Lanseria Airport Becoming A Joke

[CALCULATOR]

Rumour has it that the Lanseria ground freq 121-65 is being closed every day at 14.00 local(i dont know when it re opens).

Yesterday trying to get out of FALA at 14.15 took 45 min???
This matter is a serious safety issue,the poor controller is totally swamped and cannott be expected to do ground,clearences,cotrol etc etc all at once on one freq.

What is the problem,is it because Lanseria will not pay for more ATC or is it a staff (ATC) shortage, either way, it needs to be sorted out before a accident occurs?

GOOD LUCK FOR 2010 SOCCER-LANSERIA YOU HAVE DROPPED THE BALL

[Der absolute Hammer]

Perhaps not?
It is rumoured that a lot of short term or even long term recruiting of ATC controllers is going on in the UK with the idea of having a flying fantastic world cup. Whether any one will really bother to come is possibly another tale in the Grimm saga of sports generating huge amounts of moolah for anyone except those engaged in the filthy practices themselves.
The next big flop or success, depending on many things, will be the London Olympics which only serve at the moment to give something about which to chortle as one passes by on the trains out of London.
What the man at FALA could do possibly is to close the airport to VFR traffic and go fully procedural. That might be safe if time consuming?

[Cloudbouncer]

No foresight from management, should have looked after the ATC when they had enough. Now they need to recruit in the UK what happened to their affirmative action plan.

[Der absolute Hammer]

Blacked out and lost in the darkness.

[CJ750]

Confed Cup Clearances

What is a joke at the moment is this story of having to get a clearance everytime you want to fly. There are so many different versions of what needs to be done and where that there is total confusion. We were told at a conference by a Brigadier General from the SAAF that pilots and pax must be cleared for each flight. but when you call they are not interested in the pax. also the SAP office at lanseria also has demanded from some flights that they must get clearance from him only. stuff the airforce .

ATC shortages will not be the only problem next year. I am sure that the taxi war will be very interesting as well as the construction industry strikes . Cosatu has thrown its weight against the government so there is a lot more that can make us the laughing stock of the world.

And of course what will happen if FIFA ride rough shod over South African laws and ban the VUVUZELA. They seem to be able to make the government do as they please so .........................

[126,7]

ATNS is supposedly getting ATCs from eastern Europe. A handful of Danes are also going. But they're all planed for JNB, not Lanseria AFAIK. ATNS could've had many more ATCs but are not willing to pay for them. So I guess the drama at FALA will only get worse.

[Der absolute Hammer]

So that would tend to confirm the story that Zuma would like to sequester Lanseria on the grounds of non producitivity and make it his own private airfield for the presidential flights. Apparently some well known associates of his have just concluded a huge land purchase from the northern boundary of the airfield right up to and perhaps including Pelindaba.

[radioexcel]

Wait!!!! Cape Town Next....Lost so many Approach and Tower controllers that the unit is on limited staff. Wait and see what happens in the next few weeks

[geordieradar]

There's no light at the end of this tunnel!!!Those delays are only going to get longer.ATNS has no plan on how to fix it,and im sure it'll be some time before you hear any new eastern European controllers on freq.

[Bob3213]

A bit off the ATC-topic, but still at Lanseria:
When paying landing/handling/fuel fees, be sure that you have the receipts for the previous payments! Had avoid paying (for the 5th time!!!) for previous landings, parking, ect. just because I (luckily) had the receipts because they "conveinietly" did not have any record of previous payments paid. Payments were done by credit card...