Originally Posted by
NW07
Chevvron, yes I believe Biggin did have unlicensed ATCO’s as well as Hamble. I wonder what the route was to that? I presume in those days there was no air ground communication service? So I guess, before FISO’s came in, the only options were licenced/unlicened ATCO’s or nothing, did we even have safetycom then?
Thanks,
Nick
There was no ROCC in those days; according to Reg at Blackbushe, he just started doing the radio one day (after Heathrow Director who was a licenced ATCO, had been 'discharged' by the owner of the airfield) using ATC phraseology. The Southern Regional examiner based at Heston (John Sharman) was a frequent visitor to Blackbushe and never raised any objection.
In the '70s, NATCS (predecessor of NATS) had its own FISO training system for its H & I airfields; the tels officer was supposed to be trained to carry out RTF should the ATCO Manager not be available. I'm not sure if any sort of licence or certificate of competence was issued for this; presumably it all changed when FISO Licencing was introduced and unlicenced ATCOs banned but I'm not sure when this was, sometime about 1980 I think.