An air traffic controller who spent three decades guiding aircraft into and out of the island said the ability to make decisions on the spot was among key traits that kept her in one of aviation’s most challenging jobs.

Patricia Peets, who started working at the air traffic control tower at LF Wade International Airport in 1995, added that safety and efficiency were also requirements that she perfected during her career.

In addition, several major incidents — including one in which she and a colleague guided 15 jets into Bermuda during the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks on the US — taught her many valuable lessons over the years.

“It has been an interesting career,” Ms Peets said.

She added: “The controllers do a fantastic job here in Bermuda to ensure that we are safe, orderly and expeditious — safety being of utmost importance.”

Ms Peets retired in May after working in the field for 43 years, a career that started in 1981 in her native Barbados when she was hired as an air traffic control cadet.

She took an aeronautical information service course, which was foundational for air traffic control.

Another phase of training in 1983 enabled her to work in the tower at the Caribbean island’s Grantley Adams International Airport, and in 1990 she completed radar training and got certified.

“I worked in radar until I came to Bermuda,” she said.

In 1994, she attended an interview with Serco, a firm working with the Bermuda Government to provide air traffic control service during the transition phase when the US was closing its base on the island and ceding control of the airport.

Ms Peets recounted: “It was a lot which was happening at the time and I had to adjust quickly.

“I guess, coming from an island, it wasn’t that difficult. But there were differences that I had to get used to, like the cost of living.

“Technology has improved, the bus system has improved, so there were a lot of changes over time.”

In April 1995, she was hired at the airport and underwent training with the US military to certify as an air traffic controller on the island.

That June, air traffic services were officially handed over to the Bermuda authorities.

Ms Peets created history that year when she became the first person to guide a commercial flight, USAir Flight 599, into the island.

“It was a memorable experience,” she recalled. “We started from zero. There were five Canadians and two of us were spouses of Bermudians.”

She was hired as a supervisor and promoted in 1996 to the post of deputy manager and training supervisor.

In that dual role, she was responsible for training the first group of Bermudian air traffic controllers in conversion courses after they returned from air traffic school overseas.

During her career, she trained nearly 40 air traffic controllers, the most recent batch being in 2020.

“We went through a whole lot of changes,” Ms Peets said, noting that aviation continues to evolve.

She said continuous training, including monthly open-book exams and annual competency sessions, ensures Bermuda’s air traffic controllers are up to date with the job’s requirements.

She added: “The thing is to ensure people know where to go and look in the books and that they have an understanding of what is required.

“You need to keep current, and we do get busy here for the small size of the island.

“We have corrective action reports, which is not to penalise people but if something happens, we go through to see what changes are necessary.”

Although she functioned as a manager, she also worked on rotation shifts instead of in the office.

This scenario suited her, especially when she worked behind the console in the tower — a requirement to keep her air traffic licence up to date.

She said in Bermuda, air traffic control service is provided to aircraft that are laterally within a five-mile radius from the airport. The boundary extends vertically to 2,500ft.

Air traffic is co-ordinated with New York Air Route Control Centre in Long Island, which guides aircraft into the island until the vertical and lateral boundaries.

Ms Peets said there were instances when Bermuda controllers communicate with the pilots beyond the boundary.

Air traffic controllers work two shifts: one from 6.30am to 3pm and another from 3pm until 11pm.

In the event of an emergency, such as an international flight having to land outside normal hours, certain procedures are implemented.

The process involves a message being sent by the New York facility to the island’s requisite first responders, which include air traffic control.

Ms Peets said a plan was being put in place to have an air traffic controller on call in the event of an emergency, which would be best for an aircraft experiencing a mechanical emergency.

Ms Peets’s most memorable job experience was on 9/11, when she and her colleague guided 15 rerouted jets to the island after terror attacks in New York.

She recalled: “It was challenging because of the number of aircraft we were expected to accommodate.

“As controllers, it was for us to remain calm and deal with the situation and make sure that the aircraft landed and parked without incident.”

Seven years ago, a communication failure at the New York centre meant flights got rerouted to Bermuda.

She said: “The requirement was that we had to take them on and so I worked with another controller and we provided information from New York on the landline to the aircraft

“A lot of the aircraft were transiting from Europe at the time and because of the issue in New York, they had to land in Bermuda.”

The mother of two sons said she overcame multiple challenges, including family life, in her early days on the job.

She said: “I always said to my children, when you all found me, I was an air traffic controller.”

She added: “For me, it was a challenge, but they were able to adapt and I would explain to them the nature of my work.

“I was always there to make sure I attended whatever events they were involved in at school.”

Ms Peets travelled back to Barbados this week.

Although she had no future plans, she said she hoped to enjoy her time off the job.