PeltonLevel

I have just revisited the Flight Gallery at the Science Museum and rediscovered the Air Traffic Control Console. Although the radar picture (on a rather fuzzy display) and maps are appropriate for London, various labels make me think that the furniture (green Mediator style) may have been recovered from the old Sub-Centre. I never visited Manchester until the new Ops Room was commissioned, so can't be sure. Can anyone enlighten me?

I can't upload photographs, so will need to PM anyone who might be able to help.

ZOOKER

I took some photographs during a visit many years ago, (mid 1980s) and the controller's desks were dark green with, (mainly horizontal), orange radar displays.

ZOOKER

There is an article about Manchester Centre in October's 'Airliner World'.

skyman01

Pelton Level is quite correct. The green Mediator radar suite is one of three which were in the Manchester Ops room until the current Ops room was commissioned in 1993. West Drayton's furniture was grey and didn't have a cursor on the display.

peatair

The current Ops Room was designed about 1988 and the "Radar/Coordinator" concept was tested in EU662 held in April 1989. The "new" Ops Room was intended to last for about 12 years from installation. The latter was completed, if I remember correctly, by late 1991/early 1992 but the positioning of the sectors did not then reflect the design as tested at the EU. In 1993 changes were made to bring the sector positions into line with those originally tested.

Subsequently, various changes were made by the addition of sectors (S25) etc. MACC had some "spare" capacity in the furniture and that proved to be invaluable to NATS as the old LACC wished to "hive off" bits and pieces. Also, somewhere along the way, the old "Liverpool Radar" position was finally kicked into touch.

Over the subsequent years, a lot of work was done on redesign of "sector splits" and such like.

Don't remember all the details any more but I think my basic dates are right. If ATC OPS have retained all the old SIs then much of this history could be recovered - assuming anyone is seriously interested anymore!!

Thoughts must now be turning to Christmas 2009 and then New Year and MACC closure at the end of January - practically 34 years to the day it opened with the "mediator suites" (East and West) and a badly cobbled together Manchester Approach Radar position (single "scan converted" picture) which was nowhere near the facility in the old approach room (located just behind the Visual Control Room).

Hope everyone there is well and good luck to all.

Sincerely
Peter Hargreaves (NATS Retd. 2002)