I'm glad that you guys have such fond memories!
By the sound of things I've only been in this game for a relatively short period compared to some, but I have some fond memories also. When I started in the frozen north, every scheduled aircraft was a box with wings - the glorious shed!. They still fly of course, but these days they carry the mail rather than the old self-loading freight.
Back to the real issue though.....
Last week, Stornoway airport came within a 'ball-hair' of closure - and I don't mean the Sratcoh type. Only direct action by SRG prevented a situation whereby the airport would have had no SATCO and no accountibility.
The sheer arrogance of ATS management was willing to risk the integrity of the unit through nothing more than stubborness and a determination not to be dictated to by 'ATCO upstarts'.
The tragic irony in all of this is that the "ATCO upstarts" concerned have been HIAL employees for eons and actually have the company interests at heart.
I have enjoyed working for HIAL for 9 years now and believe it or not I'd like to give the company the rest of my career. But there are too many
in postions of authority now, with no aviation/ATC experience. A big cloud of
is forming over HIAL and anyone within spitting distance is liable to be covered in it before long. That is why I have submitted applications to Liverpool, Isle of Man and Belfact City. I know of at least 2 others who have done the same and I'm convinced there will be others besides. We wont all get jobs, but with HIAL staffing already extremely tight, even 2 or 3 leaving will create major problems.
Of course, the Bus Conductor will no doubt employ a few dozen drivers from Poland to replace us. The Call Centre Queen will write up terms and conditions accordingly and the Military man will blow his trumpet loudly in the corner until his face is purple.
By the way, HIAL are under-going rebranding. HIAL will no longer be HIAL. They will be HIA (pronounced "HI") But the best is yet to come.....
There are plans for the new Approach Radar service at Inverness to reflect its future status as a multi-function radar approach service for several HIA airfields. Therefore it will not be "Inverness Approach" but "HI Radar". So there you have it chaps.
"Hi Radar, this is Midland 692U"
What a farce...
Yours mightily
off,
Highland D.