Originally Posted by
RetiredBA/BY
............Cant remember such a serious system crash in my 25 years of civil flying, not counting French mischief !
Back in the '70's, my Dad, who was then a senior ATCO at West Drayton, had to "ring up France" one day and tell them not to let anything take off, after a UK ATC system failure. So not a new or unique phenomenon, just very very rare.
Anybody who has attended an ATC pilot liaison day in Swanwick, cannot have failed to be impressed by our UK ATC. Working in their ATC simulator, we pilots deliberately selected incorrect headings and wrong altitudes etc, ha ha ha !,.......but all were picked up within moments. Oh....... They are actually very good these guys and gals.
Then, in a later exercise the simulator instructors failed the main ATC computer, leaving the ATC crew back to paper strips and primary radar. The way the UK ATC staff calmly coped was very impressive, and quite humbling to be honest.