I have taken a very keen interest in Generic Ratings. Yes we do not actually get on here and bleat without actually trying to make a difference.
I have had a meeting with the Level3 manager who is in charge of the Endorsement Stream (Generic Ratings) and agree that there are efficiencies to be made in the Upper Airspace (UAS) areas. These areas are in Oceanic and the NorthWest Areas of Australia where aircraft are flying in upper levels on long haul flights.
We have been promising the industry for years that we can provide and support 'free flight', we have not facillitated this as we have not put the resources towards the Flight Plan Conflict Tool (FPCT). NZ have had it for 10+ years!!!
We have had very dedicated and smart individual(s) who have been working on this for many years. I have had many conversations with these people and they have been very frustrated that management have not budgeted for this. Basically upper management have no grasp of the operational side of ATC. These individuals have continued to develop and refine this piece of software in spite of a lack of committment from management. To those at the coalface it seemed a 'no-brainer'. We need this piece of kit to provide 'free flight' and open up generic ratings in this airspace. It is slowly coming, and would have been here a damn sight quicker if SDE hadn't interrupted it.
As far as Generic Arrivals go it is a completely different kettle of fish.
When I queried the Level 3 as to how controllers would be able to remember all the STARs,routes, frequencies, restricted areas for aerodromes from Darwin, then Cairns and down the whole East Coast from Sydney he advised that the computer could tell you which STARs,etc to assign at a predetermined point.
Likewise, frequencies would be advised by the computer at given points. This would not take into account Wx diversions,runway changes, diversions into restricted areas, direct tracking, etc, after the advisory point has been passed. Also don't worry about Restricted Areas as we are moving towards Flexible Usage of Airspace (FUA).
Given that pilots like to be given the STAR arrival as far out as possible so they can study the plate (about 180-200 nm) what happens when we have adverse weather and/or a runway change? The computer cannot know the actual weather or the wind.
ASA have a love affair in believing that technology can overcome ALL obstacles. You would think that each storm season and Wednesdays system melt -down would get them thinking along the lines of 'hope for the best but plan for the worst'.
ASAs ATC Nirvana can work, provided we never have inclement weather or system dramas. If (when) we have these issues their Worlds Best Practice procedures go out the window. It is then the failings of their brave new world will be laid bare, and it will be the travelling public who are asked to count the cost and an ATC ends up in Coroners Court.
TrafficTraffic it doesn't take too much of a leap to work out that you are not actually an ATC. Upper Airspace is definitely an area where generic ratings would work and we have been waiting for 8 years for it. Arrivals is doable during the night(doggo) but definitely out when STARs, military flying, busy traffic,etc is occurring.
I suggest you might like to plug-in and see how the real world works. Last Wednesday in Brisbane would have been an eye-opener.
Last edited by max1; 26th Jan 2009 at 10:39.