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Old 2nd Sep 2006, 21:45
  #43 (permalink)  
Gonzo
 
Join Date: Dec 1999
Location: LHR/EGLL
Age: 45
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BD,

Of course! Ask 600 ATCO's about what they want you get 620 answers.
I'm not talking about 620 different answers, I'm talking about one of two answers. Yes or no. It depends on who you talk to, it also depends whether it's off the record, or more official, or if a manager is present. Even getting people to sign letters informing management of concerns gets difficult if some people have future aspirations for promotion. Oh, they agree with you in private, but don't want to damage their prospects.

I have no problems with the project team in general. It is those 'in charge' who are more concerned with deadlines, budgets and their own workload rather than the ATC requirement and from that safety and service provsion, that I have a problem with.

You can simulate and build scenarios as much as you like but that never ever achieves meeting the real world goal because different people use the system in subtly different ways.
And what if the simulations show that the ATC requirements are not being met? Should we then dismiss them as simulations and see what happens in the real world?

So if there is such a HUGE level of concern I would assume that these people are feeding this back into the project? They're the only ones who can make the project aware of these perceived difficulties and ensure they go on the risk register.
We are. We have been doing that for, what, two years?

Firstly we were told we were being anti-change and that it was just lack of familiarity. Then we were told to wait until the start of our training in the sim and see what we felt then. Then we were told to wait until we got to level 2 (busier) in the sim, and see how we felt. Then we were told to wait until level 3 (even busier) in the sim, and see how we felt. Then we were told to wait until after our shadowing (following through real traffic and R/T in our new tower with EFPS) and see how we felt. Funny how we're still saying the same thing. Funny how EFPS instructors, like me, have now literally hundereds of hours using EFPS at Heathrow, and still we're told it's a lack of familiarity. Really funny. We've been laughing about it for two years.

Check your PMs.
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