I will disagree with you here Bill, as I have done in the ATC Forum
This programme was sensationalist rubbish. I watched it because we had been "warned" about it at work, and I expected that NATS had over reacted. how wrong I was. ATCOs unable to contact the tower because they were busy getting a Shamrock off the runway? No Go Around alarms? Heathrow ATCOs could get to work but LTCC ATCOs couldn't? Final Director bandboxed? bandboxed with who for God's sake?
Which bit REALLY got to me? The sight of an ATCO led away from TC by the police. I am certain that would NOT have happened as shown.
Must say, I am impressed that you can land two burning aircraft on Hounslow and only have a handful of fatalities on the ground, although most of the shots of the wreckage (1 mile from Heathrow) were actually filmed in neighbouring Ealing. Should have hit Heston/Cranford.
Total nonsense.
As for Newsnight - fair play to the professor of Transport (or whatever) who rubbished the entire programme. But who was that so called Aviation Expert? I would love to know why he is EX CAA...and if he has a personal axe to grind - because that's how it appeared to me.
Nobody is asking for special treatment for the aviation industry, all we are asking is that programmes are accurate. This one blatantly is not. It is interesting to see BAs response as posted earlier. NATS had a similar response to the BBC, but as I understand it, the makers have not entered in to dialogue with "us"
Captain Airclues - thanksw - I hadn't noticed the left turning Spain-bound flight...I was too busy wondering why Heathrow was so busy with outbounds when nobody could get to the airport!
Chips
Hounslow Resident, and certainly not a NATS Cheerleader