I would like to put the record straight on behalf of Cranfield controllers, past and present.
The level of ATC professionalism has always been of a very high standard, just ask the relevant SRG examiners
, in the past movement rates have been in the order of 500-600 per day and even now are regulary 400-500 in a 10.5 hour day
.
Not some cosy little number either where they all come at you in a nice stream from radar, but in an environment where multiple types and performance of aircraft are coming at you from all directions, to be integrated into a circuit that already has 4 trainers plus instrument training also.
Cranfield has been (and I'm sure will continue to be) a very good grounding for ATCOs. I would hesitate to claim that if you can work at Cranfield, then you can work anywhere, but it wouldn't be far off the mark
.
I know of Controllers from Cranfield who have gone on to work at Heathrow, Bournemouth, Liverpool, East Midlands and Bristol to name just a few places - and I can guarantee that each and everyone of them is grateful for their time spent at Cranfield.
Rant over.
