RAF ATC keeps her cool in Afghanistan

RAF ATC keeps her cool in Afghanistan

A People In Defence news article

11 Jan 10

A mother of two, Flight Lieutenant Karen Lofthouse is an Air Traffic Controller (ATC) with the RAF who has recently been working at the UK's fifth busiest UK-controlled airport, Camp Bastion in Afghanistan.

Flight Lieutenant Karen Lofthouse outside the Camp Bastion Air Traffic Control Centre
[Picture: Cpl Steve Bain ABIPP, Crown Copyright/MOD 2009]

Flight Lieutenant Lofthouse joined the RAF in 1996 and is based at RAF Leeming. She was posted to Afghanistan in August 2009 when the temperatures topped 50 degrees Celsius.

No matter the weather though the RAF-run airfield at Camp Bastion is always busy, with over 12,000 aircraft movements a month.

Flight Lieutenant Lofthouse's role in Helmand was to control these vital air movements that support the ground forces in their battle to rebuild Afghanistan....(much more here)