Guardian on NATS employment

[Goldfish Watcher]

Did anyone read the two page atricle in the Guardian on Saturday on ATCO employment?

Seems to me that they were kind of fishing for an official response from NATS personnel.

The article didn't really paint the job in a very good light did it? Makes us sound like a bunch of headcases!

Any comments?

[Dan Dare]

Was it this article starting "air traffic control is the sort of grind most people would put somewhere behind dog dirt removal on their list of dream jobs"

http://www.guardianunlimited.co.uk/Archive/Article/0,4273,4038222,00.html

The article is, in the main, quite accurate. On the other hand a senior CAA Eexcutive is quoted in a report to parliament "ATCO personnel in particular are deeply and psychologically flawed. In practice they are egotistical; inward looking, intensely tribal and isolated..." which makes us sound like a bunch of headcases! Nice to know that we get support from the top!

http://www.parliament.the-stationery-office.co.uk/pa/cm199899/cmselect/cmenvtra /122/122ap08.htm (http://www.parliament.the-stationery-office.co.uk/pa/cm199899/cmselect/cmenvtra/122/122ap08.htm)

[This message has been edited by Dan Dare (edited 14 July 2000).]

[Goldfish Watcher]

Yes, that's the one!

You're right, it is fairly accurate - even the salaries aren't far off.

I would write something witty now - but apparently I lack a sense of imagination!

Thanks for the link
GW.

PS - are you the same Dan who is leaving LATCC to fly planes? (re: DanAir flies again)

[NudgingSteel]

Dan Dare,

I've been trying to get to the second of your links (the parliament-stationery-office thingy) but my computer won't find it. Is there a problem on that link? I am particularly desperate to find a written reference to me as "deeply and psychologically flawed", and preferably the name of the person who said it...

Surely they must have been joking. How can a person be both tribal AND inward looking/isolated? I think we should be told!

[Dan Dare]

The links work fine for me. If nobody else is getting them I could reproduce them here.

GW - no, not the Dan who is leaving LATCC to fly for GB Airways, still looking!