Originally Posted by DFC
Fo all of those that think autotriangulation is available in more than about 1/5 of UK airspace, please remamber that below 3000ft, it is only available south of Manch and East of Cardiff. That is what they tell you when you visit.
So your assertion about Auto Triang availability (should actually be coverage) is in factual error. It is available throughout the whole of the London FIR but coverage varies due to terrain. I think you'll find the wording is guaranteed coverage above the levels, some days its much better.
Isn't it ironic that the best safety service is not available over the most inhospitable areas of the UK while it is most available in the SE corner where the land is low lying, lots of emergency services available, relatively flat open terrain and plenty of navigation aids and radars with low level coverage!
Low lying land means better coverage with fewer aerials. If there was a stated requirement then coverage down to lower levels over more hilly terrain could be provided. This means more aerials and more equipment.
D+D is there to serve a miltary purpose - military D+D. That is why they have a lovely board with the latest info on all the military fields but little or no up to date info on the common civil GA ones up on their board. Since they are there anyway, and they can make some money out of it, the military traditionally have provided a service on 121.50. Make no mistake about it, if the military get into a muddle and are using D+D to sort it out, civil emergencies will have to wait. All the eggs in one basket system.
Your assertion is incorrect. D&D provide both a military and a civil service, it is not the case that they 'traditionally' provide a service on 121.5. NATS has a licensing requirement to provide a fixing and alerting service, they pay the MoD to provide the manpower because it makes considerable sense to have people who are both trained and dedicated to providing an emergency service provide it to both. It is a dreadful mistake to suppose that D&D controllers will ignore a civil one in preference to a military, they will deal with both as they arise. From personal experience I have handled more than a single emergency at one time. London D&D have 2 controllers on duty 24/7 because its much busier airspace than that in Scotland, so its even less likely they'd be unable to cope with multiple emergencies.
DFC I suggest you gather some facts before pushing the send button because you're making yourself look a bit of an @rse.
BD