ATC IssuesA place where pilots may enter the 'lions den' that is Air Traffic Control in complete safety and find out the answers to all those obscure topics which you always wanted to know the answer to but were afraid to ask.
Can anyone shed some light on what has happened to Dublin ATC over the last week or so? Every flight I have operated into there has had a slot due Dublin approach considerations. They then ask for 220kts around 80 miles out, before having a/c route to Dinel and Rokna and then put us on a 20 mile final (RNWY 10). Nine times out of ten we are number 1 to land at 10 miles with nothing at the holding point or on the taxiways. Why all the delays as it never seems busy when they give out slots? It's not just our flights that seem affected, it seems to be every crew I talk to giving the same story. Another thing. What's with the whole staying with delivery to request push and start, only to be told to contact ground with the same details? Why not straight to ground as in the old days (last year)?
The IAA is commisioning a new ATC system at DUB. Flow control has been introduced to ensure safety during the transition. The system is currently operating at just 70% of normal capacity.
Read somewhere they had to switch over to their back-up system last week-end due to missing transponder returns......so maybe the 20 mile final is because thay haven't got you on radar!!!
Or, it could just be part of the great conspiracy to make DUB look busy and important.....and bolster a few egos.
I heard that the new ATC system had a few teething probs, nothing new there. Also remember that Dublin - London is the second busiest city pair in the world... bound to lead to delays.
Well having worked out of DUB for a few yrs as soon as the A330 pitches up there is an immediate sense of panic by DUB ATC leading to min approach speed from 25 nm ! Great ! If they want to be a big airport they have to act like a big airport !
Gosh Jet A1 whats it like to fly a 330? Don't be so full of your own importance. I think it takes a little more than that to panic Dublin ATC. They handle EI 330's everyday.
Yes indeed we are bringing in a new ATC system unfortuatly due to us having to self validate on the new system we have to have 70% of traffic for safety sake .But this does indeed have the effect of making us look like sleepy hollow.
It was last sunday the new system got confused and went tits up, so mad dash back to old system another reason for the slots so we dont have a lot of traffic at once .Being slowed etc and long finals if your number one is just poor controlling and no excuse we do have our fair share of crap controllers but so does everywhere.This is a hugely automated system so a bit of patience wont go amiss its just for another 3 weeks or so then it will be 100%+ again.As for the crap controllers we know who they are expect a mass cull some day soon.
Having to report to two freqs for P+S is a hangover from when they refurbished the new tower in jan and management thought it was a good idea so they carried over to the new system have to agree with you its a crap system making you repeat yourself Sorry.
And for Jet a1 we dont get scared when a 330 pitches up in fact we dont care that some of them have flown 11hrs or not its a TMA it gets busyat times yoou have to take your turn at the approach like everyone else and anyway they mostly slow to 250kts below fl80 or so because there company says so
The arrogance in your post is simply breathtaking.
Others have dealt very well with your ridiculous assertion about DUB controllers panicking when an A330 shows up (despite the fact that DUB handles significantly bigger that the 330 on a regular basis), so i'll not repeat this.
As for "if it wants to be a big airport they have to act like a big airport", lets put a few facts (as opposed to arrogant bull$hit) on the table. Dublin will likely handle in excess of 17 Million pax this year. While that's no Heathrow (and we don't for a second claim it is) it is very much on a par with capital city airports like Copenhagen, Brussels, Stockholm or Zurich. Hardly a backwater my friend... and all this in a country of just 4 million people. Quite an achievement i'd say!
Your post has far more to do with a basically imperial attitude that sees those of us on this side of the Irish sea as a lower form of life. But perhaps you can correct me on my assertions and come up with some facts?
Always a pleasure to deal with Dublin ATC, not sure why there seems to be some bad feeling on this thread. They're professional and pretty much unphased by anything that London or Manchester sling their way, and boy have I slung them some rubbish.
I wouldn't bother advertising the jobs though lads, just put up a sheet of A4 in the restroom at Manchester.
But keep an eye on "Don't tell him Pike" he's a snake in the grass.
Keep up the good work, Dublin, and as for those A330s, it's all computers these days isn't it?
I'd just like to echo Shermanator's comments. On the occasions that I've had to deal with Dublin ATC they've never been anything less than professional, and have never seemed likely to be in the least bit panicked!
Keep up the good work, and don't let the occasional snide comment grind you down!
Are all those Irish lads that were in Germany back in Eire yet? I think there were 18 of them working in Frankfurt, Münich and Bremen. If IAA needs more ATCs, I'm sure there will be plenty of CVs being sent their way, and not just from Manchester
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