ATC History
Hi Guys.
I am interested that the subject of the birth of our ATC system has arisen again.
My book, yes my book is finished up to the year 1939 and stands at about 50,000 words, the war years are running out to be about the same size and boy was there ever a cover-up there.
You may remember parts of it published in the CAA "in house" magazine (Whatever that was called) under the title "Heavy Weather".
Did any of you ever work in the "Listed Building"? It was the first home of LATCC and was called that, not because it was of any a historical importance but because it tilted and they put railway sleepers under it to raise one side.
The story behind the colours used to identify airways is facinating but even more incredible is how we got to use even thousands of feet for westbounds.
The post war section is going very well but I need anecdotes. The Harefield/Northolt mid-air and the EGLL Vulcan crash are two items that they wish were buried but I have the goods.
For instance, at the enquiry into the crash between the SAS DC-6? and the Avro York, the Air Ministry were asked had they received any communications from any airline regarding the need to increase seperation from 500 to 1000 feet due to the inaccurate altimeters, they answered no.
They must have forgotten the seven copies of letters from the airlines I have complaining about the lack of seperation caused by inaccurate altimeters.
I am afraid the book is no romance, it just tells the truth and I have the facts to back me.
Cheers
xpz67 (ex LATCC, EGDM, EGFF to name but a few)