller. Of course, my instructor is always at my side and observes everything I do, but I make all the decisions myself. As an observer, he would only intervene in an emergency if I were to make a serious mistake. But I’m responsible for all aircraft, from start-up approval all the way up to take-off."
"I love high-traffic situations where there's a lot going on and I have everything under control, everything is running smoothly and I'm prepared for whatever may come. It really is a crazy feeling."
The challenges
"I’d say that I basically face two challenges:
those presented by training and those relating to work in the tower. I have 5 coaches in my training programme, each of whom is different, has different requirements and works differently. It’s important to be able to get used to that. The responsibility in the tower is huge. Air traffic controllers, pilots, marshallers and many more all come together here – but this is something I really like.
The most difficult thing for me is weighing up tricky situations where it’s almost impossible to have a perfect answer immediately at the ready. This doesn’t relate to emergency situations, but rather traffic situations where, for example, it’s unclear how many take-offs will fit into a gap or how much you have to slow down approaching aircraft to allow another aircraft movement in front of them. It's sometimes difficult to decide what optional information or subtle signalling words to add to a clearance in order to get a pilot to do exactly what you want."
The corporate culture
"I enjoy being able to rely on my colleagues.
I like it when people work together on equal terms. It’s also great that we can all rely on each other. Not only in the tower, but also on the apron with the follow-me drivers, for example. There’s a great sense of community, especially among the fellow students at the DFS Academy, and not just in terms of learning. The Academy also regularly organises events for graduates of the Academy and new courses.
Your future:
safety in the sky
Become part of our close-knit team
Do you have questions about DFS as an employer?
Simply get in touch with our careers team:
karriere@dfs.de