I've resisted posting here until now, but I have to respond to that niknak.
Correct me if I am wrong, but I think that the age range at Inverness is not as young as it used to be. If that is the case, although they're entitled to be considered for radar training, they'd have to pass the apptitude tests and convince the company that they'd be a good investment.
That's not a dig at the older atco's - being old and decrepid myself - I know what the practicalities of such considerations are.
There are 8 full time Atcos at Inverness. The majority are mid 30s to mid 40s and would appreciate the opportunity to progress to APS. The remainder in the upper age bracket have no desire to undertake any such courses.
I would hope that they can find the cash to invest in training some of the younger atco's who've served HIAL so well doing ADC/APC at some of the far flung points of the Scottish universe.
It is worthwhile stating that each and every one of the Inverness staff have spent several years working at the more remote units of the HIAL empire. Indeed the only way to land an ATCO job at Inverness (until now) was to work up from the outstations.
Inverness is the busiest procedural ATC unit in the UK by far and for many years now, the ATS staff there have been 'making it work'. The Mon-Fri Lossie agreement is clumsy at best and dangerous at worst.
Weekends can be madness. 4 Instrument Holds and co-ordination with 3 different ACC sectors - 1 telephone line. GMC/TWR/APC - 1 frequency.
Have Hial placed any ads for radar ATCOs recently? I saw the ad for Radar rated Atcos with OJTI a few months back but did I miss any others? Has there been anything in Flight?
My understandning is that HIAL have no radar rated ATCOs (I may be wrong though). They'd have to go some to be off the ground next summer without some serious recruiting. Unless of course they've had a program of sending their own staff on APS courses for some time.
The only advertising HIAL did for Radar ATCOs was through their own website. From this, they managed to recruit 1 Radar Atco with limited experience. Other than that, they intend to train their own staff.
At this stage however, only one Inverness ATCO has been sent on and completed a radar course. HIAL ATS Management have had the opportunity to send 2 or 3 other Inverness ATCOs on courses but have elected not to. This has caused much consternation within various departments as the time keeps ticking away!
Rumour says that the Lossie agreement will end early next year whether the Inverness radar project is ready or not.
'Seven-day radar cover should be in place at the airport by summer 2007,...'
I doubt it!
