ATCO

[atcsstudent]

It must be a stupid question, but ATCO means Air Traffic Control Officer or Air Traffic COntroller?
Thanks.
Regards

[HEATHROW DIRECTOR]

Air Traffic Control Officer.

Was it Chris Wren or Roger Bacon who wrote many years ago:
ATCO = Someone who swore he'd starve before becoming an Air Traffic Control Officer and has been doing both ever since.

[aluminium persuader]

HD

you are soooo right!

:D

ap.

[Loki]

Though I`m told that ATCO also stands for Alberta Trailer Company.....then back here in the UK, we also have lawnmowers of that name.

[hold at SATAN]

Thats right! And we work for NATS: Nissan Anti-Theft System

[2 sheds]

So why does my licence - and the law - refer to "air traffic controller"?

[Loki]

The "officer" bit may be a throwback to the distant past when we all worked for one ministry or other e.g. the department of trade and Industry. All civil servants had similar job titles like higher executive officer, or principal executive officer etc.

[atcsstudent]

Thanks very much to everyone!!!

[Quincy M.E.]

Air Traffic Control Officer.
Was it Chris Wren or Roger Bacon who wrote many years ago:
ATCO = Someone who swore he'd starve before becoming an Air Traffic Control Officer and has been doing both ever since.

HI HD

Is this the same Roger Bacon who has a column in Flight? If so: is it a pseudonym?

Thanks

[HEATHROW DIRECTOR]

Quincy.. That's "him". I suspect that Roger Bacon never existed as a person but was the name of a column written by several writers, much like the gossip columns in daily rags. 30-40 years ago Roger Bacon's column was priceless; I don't even know if Flight exists nowadays. Chris Wren had a colum in Aeroplane magazine. He existed and was a brilliant cartoonist.

[Quincy M.E.]

Ah I see, thanks. Well I presume that Flight is the same magazine as Flight International and if so then it does still exist and he has a column every week; though sometimes the humour goes over my head. I guess I have not been in the business long enough.

[Lon More]

Loki wrote:
we also have lawnmowers of that name.

Hence the name "Lon More"

[Number2]

'I guess I have not been in the business long enough'

Quincy, old boy, forgive me if I'm wrong but aren't you yet to even start at Hurn?! Are you even in 'the business'?

[Quincy M.E.]

yeah, hence I have not been in the business long enough. ie 0yrs.

[flowman]

Roger Bacon (c. 1214 – 1294) was one of the most famous Franciscan friars of his time. He studied and later became a Master at Oxford

He possessed one of the most commanding intellects of his age, made many discoveries, and came near to many others. . His Opus Majus contains treatments of mathematics and optics, alchemy and the manufacture of gunpowder, the positions and sizes of the celestial bodies, and anticipates later inventions such as microscopes, telescopes, spectacles, flying machines and steam ships.

I don't think Flight International was around then but you can be sure that is where the name of the cherished column came from.

[makeapullup]

Hey there Lon More.
You must've been waiting a long time for someone to make the connection, must be pretty satisfying. Great name.

Cheers