Ensuring MET personnel competence Regulations and Procedures Mario Kunovec-Varga CROATIA CONTROL Croatian Air Navigation Service Provider

Air Traffic Act Regulation on the Conditions to be met by Assistant Aeronautical Personnel providing MET services for Air Navigation The Regulation defines the conditions and procedures for obtaining, issuing, maintenance, suspension and revocation of licences, ratings and rating endorsements, as well as the professional qualifications, training, assessments, examinations and other conditions that need to be met by assistant aeronautical personnel providing MET services for air navigation.

Tasks Performing operational tasks - MET observations, recording operational meteorological data and presenting MET information (MET technicians) Performing operational tasks - MET forecasting and consultations (MET forecasters) Preparation and supervision of operational performance, quality management of MET information (MET specialists) In order to perform its tasks and duties, assistant aeronautical personnel need to have the prescribed professional qualifications, completed training, a licence, a medical certificate (for operational tasks) and English language knowledge of a prescribed level.

FLOW DIAGRAM OF PROFESSIONAL TRAINING FOR OBTAINING A MET LICENCE PRACTICE THEORY EXAM LICENCE THEORY? PRACTICE? Pass subjects practical part ≤ 2 ≥ 3 FLOW DIAGRAM OF PROFESSIONAL TRAINING FOR OBTAINING A MET LICENCE Professional training for obtaining a licence, ratings and rating endorsements is performed according to the professional training program created by Croatia Control Ltd and approved by the Ministry of maritime affairs, transport and infrastructure. The professional training for obtaining a licence with ratings lasts: 1. 12 months for MET technicians and forecasters; 2. 24 months for MET specialists. The practical part of the examination for MET technicians and MET forecasters is performed on the job. The practical part of the examination for MET specialists consists of presenting a paper in the specialist’s field. AM forecasters –University degree Medical certificate for AMP-health ability- Maintenance of AMP licences (every 2 years)

Types of professional training theoretical practical specialist transitional Transitional training is training an employee with a valid MET licence in order to obtain additional ratings, special endorsements or in order to change the licence class.

1. General MET station observer OJT 2. Ordinary MET station observer Licence class Rating Rating endorsements MET Technician 1. General MET station observer OJT 2. Ordinary MET station observer 3. MET operator 4. VOLMET operator 5. MET documentation operator MET Forecaster 1. Terminal forecaster 2. Area forecaster Instructor lecturer 3. Regional forecaster MET Specialist 1. MET standards 2. Hazardous weather phenomena Head instructor 3. MET coordination 4. Climatology 5. Observing system technology 6. Instrumental observing systems 7. Forecasting system technology 8. Meso and postprocessing 9. Nowcasting 10. MET INFO systems The rating General MET station observer implies the rating Ordinary MET station observer. The rating Regional forecaster implies the rating Area forecaster, and the rating Area forecaster implies the rating Terminal forecaster. OJT instructor implies competency for performing professional on the job training in the rating field. Instructor lecturer implies lecturer and examiner competency for subjects in the rating field. Head instructor implies lecturer, examiner and coordinator competency for all fields of professional training of assistant aeronautical personnel and air traffic controllers.

Maintenance of licences, ratings and rating endorsements For operational tasks: OJT- on the job check (24 months) For specialist tasks: A 3-member committee assesses the specialist’s written paper on accomplishments in the past 24 months A licence ceases to be valid if: All the ratings have been revoked – the licence can be renewed by passing the whole exam or 2. The period of validity of the ratings has expired – the licence can be renewed by passing the practical part of the exam. The rating endorsements are valid if the licence holder has performed his/her tasks successfully for 5 years. A special competency check is performed: 1. If there has been a break in operational duties lasting more than 2 months; 2. If there is justifiable cause to doubt the professional competency of a licence holder, if his/her behaviour or actions could have had an impact on air navigation safety; 3. After each advanced professional training, knowledge refreshment or expansion of skills, and when operational systems and procedures change.

Theoretical subjects MET Technician 1. MET standards 2. The basics of aeronautical meteorology 3. Weather analysis basics 4. Weather forecasting basics 5. The basics of cloud physics 6. MET observations and information distribution systems at airports 7. International meteorological codes 8. Basics of climatology of airports and airways 9. Fundamental air navigation knowledge 10. MET information and phraseology 11. MET documentation 12. English language

Theoretical subjects MET Forecaster 1. MET standards 2. Aeronautical meteorology 3. Weather analysis and diagnosis 4. Weather forecasting 5. Mesoscale meteorology and very short range forecasting 6. Satellite meteorology 7. Radar meteorology 8. MET observations and information distribution systems at airports 9. International meteorological codes 10. Climatology of airports and airways 11. Fundamental air navigation knowledge 12. MET documentation 13. Hazardous phenomena 14. English language AM forecasters –University degree

MET Specialist All the theoretical and practical subjects for MET Forecasters and at least one of the following ratings 1. MET standards 2. Hazardous weather phenomena 3. MET coordination 4. Climatology 5. Observing system technology 6. Instrumental observing systems 7. Forecasting system technology 8. Meso and postprocessing 9. Nowcasting 10. MET INFO systems

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