A day in the life of an ATCO?

[G-BPEC]

Hi all,

I would be interested to read a "day in the life of an ATCO", include anything you think relevant or interesting that happens during your day. I am particularly interested in Aerodrome control, although anything is welcomed. (I realise that there is no typical day, but just what you DO during the day)

Cheers
G-BPEC

[beaglepup]

"Silly Q"
Why ATCO's?
Why not "just ATC'rs?"

[gul dukat]

hey beagle pup ....probably because thats what he ASKED for ...if he wanted to know about the rest of it he would have asked for a day in the life of Air Traffic Control .It seems he wants to know about the Controllers !!..so anyone any ideas ??

[niteflite01]

G-EC - drop me a mail to the address in my profile please - I have a message - possibly ;)

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"Go around..I say again...go around"

[G-BPEC]

niteflite,

Check your e-mail

BPEC

[HEATHROW DIRECTOR]

This guy can be one of only three things - a very senior commercial pilot, a struck-off psychiatrist or a raving loony. Thinks: I'd better give a truthful answer in the remote chance that he's a loony....

As you may have heard, Mr 757, there are plenty of us around so, naturally, we enjoy a great deal of spare time. Most of the time at work is spent in the coffee bar or in one of the many smoking lounges where we arrange small events to keep us occupied. You know the sort of thing - multiple Viagra tasting, musical beds, chain-saw juggling, etc.

Unfortunately the occasional call to work comes and we skip lightly back to AC or TC and don our Lightweight (anyone notice the little joke I popped in?) electric hats. That's when the real fun starts... thinking up new ways of delaying aircraft.. watching how many different ways there are to enter a holding pattern by getting 12 in the stack at LAM together.... telling pilots to route to unknown reporting points... the fun is endless.

Totally knackered at the end of the gruelling shift we stumble into the daylight (some of the older guys get help with their wheelchairs from the youngsters). Then it's into our cars - most ATCOs drive top of the range BMWs, Jags, that type of machine... then it's home to our country pads near Camberley Golfcourse.

Next question, Doctor.

PS I just received my 2001 Official Monster Raving Loony Party tee-shirt - all black with the caption "Keep our Loony Way of Life". Most appropriate...

[G-BPEC]

HD,

Actually I am none of the above- I am merely an interested student pilot! I read a similar post about a day in the life of pilots, and I thought it might be interesting to see it from an ATC perspective...

Thanks for the somewhat bizzare answer anyway!

G-BPEC
(Yes it is a 757!)

[NextLeftAndCallGround]

What is this - a spotter's club?????

[Spotter]

Can I join then????

[G-BPEC]

Nononononono!!!! Nextleft, I can assure you that this isn't a spotters club!!! I am just taking a (healthy) interest, that's all!!!! Anyone care to give me a proper answer? I'm interested in what sort of hours you work, The atmosphere at work, What you think of the job, that sort of thing.

[form49]

G-EC, you could try contacting your local unit and see bout a visit, most will be happy to accomodate you, give yu a cup of cheap coffee and a Nice biscuit, then you'llget the grand tour, when you can ask all the quesions, see it all at the sharp end, and maybe plug in and listen for a while!!

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Turn left heading 230, close from the left, report established

[niteflite01]

G-EC - have you visited EGCC?

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"Go around..I say again...go around"

[G-BPEC]

Thanks for the replies

No niteflite, I haven't visited EGCC

G-BPEC

[BuzzLightyear]

I spy with my little eye something beginning with J.....

Can you guess what it is yet?

[Throtlemonkey]

I don't mean any disrespect to your noble profession.

But here in Australia an ATCO is a brand of site shed, they make the portable toilets you see at building sites, so i found the title "a day in the life of an ATCO" very amusing.

Edited cause pilots can't spell

[This message has been edited by Throtlemonkey (edited 16 April 2001).]

[ferris]

Yeah, that's about it actually. Sitting in a small dark room with no windows hoping big birds don't land on the roof and make a mess.

[niteflite01]

Probably be about the same amount of the old brown stuff too http://www.pprune.org/ubb/NonCGI/tongue.gif

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"Go around..I say again...go around"

[10W]

Another classic offering from our man incarcerated in the 'Tower'.

A DAY IN THE LIFE OF THE NON OPERATIONAL HQ ATCO - THE BRUSSELS TRIP (Day 1)

0845 - Arrive in the office just in time for coffee. Carried heavy suitcase all the way from Euston and now feel shagged out with a cold coming on. Sniff twice which causes military colleague to give me an official glance.

0900 - Trying to complete important paperwork before going on 'Brussels Mini Break'. Spread files all over the desk which looks impressive. Make several phone calls to people who aren't there so decide to rush in and out of the office with pieces of paper, looking busy.

1015 - Need to take pills and blow nose. Ignore military colleagues theatrical gasps of relief.

