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The RAAF ATC course is comprised of three modules - Core, which includes nine weeks of core theory and eight weeks of procedural control, Tower and Radar. Last week, the majority of us finally got to the end of the Core module, passing our IMC approach practical assessments. This brings to an end the longest and most theory intense module of the course. Unfortunately, one of the course members has so far failed to gain a 'competent' mark in the IMC assessment. He has a review exercise on Monday, so hopefully he will pass that and we can take 11 members into the next module.

As we move into the tower phase, we can expect the rate of learning to slow slightly, since Tower is considered the easiest of the three modules. However, with Radar being the last and hardest module, we will have to ensure that we do not slacken off too much during Tower and that we are ready to increase the work rate for Radar.

Not much other news from East Sale. It's generally a case of work during the day, study at night and on weekends, and repeat.... punctuated only by a few events such as Air Force Week cocktail party, Anzac Day parades and Dining-In night.

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I'm now 15 weeks into the 42 week long Air Traffic Control course. The course is conducted at RAAF East Sale. My wife is still in Melbourne while I am at Sale on course. We both decided that it would be better for her to stay in her current job and remain in Melbourne, rather than having to move to Sale and a new job for one year, then have to do it all again at the end of the year when I get posted. She comes to Sale for a weekend normally every month, and I get home when I can on weekends. A lot has to do with the study load.

I started off living on base at Sale. However, this only lasted for two weeks. One thing about living on base is that most single, young, noisy members also seem to live on base. I am none of the above, so for my own sanity and a little bit of peace and quiet, I decided to move off base. I am living in a small (actually, very small) unit in Sale itself, about five kilometers from the base. The place itself is nothing special, but it is comfortable and clean and in an excellent location - a couple of minutes walk to the lake and about the same into the town centre. And it is in probably the nicest street in Sale (something about the worst house in the best street??). Living off base also allows me to ride to work (as short a ride it is) which is helping to keep my fitness at a semi-respectable level. It's also nice to be able to segregate the place I work and study at with the place I relax at.

As for the course itself - where do I start? The first nine weeks or so was taken up with core theory, with an average of two exams per week and a required pass mark for each exam of 75% or greater. The things we were getting taught were not overly difficult to understand, but we were getting taught A LOT of stuff. That seems to be an ongoing thing with the Air Traffic Control thing. The concepts are not overly difficult, there's just a lot of them. And you need to know them verbatim. During the theory phase, classes went from 0740 until 1700, and I would generally spend until around 2100 each night studying and 7 to 8 hours each on Saturdays and Sundays studying. The hard work paid off, and for the majority of exams I received a distinction (95% or above). A couple weren't so good, and I only got credits (85% or above). We lost one course member during the theory phase due to inadequate performance. That's another thing about the course - there is not a lot of margin for error. For the theory side of things, if you fail an exam, you get to do a supplementary exam. Fail the sup, and you are off course. Pass the sup, and everything is ok, unless you later on fail another theory exam (primary, not a sup), then you are off course. It works similarly for the practical side of things, but for the purposes of practical assessment, the course is divided into modules, with each module being treated separately for performance purposes.

The last 6 weeks, and for the next 2 weeks, we have been completing the Procedural Approach control practical module. Procedural Approach it basically getting aircraft from 50 nautical miles (about 90km) away from the airfield to being in sight of the airfield, or vice versa for departing aircraft (the 'approach' in Procedural Approach) without using a radar to be able to see where the aircraft are (the 'procedural' in Procedural Approach). Procedural Approach basically relies on a set of rules and procedures and reports from aircraft to ensure that they don't hit each other. We have completed the VMC (basically, good weather) phase of Procedural Approach and over the next couple of weeks will be completing the IMC (bad weather) phase of Procedural Approach. Two course members failed their VMC assessed simulator session and their supplementary assesments, so they are now off course.

Having started with 14 people, we are now 11, and just over a third of the way through the course. This isn't too bad, since the course before us were down to about 5 people at the same time. Hopefully I will be one of the lucky ones to remain on course until the end, but that isn't going to happen while I'm wasting time updating my blog.......

After 16 weeks of training, I finally graduated from my Initial Officers' Course yesterday. The training has involved various different phases and modules, including ground defence, operations, laws of armed conflict, management, communication and leadership. The training certainly pushed me to my limits at times, but looking back it has all been very worthwhile and rewarding. I feel that I am a better person now than before I started, with a better understanding of myself and my own abilities and how to utilise other people's abilities the best. The training has no doubt put me in good stead for my career as an Officer and leader in the Air Force.

I have added a new gallery with a few photos of the graduation parade. Despite my fear that I was going to pass out on the parade ground, the parade was a whole lot of fun. The Reviewing Officer for the parade was Air Vice Marshal John Blackburn AO, Deputy Chief of the Air Force. I was one of the lucky ones that he stopped at and chatted to while he was inspecting the graduating squadron.

3 weeks to go. First time I have been home in about 4 weeks, due to weekend study. The hard work paid off with 100% for management and operations exams. Despite previously being labeled a 'drill numpty', I passed the final drill assessment yesterday with only 3 errors (you are permitted up to ten errors). Only one big assessment to go - our summative leadership exercise. Then lots of drill practise for our graduation parade.

Our parade is going to be special. At the end of this year, Officers' Training School relocates from RAAF Williams, Point Cook to RAAF Base East Sale. Not only has OTS been at Point Cook for the last 45 or so years, but Point Cook is the birthplace of the RAAF. 04/07 IOC (Initial Officers' Course - the course I am on) will be the last to graduate from Point Cook. So our grad parade will be very historic. Now that I look as though I have some idea about what I am doing in drill, I am looking forward to the grad parade.

The only negative news lately is that I have received an interim posting between IOC and the start of my ATC training. My posting is at OTS. So when the rest of the course pack up and move out the day after grad parade, I (along with four others) get to keep my little bed in my little room and hang around for two weeks helping with the preparation for the move to East Sale. That's life I guess. Welcome to the military.