Originally Posted by
kcockayne
Ok. Good, concise answer. Thank you. So, this happens to be the case at LCY, but at other aerodromes will not the temptation be to do it because it can be done - linked to obtaining maximum utilization of staff i.e. one ATCO performing TWR at various locations. Good egg has a far more difficult task to persuade me (not that I matter) that this can ever be a good idea !
Kcockayne, trust me I'm not here to persuade anyone about multiple validations (and certainly not about controlling more than one aerodrome simultaneously).
My view is that digital towers offer safety benefits for controlling, some of which are detailed above.
Multiple validations at a remote centre are an endgame concept which throws up all sorts of issues. Issues which will be faced once more than one suitable aerodrome operation has moved to a remote centre. As yet this scenario is hypothetical...LCY (the first aerodrome) isn't due to "move" until late 2019. Will others follow? When? Will ATCOs have the capacity to maintain validations at 2 aerodromes?
Each aerodrome has its own peculiarities despite efforts to push for "standardisation" (i.e. trying to push a one-size-fits all ethos) across them.
Sure Aerodrome Control responsibilities are the same, but rules are applied differently at different airports for good reason - a simple example of this is the variety of definitions in MATS Part 2s regarding what constitutes "runway vacated".
In this regard I don't think it's as simple as comparing it to multiple radar validations where, by and large, the same rules apply. There would also be equipment issues - radar workstations are, by and large, the same...I doubt the same can be said for remote tower workstations due to the operational differences and equipage of individual aerodromes.
There are obvious safety risks with the concept of multiple aerodrome validations but are there any safety benefits? I'm yet to see anything that suggests there are/will be. The only driver I see for multiple validations is cost. So I too am unconvinced about that concept.
In short I believe digital towers have safety benefits and, as yet, I see no safety benefits in multiple aerodrome validations.