Originally Posted by DFC
Thank God that the other 1000s of controllers in hundreds of FIRs throughout the world can be relied upon to go for months without an emergency and then be 100% trusted to help get someone out of the poo.
D+D need to get themselves a PC sim and some imaginative instructors who can simulate various scenarios more realistically than some C150 doing a practice pan that will only be brief and will only be done in VDF or radar coverage. Do you do practice pans with aircraft outside VDF and radar coverage?
Your point seems to say that lost of practice in fixing positions of light aircraft operating VFR is required. Heavy types with 400 pax and complicated emergencies and in need of special handling do not require any practice at all?
Regards,
DFC
More heading shaking from me..... I dont profess to know what goes on in your cockpit so refrain from telling you what to do.... hint!
The other 1000s of controllers you refer to dont work in London Centre. I believe the set up in the UK is unique, no other country has as far as I am aware a unit dedicated to monitoring 121.5 & 243.0 .Thats primarily the only controlling we do whilst in D&D. The other controllers you refer to are controllers routinely handling traffic day in day out thus keeping their hand in. Controlling is a profession that like flying is reliant on maintaining currency, we soon go rusty & get behind drag curves if skills are not practised.
We would benefit enormously from having PP calls that are as challenging as the real stuff we deal with but we dont try to elict those sort of calls on 121.5 as it is understood by all D&D staff that there is a repercussion to the CAT flyers and they would invariably lead to longer calls.
Yes we do practice PP calls when ac are outside radar coverage (they often are in reality due to low altitude for wx) Invariably to the tune of CAT moaning about it.
No we dont have the oppurtunity to practice with airliners as we recognise the difficulties that would cause for you therefore we dont ask.
Yes we do understand the principles of radio waves & that you can hear PP calls hundreds of miles away as we hear CAT ac every few minutes during the day on 121.5. Incidentally one of the CAT guys made an excellent job a week or so ago of stuck tx on 121.5 for about 20 mins making it impossible for anyone to tx on 121.5 from the midlands south.
I dont mean to point my finger at CAT but its attitudes like those displayed by DFC that pi$$ me right off. Telling me as an ATCO what my unit should be doing & berating anyone who dares to make use of 121.5 for practice just isnt on.
WE ALL KNOW THAT ANOTHER FREQ IS NEEDED! Why wear out your heartbeats moaning at those who are legitimately operating within the system as is ???? Do something about the present system or stop moaning
AT us. All that you are doing from my own personal perspectrive is making your profession (one I currently hold in high esteem) look not quite so professional.
Diddley Dee