Straight to Departures etc
Many years ago I was working radar 2 position at a aerodrome in southwest Engurland. SATCO working radar 1.
Foreign twin jet given airways clearance by tower, including the airways frequency.
Light twin holding at FL40 on the climbout side of the field working radar 1.
Tower calls for departure instructions and I clear the aircraft to 3000ft with a right turn on track after noise.
The aircraft gets airbourne climbing straight ahead (noise procedure). Tower calls to instruct the aircraft to contact me. NOTHING!!
I watch the aircraft start to turn right passing 3000ft. It misses the holder by about a mile at the same level. My heart is going pitter pat. SATCO screams at me. I stutter that I stopped him at 3000ft (Yes it was separated). We watch the aircraft routing south climbing to its cleared level.
After our pulse rates had returned to normal we made some phone calls and found that the a/c had gone direct to airways, the airways controller had nothing in the way and cleared it direct to its initial airways level.
After the SATCOs next break a TOI was issued that NO frequency information should be given as part of airways clearance or departure instructions. This TOI was incorporatecd in MATS2 very soon after.
Automatic changes of frequency-NO THANK YOU
Surf Bum