405 movements in a single day at Luton is significantly different to the days when flying club touch-and-goes made up the numbers.
Luton has NEVER achieved before over 400 IFR 'airways' type movements in a single day and it's an amazing achievement given the lack of ground infrastructure and the lousy airspace infrastructure with which ATC at Luton and at West Drayton have to contend.
As far as LLAO is concerned, it's high time that they acknowledged that they're no longer running a quiet regional backwater of the type Buster remembers when he was a youg lad in short trousers, and so should staff accordingly. And as far as the West Drayton planners are concerned, they desperately need to sort out things such as Northolt's effect on Luton, parachuting delaying some of Luton's departing flights, and not just the mess around Brookmans Park.
How do they get the time to clean the commodes up there? Is the average ATCO age still 75?
Buster - instead of sitting around in your bear garden gorging on honey and magic mushrooms, you should get out more: why not arrange a visit to your former workplace, and see how it's changed? Only a handful of controllers there are over 45 and those that are do the same fine job as their younger counterparts. Old bears like you should be cautious about being ageist, otherwise you might find yourself being shot and then stuffed...
And a helpful and accommodating radar team!
No Sir! An ATC radar team that simply does its job (
and a very professional one), just like the guys at Gatwick, Heathrow and Stansted radars, not to mention the TMA North chaps sorting out the above-mentioned airspace mess.
Well done to everyone involved!!
