Brize Radar
Beagle,
We seem to have gone bit off topic, however, as you kicked it off, I shall respond. I was one of the, what you so kindly refer to as, 'TWATCOs' at Brize Radar in the mid-1990s - I believe you were there at the same time - and my views of yourself and a number of other 'aircrew' there at that time are completely reciprocated. Sadly, the majority of the 'problems' in the Brize Zone during my time there were caused by the pilots lack of understanding of the rules that had to be applied in the airspace in and around the Zone, despite the fact that some of those rules were introduced at their instigation. In my time there as one of the flt cdrs I don't recall ever seeing any pilot sitting in the ops room for a couple of hours to get an understanding of the 'problems' from the Brize Radar position - and yes I did fly with 10 and 216 on more than one occasion.
I really had to laugh, because you were probably one of those who whined about being given avoiding action, when your own procedural approach took you outside the lateral dimensions of the Zone, now you whine that the Zone is too big - some things never change. I'm afraid that your attitude and views illustrate all too clearly why the 'problems' at Brize are unlikely to ever change.
I suspect that the only way anything will change for the better is when those that effectively make the rules, insist that they're changed. Then the Brize pilots really need to understand how the rules have to be applied on a daily basis and stop whining when that happens.
Perhaps I should add that I normally enjoy your posts Beagle, but on this occasion I'll make an exception.
By the way, like you I'm retired now too, but I still like to rise to the bait when its dangled.
Proletarian