Crowded skies

[Norfolk in breaks]

All of us that fly around the London area are well used to a busy ATC environment. Is it just me, though, are are things really approaching breaking point? Returning into LHR via OCK today, we were given a frequency change and had to wait for a break in communication that just never came.

The controller was obviously working at the limits of mental capacity. The rate of speech was noticeably greater than normal simply in order to fit the incessant stream of instructions into the limited time available. One had the impression of a highly competent juggler constantly being tossed an extra ball every few seconds and only just managing to get rid of the old ones.

Throw in a few crews unfamiliar with the procedures and an emergency and this would have rapidly moved from a thing of wonder to absolute chaos. Or would it? Can anyone out there in ATC assure me that there is sufficient spare capacity just waiting to cope if things go wrong?:confused:

[320DRIVER]

Must agree with you... if the frequency has become so busy that we don't have time to start our transmission with a polite "Goodmorning" or "Goodevening", it must show us that we are reaching a saturation point.

I really admire those guys/gals on the ground who vector us about that crowded airspace but I think UK (and European) aviation in general must take a good look itself before we start some unpleasant trend.

[Avman]

With the scheduled airlines buying smaller aircraft and increasing frequencies - not to mention the explosion of "no frills" carriers - is it any wonder? I fly between BRU and BHX fairly regularly. Over the years it went from one airline and two flights per day to three airlines and sixteen daily (weekday) departures. The latest increase on this route came when BA replaced the A319s with ERJs and increased the frequency. Apart from the DAT/SN Brussels Airlines RJ100s all other services are operated by CRJs and ERJs. With the exeption of a few flights on Monday/Tuesday mornings and Thursday/Friday evenings, most fly with less than 40% loads. Now, this is just one example but it is repeated throughout Europe. You're all going to love this but I think it's time to regulate air travel in Europe again!

[Mike-Hunt]

Aviation is not clever.
We have allowed the mindless intrusion of countless small aircraft into our airspaces without a single careful thought. Greed and the stupid way airlines are managed have got to carry the blame.
ATC are cracking up because of these idiots and we haven't a hope in hell. The sky's like the M6, M25 etc...

[Lieutenant Dan]

As a controller, I had my first overload last week.

And about time, too. I was starting to feel left out.
Unfortunately, it seems even when things aren't overloaded the R/T levels can be extremely high.

For what it's worth, we understand the frustration for you chaps not being able to get a word in. But also really appreciate your help and professionalism.

So, from me at least, "THANK YOU!"

[Loki]

I`ve had a few overloads, and I would have to add to the previous post my respect for the aircrew who sensed that all was not well on each occasion (my unnaturally high pitched voice perhaps) and contributed to a happy outcome via a high level of RT discipline. Thanks guys!

[Nogbad the Bad]

Norfolk in Breaks wrote :

Can anyone out there in ATC assure me that there is sufficient spare capacity just waiting to cope if things go wrong?

Sorry.........no can do !!!!!!!!

[Pan-seding]

Its a difficult time as a controller. You take over a sector that you can see is about to blow, you want to call for help but know that none is available and its down to you. You take a few deep breaths and wait for the onslaught to arrive. An automatic mode takes over, a result of good training and experience. You know you are on the limit of your abilities, but take pride in the fact that you are coping and helping. You unplug ,the adrenalin still pumping hard through your veins. Then just right at the point where you are at your proudest ,a little voice at the back of your head says "What if there was a Mayday in amongst that lot?". We are fortunate that very few of us get to answer that nagging voice. For the rest of us that thought is a real deflation, because the truth is we are just not sure.

[HEATHROW DIRECTOR]

I assume that Norfolk was referring to one of the TMA frequencies rather than one of those used by Heathrow Directors? We're rather fortunate on the Heathrow sector that due to airspace constraints there is a limit to how much traffic we can be responsible for at any one time, whereas our TMA colleagues get hit from many directions. We're also dead lucky that we get very, very few of the clockwork mice which Mike referred to.

My task hasn't changed much in 30 years - same two runways (albeit with slightly different names - didn't "28L" sound better than "27L"?), same stacks, same intermediate approach area, etc. Just a few more restrictions to do with London City... and the utterly infernal noise abatemrnt stuff to mess us about!! OK, our movement rate has doubled in that time but we're now doing it with fewer staff and fewer operating postions. Either we've become enormously skilled miracle workers.... or Paul Daniels has a hand in it (I'm inclined to believe the latter).

I'm assuming that Norfolk arrived last Saturday afternoon. I was there all Saturday morning and it was dead - like d-e-a-d. For a major airport in the middle of summer one had to wonder what all the baloney was about lack of slots, etc. The busiest session was before we got there, from around 6-7am, when the off-going night watch managed 50 landers! For the rest of the morning I don't think we reached 40 too often, simply because there was so little traffic offering.

