Well put Numpo, I just wonder which cupboard all these 60 controllers are in and when they're going to let them out. By the way because of his superb work over the last few years you should remember that Mr Semple has been rewarded with promotion to Deputy Chairman. There's now another fall guy as CEO.
Slippers, as a DTY controller who wasn't there at the weekend and hasn't spoken to anyone about these particular events but has seen it many times before, a typical scenario would be:
Only 2 controllers available for DTY when normal rostering requires 3. As a result the sector has to be run bandboxed on to 1 position with no ability to split long term. Sector has to be flowed for single staffing. TPLD forecasts high traffic levels due to a North about transatlantic flow with DTY rapidly filling up with transatlantics from the continent. As a result TMA departures will be capped to remain below DTY. This situation sounds as if it was repeated on Lakes/Wirral.
Now we all know just how accurate the TPLD (Traffic Prediction Load Device?)is. So seeing only 5 a/c at one particular time in DTY is not really that surprising. What was it like 15 mins before or after? In a world of sensible traffic management the TPLD could actually say that this '5' minute period was going to be busy and that '5' minute period wasn't and then perhaps we could exercise some precise traffic management that for that period and allow TMA deps, for example to climb earlier. Of course in this example this would effect LKS/WRL and whatever traffic problems they have as well. There is of course that famous phrase makes me reach for my revolver whenever I hear it. 'Flow control is a very blunt instrument'.
Is anyone, anywhere seriously looking at reducing the size of time periods used for flow control so that instead of 36/60 we might be able to use 6/10? That would reduce the risk of bunching and its associated problems and risks and because of that might actually increase the amount of traffic we could handle. Controversial?
But anyway Slippers my guess is that they expected a lot of traffic, which for the most part they got and at the same time had a shortage of staff. Hey, if it gets too busy put a flow rate on yourself, there's not point in being overloaded yourself because of staff shortages at LATCC (until we find the cupboard anyway)