>What, waking the crew up?
No, downgrading to flight information service due to density of traffic.
My memory may have played tricks, but (some people might allege that possibly) I used to monitor Border then Pennine for many years at my desk, day in, day out, and I was used to (allegedly listening to) the fun and games involved in keeping JPs doing aeros, most other RAF types, and even non-radio Italian fast jet formations, etc, apart from civil stuff. I'm not far from Great Dun Fell and (should it be alleged that I listened to ATC), I could hear the controller, too. Great entertainment.
On this occasion, I distinctly recall the service being downgraded, although it may have been to "radar information", although I'm pretty sure it was "flight information".
The note of disbelief in the voice of the Air UK chap on the 146 was amusing. He was routing roughly NEW-GAM, which took him smack through the Vale of York, which, as a general plan, didn't seem that wise. The Pennine chaps always seemed to coordinate well with other agencies so as to not let them dump traffic right in the middle of patches of busyness. Not so on this occasion.
I haven't (allegedly) listened in for years, but note that stuff inbound from the south east for Teesside/Newcastle now stays south of what used to be B1, then turns north-ish near UPTON and skirts the area. This seems a bit odd now, as there were never any major airmisses I heard about in the old days, nowadays there appears to be generally less mil. traffic, and civil stuff has TCAS. (Thinks - I wonder how crews would have coped in The Vale with multiple RAs in the old days if TCAS had existed - as you imply, ignorance is often bliss)
Thanks for the insights!
r
Last edited by Midland 331; 30th Dec 2012 at 11:14.