How was your shift?
Get it off your chest.
Tower, approach and en route controllers, flight service, Defence controllers, trainees and supervisors. Thousands of lives on every shift. Put down what you're carrying before you head home.
Which best describes you?
This changes a few questions and which support lines come first. You can change it any time.
Everything you enter stays on this phone. Everything you enter stays on this phone. Nothing is sent to your employer, the regulator, your supervisor or anyone else. Unladen Tower is a prototype. It is not a medical or emergency service and is not connected to any air navigation service provider, regulator or government agency. · Give feedback
Take a moment.
If you've just come off position, take a few minutes away from the console before you do anything else. That's allowed, and it's safer.
Breathe with this
What you might be feeling
- Shaky, sick, or a racing heart
- Numb, or oddly calm
- Tearful, angry, or both
- Replaying the traffic, over and over
These are normal reactions. They usually settle over hours or days.
If you're worried about your medical or licence
Many controllers worry that getting help will cost them their medical. Talking to a counsellor or GP early is usually what protects it. Ask your union or a confidential line about how it works before you decide anything.
Ground yourself
Look around. Name them, out loud or in your head.
Call someone now
Add your supervisor, a colleague or your EAP in so they're here when you need them.
Not sure who to tell?
If you don't feel safe telling your supervisor or manager, there are other people you can go to. Or write down what happened, just for you, while it's fresh.
What helps after
Handover to yourself
A few minutes after you hand over. Notice what you're carrying, then leave what you can in the tower.
Please talk to someone now
You said you've had thoughts of harming yourself or not wanting to be here. Please call one of these now. If you're in immediate danger, call 000.
Light load
This phone isn't letting the page save. Your result shows here but won't be kept.
About the investigation
Being part of an incident review is stressful, even when you did nothing wrong. Ask for peer support, talk to your union before interviews, and remember that just culture exists to learn, not to blame.
Your safety
You said you didn't feel fully safe. That matters. Tell your supervisor if fatigue or staffing is affecting safety, and use your reporting system.
Getting home safely
You said you've got very little energy left. If you're driving after a night shift, a 15 to 20 minute nap before you leave can help, or get a lift. Text someone when you're home.
What might help
People you can call
This isn't a medical assessment. It's a way to notice how you're going over time.
How it's been going
Last 14 days
Handovers
This phone isn't letting the page save, so handovers won't be kept.
Privacy & your data
Add a PIN, download what you've entered, or delete everything from this phone.
Holding the picture
What to watch for, and what helps. Tap a heading to open it.
A loss of separation or near miss
- A racing heart and replaying it afterwards are normal, even when it ended safely.
- Ask for a peer support or critical incident debrief.
- It's OK to step off position for the rest of the shift.
An emergency or accident
- Controllers often carry an accident long after it's over, especially if there was a voice on frequency.
- Debrief with your team and peer support.
- If it's still strong after a couple of weeks, see your GP or EAP.
Investigations and reviews
- Talk to your union before interviews.
- Write down what you remember while it's fresh, for yourself.
- Just culture means honest mistakes are for learning, not punishment.
Fatigue, rosters and staffing
- Fatigue is a safety issue, not a weakness. Report it.
- Protect sleep before night shifts.
- Write down rostering or staffing concerns, with dates.
Training, checks and ratings
- Check rides and rating training are stressful for almost everyone.
- A failed check isn't the end. Ask for a clear plan.
- Talk to someone who has been through it.
Your medical and getting help
- Many controllers delay help because they're worried about their medical.
- Ask your union or a confidential line how disclosure works before you decide.
- Getting help early usually protects your medical rather than risking it.
Signs you're carrying too much
- Dreading going on position
- Replaying traffic at home
- Trouble sleeping on days off
- Drinking more to switch off
- Snapping at people
High-stakes work affects everyone. It's a normal response, not a weakness.
When to get more help
If your load has been heavy for two weeks or more, talk to your GP or EAP. A GP can set up a Mental Health Treatment Plan for Medicare-subsidised sessions with a psychologist.
People to call
Save the ones that apply to you. They stay on this phone and show up on the Help now screen.
Support lines
You don't have to go through your supervisor
Sometimes the person you would normally tell is part of the problem, or it just does not feel safe. Here are other ways to get support. You choose what to do, and when.
From your organisation
Your employer can add its own EAP, peer support and critical incident contacts here.
Someone outside your reporting line
- Employee Assistance Program (EAP). Free, confidential counselling. Your manager isn't told that you called.
- Peer support. Trained colleagues who know the job.
- Your union. Civil Air, or your Defence chain of support, can advise you confidentially.
- Your GP. Outside work altogether, and can refer you on.
Text or chat instead of calling
For when talking out loud isn't possible, or feels like too much.
For particular situations
Numbers and services are for New South Wales and Australia-wide.
Spiritual and religious support
Some people find strength in prayer, ritual or their faith or cultural community after a hard day. Others find it in nature, music, exercise or quiet. Whatever gives you meaning counts.
If your workplace has a chaplain or wellbeing officer, they support people of any faith or none. Their role is to listen, not to persuade.
Words to start with
The first sentence is often the hardest. You could say:
"I'm not ready to make a complaint. I just need to talk this through."
"Can this stay between us? Is there anything you'd have to pass on?"
"I had an event on shift and it's stayed with me."
"Can we talk about how this affects my medical first?"
What happens if I tell someone?
- Counsellors, peer supporters and helplines keep what you say private. The main exception is if someone is at serious risk of harm. If you're unsure, ask at the start.
- A union can give you confidential advice before you decide anything.
- Your supervisor can take you off position or change your roster if you ask. You don't have to explain every detail.
- Your private record in this app stays on your phone unless you choose to share it.
Not ready to tell anyone?
That's OK. You can write down what happened, just for yourself, and decide later.
Numbers and services are for New South Wales and Australia-wide. Check with your organisation for its own services.
Write down what happened
It stays on this phone. It isn't a report, and nothing is sent anywhere. If you later decide to raise something, notes written at the time are easier to rely on than memory.
My entries
Entries can't be edited, so each one shows when it was written. To add something, write a new entry.
No entries yet.
If you decide to share it, you can download it or send it to yourself.
Your phone, your data
PIN lock
Ask for a PIN when the app opens, and after it has been in the background for a minute.
PIN is on.
The PIN stops someone else opening the app on your phone. It doesn't encrypt what's stored, so keep your phone locked too. If you forget it, you can delete everything and start again.
Hide the screen
Tap the eye button at the top of any screen to cover the app straight away, for example in the crew room or on the way home. Tap to come back, or enter your PIN if you've set one.
Download my data
Download everything you've entered (handovers, private record and contacts) as a text file. You could keep a copy, or show it to your GP or counsellor.
Delete everything
Deletes your handovers, private record, role, contacts and PIN from this phone.
Delete everything from this phone? This can't be undone.
About Unladen Tower
Unladen™ Tower is a prototype made by Co-Synthesist Pty Ltd, Newcastle NSW. Unladen™ is a trade mark of Co-Synthesist Pty Ltd. It isn't a medical or emergency service, and it isn't connected to any air navigation service provider, regulator or government agency. The questions haven't been clinically validated yet.
What's stored: your role, handovers, private record, saved contacts and settings, only in this phone's browser. Nothing is sent to anyone. There are no accounts, analytics or trackers.
Feedback: the feedback form is the only part of Unladen Tower that sends anything, and only when you press Send. It doesn't include anything else from the app.
Keep in mind: if you clear your browser data or remove the app, what you've entered goes too. Download a copy first if you want to keep it.
Version 0.1 prototype · October 2026