Flex,
I couldn't agree more.
Speaking as a Welin controller (the sector you get handed over to descending to FL200 L WELIN), the interface around SAPCO is a recipe for disaster.
In and around that area you have up to 6 separate radar controllers working traffic........COWLY SC, WELIN SC, TRENT SC, STAFA SC, Birmingham Radar and East Midlands Radar. The whole area round SAPCO, especially with Birmingham on runway 15 is a serious incident waiting to happen.
Personally I would favour WELIN having a box of airspace at FL100 and below up to the EGNX CTA and to accept and hand traffic directly to EGNX. This would cut Manchester out of the loop and reduce co-ordination and agencies working traffic all around the same area.
I'm afraid though Flex that the high profile descent cannot change with regard to FL100 at SAPCO due to the Lichfield Military corridor which is often active at FL110........you really cannot afford to be high at SAPCO.
The problem stems from the fact that the DTY Sector 28 Standing Agreement to WELIN is FL200 at WELIN....if there are any delays with the transfer I can appreicate it leaves you too high.
Something that DTY do regularly now is phone to ask to drop to FL200 early, which we grant subject to EGBB inbounds which we get at FL220 from LMS.......so more often than not now NX inbounds get early descent.
I am sorry it is often not possible to give you good descent from 200 down, but there is a multitude of other traffic that WELIN has to deal with.....NX departures, BB departures, TMA outbounds, and Birmingham inbounds not to mention overflights.
We do appreciate the NX inbound problem, however it cannot really be solved by us on the shop floor, it has to be addressed higher up.
Hope that has enlightened
