Captain S
Pints of Old Growler on me!
If the EFPS works at LHR we are sure we can handle it here. It is a proven system at a far busier unit.
Approach radar is another matter. Stupid things like a compass rose that pops up to input headings, but the rose does not contain all headings so you must +/- 5 or 10 degrees. It must have sounded a good idea to someone but we have found we should not be doing even basic arithmetic nor input incorrect headings to the ones verbally issued whilst busy vectoring, and instead a simple numeric keypad would be far simpler. It was decided at the Radar User Group between the Scottish Airports. Interesting due to our tight manpower issues our rep isn't even a Scottish Atco nor has ever been valid on radar.
We don't like all the layout on Approach as we have not had much input in its design but it is being insisted, like Common strip Display, that all airports have the same layout / way of operating. But we do not operate the same as PF and god knows how PD operate with all their Heli movements. Again it sounds good on paper but in reality.....
It is only now near the end of training, as people have got more experience with the system, that we can spot its faults and inadequacies and basically we are told in a lot of cases that it is too late or already decided.
