MPN11 (#8688)',
...As a further note, Danny, I know that Area was regarded with a degree of horror by many at that time. I'm not sure why that was so ... perhaps the remote locations, not on a 'proper Station', and with no aircraft to watch from Local?...
No, the objections were (1) you were "down a hole" (or at least under artificial light all the time) as (2) a "battery hen" sitting wth all the other "hens" before a bank of screens. In a Tower you had blue (?) skies, green grass, aircraft and little birdies to watch. Even in Approach, you could always go upstairs in quiet periods, natter to Local and the Duty Instructor, and you had a 'slave' CA/DF and a monitor on Approach frequency (for, as you know, the "Gaydon" Towers could be operated solo from the top). Radar was stuck to his/her AR-1/PAR tubes below in "approach" - but you can't win 'em all !
Who, in his sound mind, would want to change places ? Best idea, let the civvies control all Area Radar, civil and military (isn't that so in USA ?). Then when they cock it up, they have no RAF to blame !
(your #8687),
...insisted I set the rheostat on the Sim to display range rings every mile. I reset to show at 5 mile intervals, as I was headed for an MPN11 truck where only 5-mile rings were available ... and I found the display hard to work with all those concentric circles! After 'a bit of a barney', I reluctantly did as I was told...
If you were doing "Continuous Descent" or "Step-Down" PPI Approaches on an old ACR-7 (or anything else which had a PPI, but could not use PAR for some reason), then it would make sense. Otherwise no. You were right !
...and, after the Exercise, complained to our Course Commander, one Harry T of your acquaintance. Inevitably he supported the Instructor..
Had to - otherwise Instructor's authority would be zilch from then on. Harry and I were instructors there together at that time. Later he would appear at Leeming as my SATCO, before going on to higher things (as you know)
Bit puzzled by "complained to our Course Commander" Surely that was the "Admiral" ?
Danny.
Last edited by Danny42C; 11th Jun 2016 at 18:50. Reason: Get rid of Smiley who got in Title uninvited !