Originally Posted by
bekolblockage
Do you have "auto-release" yet or the ADC still have to call "next" to DEP?
We do have auto-release and if the cloud base allows and there is no arrival in between departures, we can and do fire off departures on minimum separation (ie first aircraft is 1800 metres ahead and airborne).
Obviously arrivals in between departures, or wake turbulence separation between different weight categories, or turbo-prop in front of a jet (sometimes unavoidable) can negatively affect our ability to do this.
We need to keep a visual separation standard until another standard exists that approach/departures controllers can use (3nm or 1000 feet), if the first aircraft is disappearing into cloud before they reach 1nm upwind, we have to adjust departure spacing accordingly.
For example, instead of firing two 737s 1800m apart, we may need to wait until the first aircraft has reached just past 1nm, to ensure we have 3nm by the time the second aircraft is airborne (as we no longer have both in sight and can't apply visual separation.)