The Future of RAF ATC
Skodsfinesthour
Over the last 20 years or so there have been all kinds of bright ideas, studies, reports, etc, etc into the idea of replacing most military controllers at RAF airfields with civil controllers - but all have come to nothing. When I was at Hillingdon House it was suggested by one very senior RAF wheel that we should be be able to replace all military controllers at training units with civil licenced controllers virtually overnight!
The cost of employing civil licenced controllers is the main issue - lets say £60k or thereabouts for a typical ATCO2 - now whilst this might stack up against the capitation rate for a flt lt, it compares rather poorly with the capitation rate for a sgt. Bear in mind that, given current trends, the RAF ATC specialisation is heading towards a 60/40 split amoung controllers, with officers forming the 40%, I rather doubt there's much money to be saved.
The second issue is where will these extra civil licenced controllers suddenly appear from? Currently, as the 'baby boomer' generation of controllers retire, virtually anyone with a civil ATC licence can get a well paid job without too much difficulty and I'm not aware of a glut of individuals with the appropriate qualifications and experience sitting around somewhere just waiting for a call to go and work as a military controller at an RAF airfield.
As many people who have crossed over from mil to civil correctly point out, there are considerable differences in how both sides operate - therefore if it was decided that this suggestion was to be adopted, I would expect the civil controllers to undertake and pass the JATCC prior to taking up their employment - the requirement for appropriate cross-training must surely cut both ways? I'm aware that civil licenced controllers currently operate military aircraft for the AAC and and at two UAS bases - but these activities are considerably different from those they would encounter at a typical fast-jet unit.
Finally, perhaps it would do anyone contemplating this idea to remember precisely what happened at Boscombe Down.
Like Heimdall, I would like to see all ATC controllers in the UK trained to exactly the same standards and operate with exactly the same licence, but in the current financial climate whether this will ever be achieved appears highly unlikely.
Matoman