26left
Sorry – this is no rant. This is my normal, calm (schizophrenic) mode of expression!!
Although provision of SAMOS by ATSAs may be OK for the smaller UK airfields, EGLL doesn’t fall into this category. It’s far busier – or haven’t you noticed? The EGLL ATSA workforce has just been reduced, and this on top of the fact (as pointed out by Gonzo, an EGLL ATCO, I believe) that the VCR ATSAs are already identified as having more work to do than the pre-reduction staffing level catered for - hence the ATIS being currently prepared in their Flight Briefing Unit. Adding additional tasks to a depleted workforce is asking for trouble, both for the ATSAs, and by inference, for the ATCOs as well. The “element of job protection by task combining” counts for jack !!!!! if there aren’t enough staff or available man-hours to carry out even the original tasks in the first place, let alone the new additional ones! DOH!!
TheOddOne (or should that be “Howdy Pardner!”)
Who said anything about not liking change? Are you implying that the EGLL ATSAs themselves are being awkward/difficult about this? I happen to agree with you, (and I am sure that the EGLL ATSAs will too) – “from a technical point of view” SAMOS will work perfectly well at EGLL – provided that the ATSA staffing and training issues are addressed first! “Change” itself is not the issue here.
I wonder what you, the LGW ODM, (the customer!), would think if your beloved airfield ground to a complete halt because of an airfield incident directly attributable to incorrect SAMOS information being relayed by an ATSA who was found to have received insufficient training? I don’t think our “partnership” would last too long after that!
Gonzo -
I am informed by my EGLL ATSA friends (non-ppruners, I may add, but they know who you are!) that you're a good egg (for an ATCO!), and are respected for your support shown to them on what are usually considered "trivial" ATSA matters by some of your colleagues. For what it's worth, thanks - these days, any ATCO support for the ATSAs at any NATS location is most welcome, and earns a brownie point in our book!
