To all Heathrow Atcos and beyond !

[DIDDLYSQUAT]

I`ve been an EGLL atco for a number of years and enjoy the jobside immensely.However I have found it increasingly difficult to feel enthused about the task, given the c**p we endure on a day to day basis coupled with the nature of recent events.Please tell me this is not a nationwide phenomenon and there still is hope.

one for all and all for one.

[Mr Simple]

DS - what would it take to raise your morale? A pay rise, or sack all the useless non-communicative managers?

I vote for the latter.

[HEATHROW DIRECTOR]

Hey buddy... don't let the bastards grind youd down! For the last 30+ years my philosophy towards work has been simple (!) - go to work.. plug in your headset, talk to the jets, unplug your headset and go home. I enjoy every minute whilst I'm at work but I can't get out of the door fast enough when the time comes. Forget all the crap around you... do the job to the best of your ability and provide the best possible service to the aircraft and don't get involved with the bananas who seem bent on trouble..

[Legs11]

Heathrow Director, I'm with you on this one. I just let the politics wash over me, get the aircraft shifted, and shuffle off home at the end of my shift.
Diddly, just try and avoid all the sh!t, it tends to stick after a while and it not pleasent.
:cool:

[Gonad]

Diddly, I feel the same as you! EGLL jobwise is great I love the work but I fully agree with you about the c--p that goes on. I am sick of feeling like certain members of the 3rd floor would take anyone's side but ours whenever the slightest thing goes wrong. Recent events have proven this over the past couple of years, from ATCO's with personal problems or minor incidents at work receiving no support from management or some of our union reps (who are more interested in their future management career instead of looking out for their fellow ATCO's & ATSA's). We work bloody hard at EGLL with little thanks. People I have spoken to at other units seem to have similar problems it is not just LL and you are not the only person who feels that way.
Chin up changes for the better will happen, just slowly.

[NextLeftAndCallGround]

Hey Gonad,

There's lots of controllers who work hard (with or without thanks) - sorry, but I don't think there's anything special about LL.

You get paid for doing a job - thanks come as a bonus for doing it well and probably only from managers who know how to do their job. Working is a deal - you do the job and they pay you the money (and money=thanks in this equation). :)

[Gonad]

Next left, did I say there is anything special about EGLL or that we work harder?
NO. I was trying to help out a colleague who is clearly down.
So why don't you stop trying to create friction in the ranks and go f**k yourself.

[NextLeftAndCallGround]

Touchy or what!

[ayrprox]

(bad scouse accent)
ey...ey... calm down..calm down :D :D

[OrsonCart]

I can remember when ATCO's from non-state used to line up, just for the thrill of working at the most demanding airport in the UK. Sadly how times change.

I understand that there are un-filled vacancies now.

So who would want to live and work in an area that has some of the highest house prices in the UK, or drive miles each day and then have to get a bus into work!

I compared house prices once (3 years ago) surrounding the EGSH area and compared salaries at London airports and the local 'drome. Taking mortgage payments, lifestyle and the shift systems into consideration, there was not a massive differential, especially if one lived close to EGSH!

Keep your chin up, in ATC terms, you guys shift the planes, but typical of ATCO's, we make an awful system work! We all must be mad!

HEATHROW DIRECTOR is correct. Do the job you are paid for and no more. Enjoy your life outside ATC.

[cleared2land 27left]

DIDDLY SQUAT i share your sentiments, the way i get treated by certain members of my watch really makes me want to come to work.

[Captain Spunkfarter]

We're lucky enough to be in a profession where most of us really enjoy going to work. What's frustrating is when you tally up our productivity and high level of responsibility against that of other professions, and look at the relatively poor terms and conditions we endure.

I expect that such issues have been discussed since Marconi switched on his radar, yet the feeling of low morale does not seem to have been addressed.

How do you tackle the problem?

[divingduck]

To all you guys and gals working in the UK..
Chin up! Management are bast*rds the world over..it seems to be their job after all.

On a different note, I would like to thank whoever was on on the 1st of Nov and again on the 5th when I flew in and out of EGLL on EK! Fabulous tour of the city, couple of hard vectors took us right down the Thames, once by day and once by night.
It probably doesn't mean much but I thought it was great...keep up the good work! :)

ps I don't really care if it wasn't for my benefit!

[Bright-Ling]

Glad the early turn and drop before LAM is appreciated! Just depends what is in/out of Stansted and City.

Normally the TMA NE bod allows it!

Unfortunately, it is a sad indictment on the lack of traffic at the moment at Heathrow - though we were in EAT's a couple of times last week.

Even said to a Speedy the other day just south of BNN that he was now number one!! Scary for 5pm at LHR.

[2miles600feet]

Bright-Ling

I suggest you get valid before you complain too much EGLL traffic levels.

Just a thought...

[da silva]

Now don't take this the wrong way all you NATS ATCO PPrunes out there, but unless I am very much mistaken, at least 90% of our "not communicative" etc managers are ATCOs by training. Does that not say something about ATCOs ... or should I just drop my head below the parapet before someone blows it off !!!
In fact it seems that until fairly recently you had to have been an EGLL ATCO to get anywhere in NATS.
Just a thought ....
Humble non-ATCO !

[PakoSpain]

What´s common betwen marriage and ATC?
The one outside wants to get in, and the one inside want to get out.
Fellows of UK, sorry to disturb, but here on the south is much the same. After 28 years service as ATCO and two to retirement, I fully agree with Heathrow Director on the third post of this Topic.
Regards
PakoSpain

[BEXIL160]

Pako...

Couldn't agree more. Go in, do the job (enjoy it), come home.

Thanks for the mail from Spain. Always fancied LEGE TWR... apart from decent Spanish language, what do you need for that?

Rgds BEX

[Scott Voigt]

I don't think if you look at ANY profession you will find that people who are good at what they do, are always good managers. But it appears that the reasons that govt. folks hire folks for managers has more to do with will they take orders vrs. can they manage and "think" on thier own <G>>...

regards