happiest atcos??

[toomuchradiations]

...i have the impression that the "airways atcos" over europe enjoy their job more than the ones who work at the airports' control towers....any truth in this???

thanks!

tmr

[throw a dyce]

Could be that the Airport controllers have to work to much tighter tolerances than the en-route ones,so there's no time.
Certainly in Nats a lot of Airport guys get paid way less than en-route,but work as hard if not harder,so they could be a bit p-ssed off about that.:hmm:
But then I'm not cynical.:* :uhoh:

[toomuchradiations]

why would the guys on the airways get more money??

[ifaxu]

Because if you pay peanuts you get monkeys!! Airways work more difficult with some exceptions and those exceptions get paid more eg Heathrow and Gatwick in uk.

[throw a dyce]

That's a can of worms that I'm not going to open.:hmm:
Example yesterday.En-route are trying to co-ordinated with a very busy approach about 2 a/c going to arrive at a fix within 5 mins of each other at the same level(unit instructions).These a/c are only 55 miles apart.
Approach radar vectors the same a/c 3 miles apart down final.The en-route controllers max pay is about £16K more than the approach guy.:\
It's something to do with Nats management,Prospect union,shafting small units with no voting power,lining own pockets,not understanding what units do,etc etc etc.
But I ain't going down that road:p
Ifaxu,
I prefer crisps to peanuts actually.Better go and get my banana now.:cool: :cool:

[ifaxu]

I also cannot understand the inequalities of the banding process. We all work hard (at times!) for our money and it seems unfair that some get paid so much less. Off to burn some of my excess cash now as the bank wont take any more!!

[duece19]

.These a/c are only 55 miles apart.
Approach radar vectors the same a/c 3 miles apart down final.The en-route controllers max pay is about £16K more than the approach guy.:\


But the approach dude managed to loose 52 nm somewhere along the line :E

okey okey... I´m already out the door

[terrain safe]

Atcos happy??

Hah never happen

[Lon More]

;) Easy, the retired ones
http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y204/Badyin/scan0001.jpg
Eurocontrol A.I 1 Luxembourg 1970

[Turn It Off]

Is that moustache drawn on?

TIO

[VH-GRUMPY]

Is that moustache drawn on?

It has to be - he is only 14!

[niknak]

From left to right: Gary Linekar, Frank Skinner, Bloke with false moustache, Adrian Chiles, someone else and some else.

sorry, this won't mean much if you're not from the UK and into soccer, but any guesses for the others?

[atcSA]

:} :ok: :E :D

[Banana Split]

the guy on the right holding his head up with his hand looks like Jose Mourinho!

[terrain safe]

The guy far right looks like Stephen Fry.

[JustaFew]

Suited bespectacled fellow is Jarvis Cocker?

[rolaaand]

Nice pic,proving that what was true in 1970 is true in 2006,the happiest ATCOs are the ones that have finished a shift and are in the nearest pub. One question. Why has the young lady sat to the right of Ian Hyslop got a 'tache?:E

[HEATHROW DIRECTOR]

Surely, the happiest ATCOs are those who enjoy their jobs? I loved every minute and I worked just about all "skills" except Area Rad and PAR.

http://members.aol.com/berksbirds/hrow.jpg

[Lon More]

H-D Indeed a special breed of men (?) work in the Tower:p


Real Retro gear - I had an electric hat like that in 1967

[HEATHROW DIRECTOR]

Yeah.. I was spinning with Les West's watch when he retired.. They told me to come in wearing a bow-tie, etc. I'm afraid I don't take things that seriously so my wife knocked up the bow - it's in psychedelic orange and blue. Naturally, B Watch all rolled up in their 80 guinea suits and frilly shirts. Oh well... at least the Tels bloke who climbed the steps to the ASMI would remember it. He looked in the window, saw me doing 10R deps and nearly fell off!

[clicker]

Great bow tie there HD.

Perhaps the TELS guy thought you were about to take off yourself.

Were the shades for effect or hiding something from a previous night out?

[PPRuNe Radar]

Nice gesture by your grand-dad to let you borrow his cardigan :ok:

[javelin]

Lon More - judging by the quality of London Control's transmissions, I think they have found another batch !

Happiest ATCO's - One's that have taken their ATPL and now are controlled:E

[chevvron]

HD: Beat ya! At my unit we did approach radar, tower, area radar and PAR; that was after I did my area radar cadet year at Lindholme; those JATCRU's were really great places to work; we were situated just outside the Midland Radar overhead.(that should bring back a few memories)

[250 kts]

Lon More - judging by the quality of London Control's transmissions, I think they have found another batch !


Why, what have they been up to this time?:confused: :confused:

[Honey Monster]

Chevvron

You forgot the procedural approach for the place up the road

Reg

[javelin]

250kts

As I wend my way down the airways of the world, the transmission quality from London is markedly poorer than most other places and has been for some time. I always find I end up having to turn up the volume to hear what they are saying.

Germany, Portugal and Canaries are always better :ok:

[HEATHROW DIRECTOR]

javelin.. I think you will notice that the transmissions from many towers - Gatwick, Heathrow, etc., are superb. They used to be good when Heathrow Approach was at the tower building. When we moved to West Drayton Open Prison we had many complaints from crews and those of us able to listen "from the outside" confirmed that the transmission quality was nowhere near as good as from Heathrow. This point was made to the various authorities but some telecommunications "experts" probably wrote us of as "ATCOs - they don't understand". Unfortunately they were wrong! I do not know current progress.

ATC transmissions from the state-owned units were always first-class but, sadly, they're not much cop now. Mind you, there's an airfield I know where the AFISO would achieve more if he learned CW - the R/T is appalling!

[javelin]

HD - I guess it is like our mob, if they can save a penny they will but not think of the consequences. Thanks for the reply

Jav