Vercingetorix

Sheikh Zayed Air Navigation Centre begins providing Approach Area Monitoring Services at Al Ain International Airport Category : GCAA, * Date : Oct, 20 2010

Al Suwaidi: This step is necessary to help increase the airport movement capacity and regulate the airspace for training aircraft

13 October 2010
Abu Dhabi, UAE: The General Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA), through Sheikh Zayed Air Navigation Centre, started recently providing approach area monitoring services at Al Ain International Airport. This is the first service provided by GCAA to UAE airports. Previously, it used to monitor the airspace only for aircraft flying over, arriving at, and departing UAE.
“This step is necessary to help increase Al Ain airport movement capacity and regulate the airspace flexibly so as to allow more aircraft to fly and land in it.” H.E. Saif Mohammad Al Suwaidi, Director General, GCAA said.
“Besides normal chartered flights, Al Ain airport has civil and military aviation training schools, and our aim is to participate in making it effective using the latest air navigation systems in the region and the world, provided by Sheikh Zayed Centre.” He added.
On his part, Mr. Hasan Karam, Director of Sheikh Zayed Air Navigation Centre pointed out to the importance of this service: “It saves time, effort and money, using a unified electronic system in line with the best international standards.”
“It is necessary to provide the approach monitoring service in Al Ain airspace as there are more than 500 air movements. The team at Sheikh Zayed Centre developed last year a radar system for monitoring air movement and scheduled training on the new equipment for 130 air controllers and assistants at Al Ain airport and Sheikh Zayed Centre.” Karam added.
Prior to this step, the previous system used traditional systems that depended on flight time allocation without the use of electronic radar systems to monitor the approach area. The new service provided by Sheikh Zayed Air Navigation Centre is expected to increase safety standards with four safety networks in place: horizontal approach early alert, mountain alert, prohibited area alert and vertical height change early alert.

The above as provided by the National Newspaper

However it is interesting that the ACC are doing Al Ain Approach with no APP licences - and the CoCs have been signed by someone without the endorsements on his licence!!

The Numpties aka The Teflon Dunce and the Pot Bellied Danish Cartoon character continue the downward spiral in regard with compliance with ICAO standards.

I said in a previous thread that I would cease writing about the ACC but when they are in such blatant disregard of accepted ATC norms I feel that this has to be brought to the attention of the traveling public

I take exception to the comment by Mr. Hasan Karam, Director of Sheikh Zayed Air Navigation Centre when he pointed out to the importance of this service: “It saves time, effort and money, using a unified electronic system in line with the best international standards.”
He knows little of what he speaks when he mentions international standards as he consistently ignores both the ICAO Standards and the GCAA's own Regulatory Board.

A comparable example to an AREA rated controller being asked to do an APP function would be that of an A320 rated pilot being asked to fly a B757.
Not something that one does, otherwise why have Type ratings and ATC ratings?

With the continually rising traffic levels in the UAE it is seriously time to question the competence of the Numpties!


P.S. Note that the SZC is doing App without ANY licences having even been issued! No one there has a validated App rating


Addendum

A further reason for this non compliance could be that the operational head, as opposed to the titular head, of the GCAA Regulatory Dept is a 'PussyKat' who just rolls over and has his tummy tickled by the DANS and his Advisor, otherwise he would be joining the ranks of the recently fired.

Nobodys Desk

So the APP qualified guys moved from Al Ain to the centre are nothing to do with this then

Vercingetorix

Nobodys desk

Al Ain Approach Radar was introduced with no consultation with Dubai Approach even though they share a boundary with Al Ain Approach to the north. The day it went live Dubai Approach didn't even know which frequency to switch aircraft to, how they were supposed to coordinate traffic and with whom.

On night shifts the Area Sector combines with Approach and the staff working that have had only one days training on Al Ain Approach. They haven't even got the dodgy Al Ain APP radar rating. They don't have an Al Ain APP Radar rating at all.

The ACC has ATCOs currently working approach who have never held a civilian Approach rating, let alone completed an ICAO approved Approach course ever.

Hope this helps

Vercingetorix

Nobodys desk
Further to my last re Al Ain transferees :
No CoC checks, just getting on with App Radar (the privileges of which licence they have not exercised in years), and they are signing off other people even though their endorsements automatically became suspended in accordance with the UAE Civil Aviation Regulations Part VIII when transferring to another unit.

Most "normal" places around the world plan well ahead, and apply for a structured 'Greenfield' rating process (after a safety case has been prepared, assessed, and accepted by the Regulator) based on thorough training, assessments, and a progression to a fully rated and validated ATCO workforce.

In house training & CoCs would never be permitted until the Greenfield approved ATCOs have achieved sufficient acceptable local experience, and have applied for (and been granted) appropriate endorsements.

The GCAA ANSP has not adhered to normal practice.

