Gonzo
Really? Given your repeated prophecies of doom on here, I was half-expecting the thing to sponteneously combust the moment you all took residence.
Instead, we are providing you with 95% of normal declared inbound capacity, and you appear to be handling it with no apparent problems. I'm also watching plenty of contacts emerging from the middle of the tube, so it doesn't exactly look like you're slacking on outbounds either. To us uninitiated fools on the north side of the M4, it looks like everything is going according to plan. Kind of like it did at Stansted...and Gatwick...and Luton...
plenty of shortcomings have been identified and reported on.
I'm sure this is right (and only to be expected). However, none of these 'shortcomings' appear to the outside world to have any material impact upon movement rates.
It was quiet yesterday morning, and demand never reached a level such that the flow would kick in, so they cancelled the flow (I guess so that they could look good..."Hey, look, we cancelled the flow!")
Yes I know it would have been better if the transition had occurred in August when the airport was balls out, and significant operational difficulties could have been encountered on day one. For some ridiculous reason your stupid management picked a Friday night in April.
P7, but why cancel the flow if the traffic is never going to get to the level where the flow measures would kick in?
Err, because regardless of what traffic may be offering at any given time, a pre-tactical flow rate which is considered unnecessary will get lifted. This has more to do with basic air traffic network management than it does to do with looking good on the NATS Intranet.
Also, what message is that sending ATCOs who haven't worked in the NVCR yet? If I was on leave and heard that flow had been cancelled already, I'd be rather concerned and feeling under pressure.
Yes, I imagine
you would have been rather concerned to learn that the flow had been lifted...but then you've been concerned about everything from the walk to the tower to the size of the teapot, so this is hardly ground-breaking news. A more open-minded ATCO might be inclined to think that a lifting of flow restrictions within 48 hours of 'O' date might indicate that the new tower and personnel are coping very well together, and that therefore there was
less reason to feel concerned.
The evidence would appear to suggest that thus far the transition has gone exceptionally well. I can only assume this is the reason for such a lacklustre response on here. If it had been a complete fiasco, would these boards have been so quiet? I doubt it.
It is a shame that you found the time to post innumerable messages of doom on here, yet seemingly do not have the time or inclination to congratulate both your immediate colleagues, and the transition team as a whole for what appears to be a job very well done.
It is still early days, but maybe, just maybe, one day you might be man enough to accept that maybe, just maybe, you were wrong.