NorthSouth.....
fbw: doesn't your hair-raising story just illustrate perfectly the main problem with this debate?
Let me stress I am in no way seeking to denigrate the fantastic FREE service you provide - we are extremely lucky in Scotland. But in your "problem shared" scenario, if your cheeky chappy had continued across the North Channel on the last vestiges of vapour, run out halfway across and not got his mayday call out until he was below your cover so you were none the wiser, would you have concluded anything from not hearing from him again? If you were ultra-conscientious and started phoning round Newtownards etc to find out if he'd got there, and he hadn't, would you then have kicked off a full search?
NS
As a rule for traffic crossing the North Channel we would transfer the details to Belfast City ATC and ask the aircraft to call them as they coast out at Portpatrick.......in this instance not only that but did indeed advise Belfast of the situation.........as for losing contact with aircraft, well as I have said before,we tend to know where we will lose contactvwith you and if we do we try to make every endevour to make sure you arrive at your destination safe and well without calling out the cavalry...