Cheers

VoxPopuli

The ACC guys can not be issued with APP Radar ratings 'cause then they will all f...off to Abu Dhabi/Dubai Approach.

Number2

Am I the only person wondering how long Verci is goingto go on banging the same old drum?

clipped_wings

Surely this issue deserves to be discussed.
Personal attacks really make no contribution to the discussion.

Number2

It's not a discussion. No-one cares enough to comment.

radarman

Number2,

Verci does go on a bit at times. I don't know any of the personalities involved the Sandpit, and maybe he is a lone crusader with an axe to grind. But if only a tenth of what he alleges against the GCAA is true, there really should be some serious a*se kicking of senior management. The fact that no-one cares enough to comment could well be simply the same apathy that let NATS steamroller through its policies because nobody could be bothered to vote. Most ANSP's (and any other management come to think of it) know they can walk all over their staff because at the end of the day people have a job to protect and don't want to stick their head above the parapet.

AirNoServicesAustralia

I don't think it's out of apathy that noone replies. The guys currently in the frying pan, are either resigned to the fact that nothing will change, and they are all about job preservation, or they are too scared of punishment if they do reply. Everyone there knows that big brother is watching and reading.

I like most have become resigned to the fact that nothing will change. Those who choose to stay know what they are signing on for.

Vercingetorix

Number 2

Perhaps you should rephrase that to: No one dares enough to comment.

ANSA is correct, especially when he says that big brother is watching and reading.

radarman
All of what I post re the GCAA is true. If you were to try and operate a unit in this manner in Europe you would be swiftly shut down by the relevant regulator.

Cheers

Red Dragon

Not strictly true actually. Wasn't that long ago when a small European country was operating without a regulator (albeit trying to comply with what Eurocontrol were suggesting but without a commitment to do so) and where none of the ATCOs had an ATC licence. I'm pretty sure it's still the case too.

RD

Vercingetorix

Red Dragon
You describe the UAE setup in a nutshell except that they, the UAE ANSP aka the 'Gruesome twosome', N.B., not the rest of the GCCA, actually do not recognise, nor adher to ICAO SARPS..
The rest of the GCAA is working within ICAO requirements.


Now:
PANS - ATM Chapter 4 Para 4.1.2

Approach control can be provided by an aerodrome control tower or an ACC under certain conditions or by an approach control unit.

ATCO requirement.

ICAO Annex 1 Para 4.5.2.2.3 following the different requirements for the various ratings this para gives the following.

When the applicant already holds an air traffic controller licence in an other category, or the same rating for an other unit, the Licence Authority shall determine whether the experience requirement of 4.5.2.2 can be reduced, and if so, to what extent. And Para 4.5.2.2 is all about experience for instance satisfactory completed an approved training course, work under supervision etc.

So, they can do what they are doing without breaking the rules, however it might not be a good idea if the approach unit is busy. The sector capacity should however be declared and could be declared for various scenarios where ACC doing APP duties could be one.

With reference to the 'Gruesome Twosome' there has been no regulatory approval; no licences issued. They have been declaring themselves as "Al Ain Approach Radar" which is rather different from an ACC providing a limited App.
The Licence Authority has determined nothing - they were not presented with anything to determine! They, as in 'Gruesome Twosome', have been using endorsements (which are not valid) for signing people off. They did APCs for Al Ain Approach radar - suspected to have been a "paper exercise".

As I said before , if in Europe, they would be called to account.

Uberlingen comes to mind!

Cheers

Iain

P.S. The excusatory clause of a 'small european country' is not admissible as the UAE is represented on the ICAO council and is pretending to be one of the big boys in the forefront of safety, regulation, etc!

Ask why so many well qualifed personnel have been recently fired to assuage the egos of the 'Gruesome Twosome'. Is it that those fired were all stupid, I doubt it as, after all, they were hired on their qualifications, or could it be that they questioned the experience of the 'Gruesome twosome'. One of whom has only five years in EKCH APP and the other has only 4 years in the ACC and the latter cannot write comprehensible english

Time to move on into the real world.

Groogle

It has been mentioned before, the GCAA is being run by young, inexperienced personal who naively accept the Great Danes words. The dane, being an advisor, distances himself from any comeback, after all he only advises. Unfortunately, it is the entire GCAA upper management that lack the experience to run an authority hence the lack action where action is required.

GoodJobBaas

What's interesting to me is the lack of discussion coming from members known as UAE ACC controllers. It makes me wonder if its a sign of resignation to 'the way' or if disciplinary action has been threatened.

Either way, hands down, the best story to come out of this move is from the second floor. Person comes from approach unit to be consolidated, person does not validate (or come close), person is put in charge of consolidation. I guess the passport was right.

I believe it was the great LanaSlayer who said "welcome to the UAE, start planning to leave".

Vercingetorix

GoodJobbass
Correct on both the second floor and the 'Passport'.

Cheers