Runway Controllers and the Runway Caravan
Is there, I wonder, an appetite for "stories from the ‘van' courtesy of all you Runway Controllers out there (RWC). A caveat though, my last shift in a caravan was at Leeming in April ’91 so there might be the odd “misrembering” but things seem to stay fairly solid in your mind after pilots try various methods of trying to kill you, not least of all by a nearly successful attempt (within 3’, measured) utilising the APPROACH end barrier.
Although not formally trained as Air Traffic Controllers, Runway Controllers (RWC) can, (and have countless times) avert almost certain disaster in relation to aircraft departing or arriving. In my time (1969 - 1991) the RWC was a Corporal and his workstation was a caravan mounted on a three tonner (or similar) chassis. If I remember rightly my first caravan was mounted on a Commer vehicle.
The Caravan was sited, according to the AP, on the left side of the runway, 150' from the threshold and 75' from the edge. It was fitted with two Aldis Lamps, with red and green filters, two 40mm Verey pistols, both ALWAYS loaded with red cartridges (but safe/broken) and a pair of 7 or 10x50 binoculars. Comms were usually a Hadley "squawk" box, a phone and a U/VHF box. Strangely enough, while were permitted to fire off signal cartridges to our hearts content, we were not permitted to transmit on the R/T. I can't remember why but I did, on rare occasions, use it when I thought the situation warranted it. Most importantly the caravan had an electric kettle, and on later models both Air Conditioning and a 'fridge.
The Air Con was most definitely needed in the middle of a hot summer when you consider that the RWC was working in what was essentially a greenhouse. The latter caravans also had roof mounted fittings for two Verey pistols which meant that they could be not only permanently loaded but ready to fire. And, of course, being on rotating rings they could swiftly be brought to bear on those pesky aeroplanes trying to sneak up on you from behind!
So that was the work area. But what about the job itself. A RWC had to educate her or himself not only on the station aircraft but also visiting aircraft i.e. panels that should closed, orifices that could be open or closed, holes that could drip and places and things that most certainly should NOT drip, lights that should be on etc, etc. This is where the binoculars come in. Depending on the airfield and the taxiways you would either get a view of both sides of the aircraft as it passed you on the far side of the runway and turned right onto the runway. If the aircraft was approaching from your left you would only get a view of the left hand side. I don’t have any recollection of an airfield where the caravan was on the right hand side but, either way, sometimes you got to inspect both sides of an aircraft, sometimes only one side.
There are countless stories out there about ‘things’ happening, as viewed from the caravan and, of course, aircraft sometimes got a bit bigger in the window than they should have. It is nice though when a case of something alcoholic arrives courtesy of the pilot who you stopped from making an arse of himself through forgetting the Dunlops or trying to land on a populated runway while forgetting to overshoot from a “Continue” clearance. I never did though, get anything from Staneval when he tried to land gear up with a reporter from a well known flying magazine in the back seat.
I hope other RWC’s will add to this. There are, i’m sure, lots of interesting stories out there, and most probably a lot with a flight safety slant that is still relevant today. I’ll finish this off with a recollection about a man I had a lot of respect for. A 4 ship of Jags (White section, IIRC) on the runway for departure and a further four ship (Rose section?) awaiting line up. While inspecting White 2 I noticed a lot of fluid on the ground below the a/c. I called a hold on the Hadley box and informed local what I could see. When the local controller informed White 2 the reason for the hold, Rose Lead transmitted that it was fuel streaming from the “Donkey Dick” (Jag cognoscenti will know what that is). When I offered a forcefully contrary opinion, I was overruled by the duty pilot (the morning stream was building up by now with at least another three sections citing their turn) and White section was cleared to take off. I should mention here that it had been raining and there was quit a bit of standing water on the runway.
After about 20 minutes all the morning aircraft had launched so I obtained clearance to go out onto the runway and check that particular pool of liquid. I touched it, smelt it and dragged my almost empty pack of No6 fags through it. When back in the caravan I called local on the Hadley box and asked if the duty pilot was listening. On hearing that he was I asked him what colour fuel was. He replied “any colour I wanted other than red” sure enough my packet of No6 was covered in hydraulic fluid. The duty pilot initiated a recall for White 2 on Guard. Whilst recovering to base White 2 declared a pan call with Clutch Radar with a Hyd. 2 failure. Shortly thereafter I was awarded my first “Good show” by the pilot concerned up in Local in the tower, and enjoyed a couple of glasses of bubbly stuff with him and SATCO and took another one home to share with my wife.
Cheers Rocky, we both thoroughly enjoyed it.