However, with all this in mind, one can still be super-busy. There are things going on in the sky which our airline chums don't know about and which involve us in lots of co-ordinating phone calls, etc, so although it may apparently be quiet it may not be for us! Conversely, we can appear to be comatose when it is very busy. Under good weather conditions... nice day preferably with a slight down-wind component one can spend a perfectly peaceful hour on No.2 Director (120.4) and then discover from the Big Brother machine which registers our performance that one has done a "45 hour".

It's a bizarre job, but great fun. The problem arises when controllers cease to see the fun side and get too serious...

[HEATHROW DIRECTOR]

A follow-on from my previous message. Yesterday was somewhat more hectic and some crews must have wondered what was going on. There's some sort of airshow at Farnborough for which they've put a huge exclusion zone smack in the middle of right-hand downwind for our easterly runways. For some time yesterday afternoon that zone was active, meaning that everything from BIG and OCK had to be routed over the ILS for a left-hand circuit. Getting the CPT departures away was a bit of fun too; the slow climbers (mainly those dreadful A340s) certainly got the adrenalin flowing. There was no ILS on the landing runway 09L so we had to do visual approaches and, oh yes, a certain fast ship came home with an engine problem!

These things are sent to try us.......

[vertigo]

HD,
Apparently, they were so short staffed on Saturday morning, they had to get a gatwick controller in to do the 6-7 hour. Maybe that was why they landed 50 ?;)

[HEATHROW DIRECTOR]

Where's Gatwick exactly?

[canberra]

on the subject of crowded airspace, i read an item in pilot a couple of years ago about a bloke flying a c150 from la to ny. in the course of his trip once he got airborne he didnt see another aircraft until he landed!

[spekesoftly]

Sounds like a case of poor 'Look-Out' !! ;)

[120.4]

Norfolk:

I believe the answer to the essence of your question is that there is not sufficient spare capacity to operate the current ATC system safely. We keep saying that safety is top priority but the truth is that in shifting the amount of traffic we do off the infrastructure we have with the number of ATCOs available we are cutting corners and one of the worst areas is R/t congestion.

Like HD, I too do Heathrow, as my handle might suggest. The loading on 120.4 has been measured in trials at over 95% during peak periods and I believe that flies in the face of a "safety paramount" culture. Heathrow is the only sector that I am aware of in UK ATC where the traffic delivery is deliberately set ABOVE the capacity of the landing runway in order to pressurise the system. There is some merit to this in terms of capacity but the downside is that it exposes us to other risks. That is a direct trade between capacity and safety.

It has been agreed that the longest period of time 120.4 can be without r/t is just 5 seconds. Yes, just 5 and for that reason we are the only sector in TC that has a completely separate stand alone r/t back up. Our job is to put aircraft closely together whereas most sectors try to separate and with aircraft in such proximity time is of the essence. One often hears the final director muttering "shut up, shut up, shut up" under his breath when traffic is talking to him and he wants control of the r/t.

Personally, I have taken to using vertical separation more often. I am sure many would say that isn't necessary in that it adds a workload but there have been occasions when I was glad of it.

We are paid to do a difficult job as well as we can, not to stick our necks out by cutting corners.

Point 4

:)

[Direct HALIFAX]

for 120.4 and Heathrow Director

I thought the Final Director task was being computerised to make it easier. What happened to FAST.

[ATCO Two]

:eek: Think Bren's about to explode!

[sector8dear]

FAST - withdrawn - don't know whether it was crap or not but sources tell me that it was cost as well!

[HEATHROW DIRECTOR]

Bang!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Two computerised systems have been trialled, supposedly to simplify the final director task and FAST was somewhat better than CAAS, which was briefly trialled in the 70s. You will have to speak to our bosses to get the official line on its current status.

Personal view: Unfortunately, such systems required a degree of controller input and in some operational positions the additional workload outweighs any benefits. The final director task at present requires 5 essential components - a radar display, a wireless, a felt-tip pen, flight progress strips and a genius. If you start adding bits and pieces which divert the attention of the genius then you lose the benefits of the bits and pieces. Experienced Heathrow Directors, left alone to their own devices, were able to beat both systems in terms of traffic shifted.

The other problem, which I am sure our aircrew friends will readily confirm, is that when you allow a task to be fully computerised the human operator loses his skill very quickly. When the computer falls down you are left somewhat in the lurch..

[Scott Voigt]

We canceled PFAST over here due to it doing about the same thing as a good controller. It also needed more money to get all the bugs worked out. NATCA told the FAA to spend there money on something else...