JW411
16th May 2011, 18:33
Is anyone else out there finding the latest situation at Shoreham a bit tedious?
Those of you with a memory might remember that the so-called management decided to give three month's notice to all of the ATC staff back in March in order to save money.
This resulted in a huge outcry and eventually the local council prevailed and decreed that full ATC services would continue.
Of course, in the meantime the ATC staff were looking for other jobs.
They have now reached the point where if one single member of staff goes sick, then chaos results.
Last time I flew, they put out a NOTAM at very short notice stating that;
From 0730 - 0930Z there will only be an A/G service.
Now that sounds good until you read the next line which states that this can only be by PPR and, what is more, PPR cannot be applied for before 1500Z the previous day!
Then, the airfield will be closed from 1130Z - 1200Z and 1400 - 1430Z and 1630 - 1700Z so that the ATC officer can take his statutary break.
Then we revert to A/G only until closing time (whatever that might be) but we still have the same PPR requirements.
Now I am sure that all of you out there read your NOTAMs most assiduously and have absorbed all of the foregoing in an instant.
However, do not think that you have cracked it for the NOTAM changes on a daily basis. In fact, I was told by a reliable source that Friday's opening hours were only NOTAMed on Friday morning at 0800Z!!!!!!!!!!
I never fly from Shoreham at the weekends but I am told that it was bedlam this weekend.
This morning, nothing moved until 1030Z.
A friend of mine called up for taxi the other day to be told that they were in A/G only mode and that everything was PPR only and that they were only accepting one movement per 15 minutes. He asked for PPR but was told that he hadn't applied the previous day. Nothing moved for an hour, PPR or otherwise.
How long can this shambles go on for?
As a postscript; I have just looked at the Shoreham website and I see that they managed 12 arrivals and 11 departures today and it was CAVOK all day. That should pay the bills!
Those of you with a memory might remember that the so-called management decided to give three month's notice to all of the ATC staff back in March in order to save money.
This resulted in a huge outcry and eventually the local council prevailed and decreed that full ATC services would continue.
Of course, in the meantime the ATC staff were looking for other jobs.
They have now reached the point where if one single member of staff goes sick, then chaos results.
Last time I flew, they put out a NOTAM at very short notice stating that;
From 0730 - 0930Z there will only be an A/G service.
Now that sounds good until you read the next line which states that this can only be by PPR and, what is more, PPR cannot be applied for before 1500Z the previous day!
Then, the airfield will be closed from 1130Z - 1200Z and 1400 - 1430Z and 1630 - 1700Z so that the ATC officer can take his statutary break.
Then we revert to A/G only until closing time (whatever that might be) but we still have the same PPR requirements.
Now I am sure that all of you out there read your NOTAMs most assiduously and have absorbed all of the foregoing in an instant.
However, do not think that you have cracked it for the NOTAM changes on a daily basis. In fact, I was told by a reliable source that Friday's opening hours were only NOTAMed on Friday morning at 0800Z!!!!!!!!!!
I never fly from Shoreham at the weekends but I am told that it was bedlam this weekend.
This morning, nothing moved until 1030Z.
A friend of mine called up for taxi the other day to be told that they were in A/G only mode and that everything was PPR only and that they were only accepting one movement per 15 minutes. He asked for PPR but was told that he hadn't applied the previous day. Nothing moved for an hour, PPR or otherwise.
How long can this shambles go on for?
As a postscript; I have just looked at the Shoreham website and I see that they managed 12 arrivals and 11 departures today and it was CAVOK all day. That should pay the bills!