Originally Posted by
Mooncrest
Thanks everyone. The coordination angle makes sense. Another oddity I read about Norwich ATC was in a book by Peter Crook, a former Genair captain. He quotes an exchange between a Genair pilot and Norwich ATC where the aircraft is given start clearance from TWR and then instructed to taxi to "Marshalling Point 27". The aircraft is then transferred to APP for takeoff clearance. I haven't a clue what a Marshalling Point is in this context, nor have I ever come across the Approach Controller performing the Air control function. Mysterious.
'Marshalling point' is the original name for a holding point on grass airfields with no marked taxiways; used to have them at White Waltham in the '60s when it was still RAF marked with a letter 'M' in black on a yellow background.
Dunsfold used to do the 'contact approach for takeoff' thing in the '80s when I visited a couple of times by air. I was parked by the newer southside tower (visiting ATC); was cleared to enter and backtrack at the intersection and told to contact approach for takeoff clearance.
Cranfield Radar used to operate from a console in the tower at RAE Bedford until Bedford closed; course like Norwich, they couldn't do this at weekends but in those days, Cranfield management did the sensible thing and allowed people to 'self announce' when operating in/out of Cranfield at weekends; why yhey won't do that nowadays is beyond me.
TAG's original plan for Farnborough was for Farnborough Approach to be done from Odiham and when Odiham got its own radar (ODI App/Radar had been done from Farnborough's 'old' tower from 1975 until 2001 sometimes with RAF controllers ['75/76 and '98 to 2001] - and sometimes with NATS controllers '76 - '98) two extra consoles were installed to facilitate this. We (Farnborough ATC) tried to point out to TAG that this would mean no radar service when Odiham ATC was closed ie weekends, evenings, PH and during TACEVALs and they eventually 'saw the light' and ordered a new radar for Farnborough which was ready for use by 'O' date, 23 Nov 2002.