Originally Posted by
chevvron
Several people from Farnborough were posted there when it was still NATS and they came back with the definite impression that certain persons made it their business to make sure they didn't validate; hopefullly those persons are now gone.
Not to say some controllers at Gatwick (especially in the tower) in the NATS era weren't ace; I was inbound on a fam flight one day and when we were at 4 miles (the previous lander just vacating), they still managed to get 2 departures away before we were cleared to land.
Hopefully this skill has been carried over to ANS controllers.
Not sure about the NATS era, but instructors have made it clear that provided you’re showing the effort and commitment required, they’ll go to great lengths to ensure a successful outcome. I’ve never had a problem with anybody helping me, or guiding me during my training.