TIANJIN, Feb. 2 (Xinhua) -- "Air China flight 1371, runway three-four right, cleared for take-off." Wearing headphones and holding a microphone, tower instructor controller Li Huijun gave a plane departure clearance.
Li, 31, has worked for 10 years in Tianjin Sub-bureau of the North China Regional Air Traffic Management Bureau of the Civil Aviation Administration of China.
The 85-meter-high air traffic control tower near Tianjin Airport is the place where Li works.
"We have a panoramic view of the airport through the glass windows of the tower's top floor," said Li.
During the Spring Festival, China's Lunar New Year holiday, lots of passengers chose to return home by airplane.
According to Tianjin Airport, every day it has 450 inbound and outbound flights on average. During peak hours, there will be a flight taking off or landing every two minutes.
"We are like 'air traffic police,'" said Li. "Our daily work is to communicate with aircraft captains and give them instructions to ensure safe flights."
It is quite hard to become a qualified tower instructor controller. Every day before going up to the control tower, they must pass a series of health conditions, emotional status and alcohol tests.
During work, they have to pay full attention to the status of the landing and departing flights and also need to closely monitor the operating environment of the airport and runways even if there are no aircraft around.
"Although the flights are basically the same every day, emergencies we encounter are different every time, which is very challenging," Li said.
In addition, tower instructor controllers need to be on standby at any time of the day. Due to the high tension and concentration at work, they must take a break for over half an hour every two hours.
"Even if we are only on duty for one minute, we must ensure the safety of flights in that 60 seconds," said Li.
After work, they also have to go through various skill training such as simulator training to better deal with an emergency.
"Various emergency situations will be added to our training system. We need to repeatedly practice to better tackle problems," Li said.
Li said she for nine years, she could not celebrate the traditional holiday with her family.
"It was quite lonesome when my family was not around during the festival," Li said. "But I felt fulfilled when I saw flights land safely," Li said.
