Flowman,
It was stopped because some operators were using this facility as a means to "cheat" the system by repeatedly updating EOBTs backwards until the slot matched the required departure time.
If the system says that no aircraft can depart at say 1500 on a route to XYZ and consequently issues a slot time of 1600, please explain to me how moving the EOBT back will result eventually in a slot of 1500?..........
To my understanding of the system, in this case the system says that 1500 is not available as a departure time for that route and thus will not issue 1500 as a slot time no matter what the EOBT?
Perhaps making the EBOT 1400 would get a slot of 1455 and perhaps the flight could make that but provided that the system is manipulated and a slot time obtained and obeyed, where is the problem? Is it a problem with computing power i.e. too many requests overloading the system?
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Turn It Off,
So if I am in my aircraft on the ramp and thus no longer able to access the telephone or terminal in the Flight Briefing Unit, you are going to simply say "hey buddy, call back the bus, take 30 minutes to get back to the FBU, send your message, get an ack/slot and get the bus back to the aircraft".........whereupon I am now back at the aircraft 30 minutes after my original EOBT.
Perhaps the board would also haul you over the coals for providing an expedited routing or passing the weather to someone who asks.
Being too busy to do it is totally understandable. Not proving the service on a routine basis smells of laziness :YUK:
Bet your customers just love the value removed service!
What airport do you work at?
Regards,
DFC