Originally Posted by AlanM
I can't comment on this case - but I am interested in your comments
1. When you say the D328 had to route around the SE of England - do you mean it initially flew the whole STAR via SPEAR for a change - and not being given a short cut through LAM? (A LAM release often causes a much busier workload to Thames - and the TMA NE on 118.82 sometimes have to work incredibly hard to get you down to 4000ft by LAM.
2. Please do not have a go at ATC. It is nothing to do with Thames Radar or LCY Tower. The fact that there are no stands must mean that either the allocation plan is flawed, or someone went u/s on stand.
3. There are plenty of airfields to divert to if the weather is that bad.
4. It is only going to get busier - as Thames is expected to work all the Southend inbounds/outbounds from Southend (probably using 4000ft to get them inside CAS)
5. Everything inbound is descending to ALKIN at 4000ft - from SPEAR/LAM/DET - and Thames have only 3000ft and 4000ft to play with (and an RMA that is tiny - and runs DET-BIG-LCY-DET approx)
6. All the CLN/DVR/SAM/LYD SID's climb to 4000ft.
7. Biggin Hill is getting busier and they use the same levels.
8. I have NEVER seen any airline crews to Thames Radar. (I managed to get LCY to pull a few strings to get me on a Fam flight earlier in the year with VLM who are great!)
Why not come and visit - and you will see just how crowded the airspace is. The safest place for a departure when the sectors are overloaded and pilots want wx avoidance is on the ground. I appreciate that this doesn't help at LCY!
And it's only going to get worse with continually increasing eastbound traffic from LTN (not to mention Northolt). During peak arrival times it's not uncommon for STN and LTN inbounds to be held at ABBOT and LOREL, occasionally even further back at for example, BOMBO. When was the last time that a LCY inbound from the north was - for traffic reasons alone - held anywhere? Or for that matter, flew the full ALKIN STAR??
Sorry, but the guys at LTCC regularly bust a gut to get LCY inbounds down below the LAM hold and LHR departures via BPK, etc., and in doing so have to mix it with LTN departures via BPK and other itinerant traffic. The management at LCY (and the flight crews operating there) need to understand that the continuous increases in traffic at LCY cannot indefinitely accommodate what are in effect 'no delay' full-release approaches into the airport. As for stand congestion and 'full house' situations, again this is a matter for LCY's management and it's Ops Department. LTN on occcasions is also nearing 'full house' situations particularly at peak times if there are significant departure delays. LCY's had it easy up to now, thanks to innovative ATC. But the honeymoon period is definitely approaching its end.
