Being an Air Traffic Controller requires dedication, commitment

…says aviation veteran Roy Sookhoo

Have you ever wondered who the pilots on your flight over Guyana may be talking to on his/her headset? Well, one such person, an Air Traffic Controller and veteran aviator Roy Sookhoo can tell you many tales of his experiences as a “controller” after some 34 years and counting in the profession.
Sookhoo, who is one of the country’s senior Air Traffic Controllers, is attached to the Guyana Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA), the umbrella aviation body in Guyana. The job at hand is considered one of the most stressful ones globally, whereby a human error can be costly to those in flight.

But for Sookhoo and his colleagues, one must be dedicated and mentally strong to complete the tasks which come with the profession. “As an Air Traffic Control Officer, the main challenge is the need to design your lifestyle around your ATC schedule since you are a link in a chain of events that occur daily in aviation and there is a requirement of sincere commitment and dedication towards the job,” Sookhoo said. In addition, he said it requires the “art of balancing your private life and work.”
The former Bishops’ High School student recalled entering the profession back in 1988 as a second option since he was planning to enrol at the University of Guyana to further his studies. At the time he was in the field of mechanical engineering.
He said a technician who was working at the ATC tower at the Cheddi Jagan International Airport (CJIA) at the time told him about a vacancy for controllers. Back then, he was working at the now-defunct Sanata Textile Limited. “I thought it would be interesting to do the interview since I previously visited the tower on a Bishops’ High School tour in the early 80s,” he said.
As fate would have it, he applied, and in May that year he entered the profession as an Air Traffic Control Assistant. Today, he is the Manager – Air Traffic Management and he is also the point person at the GCAA in the event of aviation search and rescue operations, a position he holds after he completed the Search and Rescue Administrator Course at the Singapore Aviation Authority, Changi Village, Singapore in August 2016.
Sookhoo said the late Robert Singh, an aviation veteran who is revered in ATC circles here, was his mentor. “He was very strict and managed the system on the tip of his pen. He was fixed on discipline and once said that there are no excuses for lateness, not even the rainfall since it rained long before we were born,” he quipped.
He said he has had multiple memorable experiences on the job but one which stands out was the 2008 disappearance of a Beechcraft model aircraft, bearing US registration N87V which has not been found to date. The aircraft, which was carrying out geo-surveys at the time over Kamakusa Mountains in Region Seven, had three persons on board – two Americans and one Canadian.

Neither Captain James Wesley Barker, 28, First Officer Chris Paris, 23, Canadian Patrick Murphy, a Geophysics Technician nor the aircraft have been found to date since their last known flight on November 1, 2008.
Sookhoo said he was nominated coordinator of the search and rescue mission for the aircraft and he recalled hours upon hours of collaborative efforts between the GCAA, pilots, local airlines, and the Disciplined Services to find the missing aircraft. He said even the latest technologies were used to find the aircraft, all of which prove futile. He said he also experienced some emotional moments when several pilots, whom he grew close to through the profession, perished in different aircraft accidents. Among those were young Caption Niron Mirza, Captain Clement Joseph, and Captain Vic Nandan.
Sookhoo offered some advice for those who are still young in the profession as well as persons who may wish to enter the field. “They are to be dedicated, quick learning skills, possession of excellent intercommunication skills able to mentally retain critical information to make quick and accurate decisions in a timely manner whilst working in this dynamic environment,” he said. Importantly, he noted that they must understand their peers and work for national development, not for fame or favour.
He lauded the move by the Government of Guyana in acquiring the new Bell 412 helicopter which he said has extensive search and rescue capabilities and it can also be configured for jungle extraction. He also listed the efforts of all local pilots in their daily efforts to develop the aviation sector especially Captain Michael Charles whom he noted, continues to be an aviation icon in Guyana.
The passing of the late Captain Michael Chan-a-Sue was a huge blow to the aviation sector and according to Sookhoo, the late pilot provided extensive support for unilateral development of search and rescue in Guyana.
Guyana’s economy is evolving rapidly with the onset of the oil and gas sector and according to Sookhoo, there is a critical demand for persons to take up roles in air traffic control since there is already a boom in the offshore helicopter operations and increasing demand for cargo and passenger flights into the country. “This sector is going to explode into a great commercial entity for Guyana’s development in the near future,” he said.
As regards his career, Sookhoo said his wife and two sons have stood by his side as his career evolved and he expressed appreciation for their support. He described the staff of the Civil Aviation Department and the GCAA as hardworking and he said they have displayed a great degree of patience and commitment towards him throughout the years.
“My vision is to see the aviation sector develop to a major revenue earner for our country and the need for more emphasis on the development and management of our hinterland aerodrome, development of improved search and rescue capabilities for our airports and overall, nationally towards a quest to save lives a more efficient manner,” he noted. A dedicated church-goer, Sookhoo also thanked the Almighty Father for ensuring he undertakes his duties with much dedication and commitment.