Just out of Interest has anyone thought what will happen if the military do pull out of providing the service at the end of March 2007. Surely the airlines will be very seriously concerned? Even if the Military are required by their bosses to continue the service will they still have the staff there to provide it? Lastly who will pay for the task continuing? if HIAL have to pay surely it will be more money taken from their radar budget ??
This thread seems to ask more questions than are being answered but it certainly makes interesting reading. I wonder if HIAL are making provisions should Radar not come on line at the stipulated time ?
Lifes2good - Interesting question. If Lossie do pull out (as looks likely) then there is no option but for Inverness to operate in the same way as the other 4 procedural HIAL units. ie some poor sod in a poorly equipped tower working miracles on his own. Of course the airlines wont be happy. However, some have suggested that the regulators would not allow this to happen. I disagree. The regulators are satisfied with Inverness currently operating a one man band TWP/APP set-up on Saturdays and Sundays as things stand. If they deem that to be safe, then how can they possibly insist on a different system on weekdays?
Yes of course there is much more military flying on weekdays but I reckon the regulators would be hard pushed to make a case for insisting that a radar service is available to aircraft operating into an aerodrome situated in Class G airspace.
I do not know what the current financial arrangements are between NATS,MOD and HIAL for the current letter of agreement. I would expect that the MOD receive appropriate remuneration from NATS since a portion of the ADR structure is delegated to Lossie by SCACC. However, for the last 8 years, HIAL have been sitting fat dumb and happy enjoying a 'free radar service' and ignoring the desperate need to modernise the aerodrome infrastructure.
New company motto - '
HIAL -
Too little -
Too late'