Visitors to Swanwick

[Fallows]

It has always been a complaint that aircrews do not visit ATC. On a couple of occasions recently in attempting to show airline crews around the Operations room at Swanwick, and despite them being signed in as official visitors I have been told that they are not welcome in the Ops room and that they should attend the visitors gallery to see the operation. Fair enough, for non aircrew, but how can they talk to ATC staff about things of mutual intrest and see how the system works from the viewing gallery?
Is this official policy? because if so I shall not bother in future and do other things on my days off instead of trying to "help the customers"

[BALIX]

Who told you that aircrew were not welcome? I would suggest that whoever they are, they are a) a pratt, b) non-operational or c) on an ego trip. Perhaps all three.

Aircrew should be welcome in any operational environment and given headsets to plug on the busy sectors. In the good old days of fam flights, there wasn't a crew that didn't make me feel welcome on the flight deck - that should be reciprocated.

In management babble, "customer awareness" is the big thing so it should be encouraged.

Incidentally, there is no problem with aircrew visiting ScOACC.

[Fallows]

I wondered if the "The Management" were concerned about what might be said to the visitors, bearing in mind all the adverse publicity recently about Swanwick.
I would certainly agree with Balix about the hospitality on Fam Flts, but again they have been suspended by the airline managements, contrary to the wishes of the airline crews who found our presence informative and enjoyable(Their quote ,not mine)

[calmdown]

Me and a few lads from our ops went up to Swanwick a couple of months ago and found it very interesting and were allowed to visit the ops room without a problem
All controllers and management were very helpful and friendly!
Thanks

[5milesbaby]

Fallows, who said they were not welcome in the ops room??? If I knew there were pilots around, I would openly invite them to come and sit in with me for however long they like and see what we do. Visiting Nerc and only seeing it from the viewing gallery in my mind is a total waste of time as they never get to see what we actually are doing, which with any famil visit is the point isn't it?? I would bypass any big management types and ask the watch manager or supervisor on the day (a little pre-note won't go astray), or even get the staff involved on the watch.

I remember at LATCC they were given a presentation and lunch before joining the shop floor for a while, and then taken to the sims to play around with it for themselves. All I knew that did it said it was great fun, so why not do it now?????

[WX Man]

Sorry for trawling this one out of the archives, but I was wondering if you guys ever arrange visits for your expatraited colleagues? I am around Hampshire over Christmas and was interested to see the inner workings of NERC, if that's possible.