Flight controllers watched expectantly as USAir Flight 599 approached the ten-mile mark on the radar at the Bermuda International Airport flight tower yesterday.

Arriving on that flight were Minister of Management and Technology the Hon.

Grant Gibbons and Minister of Transport the Hon. Maxwell Burgess.

The aircraft contacted Bermuda Tower to get permission to land and air traffic controller Mrs. Patricia Peets responded.

"USAir 599 this is Bermuda Tower. Good Morning. Please report your five-mile final approach.'' After checking to see if the wheels were down and the runway was clear, Mrs.

Peets gave the pilot the necessary information to land.

Once the plane landed, ground controller Mr. Lanny Beischer took over and gave the aircraft authorisation to move down the taxiway but hold short of the runway.

Using simple coded phrases like `Alpha taxiway' and `November taxiway', Mr.

Beischer advised the pilot that the firehall would be setting up a welcoming water shoot from the runway.

Five non-Bermudians and two spouses of Bermudians have been hired to supervise air traffic into Bermuda International Airport while five Bermudians are at Bailbrook College in England completing a 14-week training course in air traffic control.

The historic event was successfully handled by three Serco Aviation employees that have been here since March getting special training to work at Bermuda's Airport in order to complete the transition.

Bermuda gives warm welcome to first flight The two spouses of Bermudians, Mrs. Peets and Mr. Lonnie Mitchell, worked along with Canadian Mr. Beischer to coordinate air traffic into the Island.

"Things are running smoothly so far,'' said Mr. Mitchell, who supervises the team. "Since our arrival I haven't run into any difficulties on the job.'' Mrs. Peets, the wife of Marine and Ports Supervisory Foreman Mr. George Peets, worked in Barbados as an air traffic controller before coming to Bermuda.

She explained how flights are directed into the Airport safely. "First of all, the ground traffic person must coordinate at all times with the air traffic controller and specific attention must be directed to the radar screen.'' " The radar screen displays exactly how far away a plane is from the Island,'' she said.

The controller's job is to let any aircraft in the vicinity know whether there are other aircraft in the area, to avoid collisions.

By looking at the radar and scanning the air above the runway the controller can see where an aircraft actually is.

"Planes land depending on which direction the wind is blowing, which is why weather reports are very important,'' said Mrs. Peets.

The weather information must be relayed from Bermuda to the New York traffic control so that they can supply the aircraft with the information.

"Wind direction, visibility, air conditions and temperature information is relayed from us to the pilots via New York upon departure and just before arrival,'' Mrs. Peets explained.

Mrs. Peets went on to say that all the information needed by controllers to successfully bring in a plane is recorded on a flight progress strip.

The strips contain the types of aircraft, the call sign or owner ID, departure and destination information, the route of the flight and departure and arrival times. Also included is the runway information showing controllers which runway the aircraft is landing on.

Before Bermuda took over the Airport a new civilian radio system was set up, replacing the old military system used by the US Navy.

The controllers seemed to be right at home in their new jobs and handled themselves in a professional and capable manner.

Over all it was smooth sailing for Bermuda's first attempt at managing its own Airport.