1100 - Consult Manager on major issues, we agree evening expenses and my use of the laptop in exchange for me not going near a certain street near the Gare Du Nord. Never thought the 'Negotiating Skills' course would ever come in so useful !!

1200 - Healthy lunch in CAA House Bistro followed by swift exit.

1245 - Heathrow Express from Paddington is delayed due signal failure at Hayes. Should have taken Eurostar but they don't do AirMiles.

1330 - Arrive at Heathrow. Cutting things fine for the 1600 flight. Check in girl pays me a complement by asking if I shall be travelling with an adult.

1345 - Retire to Club Class lounge for free courtesy drinks and nibbles.

1635 - Plane departs late due to ATC delays. An attractive 68 year old BA stewardess helps me find my seat. Seeking to impress other travellers, I get the laptop out but get stuck playing Solitaire so quickly pack it away again.

1650 - Accept courtesy glasses of champagne and wine. Have difficulty breaking through the plastic to get at the airline meal so decide not to eat it.

1735 - Land at Brussels. For some reason the crew seem keen to get me off the aircraft as quickly as possible. Fall down escalator in arrivals hall but soon reunited with suitcase and laptop I have left behind on the aircraft

1830 - Arrive in hotel and settle in. The prices for items in the mini-bar encourage me to go out and look for the restaurant recommended by my manager.

2030 - Lost. nearby is a shop with a sign that looks like an enormous penis. Shocked and thinking I am mistaken, I avert my gaze to see some girls sitting in shop windows who wave to me. How friendly !! I ask them to show me the way.

0205 - Somehow I have managed to return to my hotel. The evening has become a complete blur, I have a shop sign under one arm, my glasses are missing and I have one receipt that describes everything I have had as 'meal'. Cannot get plastic key thingie to open bedroom door.

0235 - Night porter takes me to the correct floor and opens my door for me. I thank him profusely and ask him to apologise to the large lady whose sleep I disturbed. Fall unconscious quickly.

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10 West
UK ATC'er
[email protected]

[This message has been edited by 10W (edited 16 April 2001).]

[10W]

A DAY IN THE LIFE OF THE NON OPERATIONAL HQ ATCO - THE BRUSSELS TRIP (Day 2)

0700 - Alarm rings. Seeing the time and thinking I am about to miss the 0710 to Euston, I run out onto the street before remembering that I'm not at home. Return to hotel where I pretend I always have an early morning jog in my pyjamas.

0730 - Have a cold shower and go down for breakfast. A fat foreign woman, whom I do not recognise, attacks me when I am trying to eat. She then shouts and makes obscene gestures at me. How very strange these Europeans are.

0815 - Trouble at reception over my mini bar bill. Bloody daylight robbery, and I tell them so !!

0845 - Miss official Eurocontrol bus and so take taxi. Even though the traffic is appalling, the driver keeps looking at me and laughing. I ask him to keep his eyes on the road.

1045 - After an expensive tour of Belgium, I arrive at the meeting late. Everyone seems surprised to see me. Wish I hadn't missed the coffee and croissants.

1100 - Chairmans comprehensive briefing on hazard analysis formula. I pretend to understand every word by nodding agreement when this seems appropriate.

1110 - Feel need to close eyes to avoid having inessential visual data disturbing my concentration. Woken up by lower jaw impacting with the table - pretend to be picking something up and tying my lace.

1130 - Chairman still droning on. I attempt to stay awake by using the laptop but soon cease as every time I zap an alien it makes a loud noise.

1215 - Thinking this to be the right moment to contribute to the meeting, thus getting a mention in the official minutes to prove I was there, I interrupt to say that the UK point of view may differ from Eurocontrol in certain areas. Not wishing to be quizzed on this, I add that I will clarify this in a letter to the Chairman.

1230 - Lunch. Relationship with Chairman seems frosty so offer to share my bottle of wine with him. I think we would definitely have parted as friends had I not repeated that hilarious joke about the 'Frogs' that I heard at a Conservative Party coffee morning. I am advised that the Chairman is not Belgian, as I had assumed.

1400 - Pushed into taxi and sent to the airport to check in for the 1600 flight home. Join the other VIPs for free drinks and nibbles in the Club Class lounge.

1600 - Take off on time for a change. I notice that BA has a new colour scheme and we are travelling on a turboprop type I have never seen before, the cabin crew also appear to have changed their uniforms and now look much younger than usual. After courtesy champagne, they serve some kind of meal with wine and several Brandy's to follow.

1900 - Woken up by airport security staff to find that we have now arrived in Cardiff. Just another typical trip.

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10 West
UK ATC'er
[email protected]

[This message has been edited by 10W (edited 16 April 2001).]

[Lew Ton]

Priceless! :) :) :)

[G-BPEC]

Thanks 10W, very amusing ;)

G-BPEC

[redsnail]

This is work? Brilliant :)

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reddo...feral animal!

[Loki]

One of my Canadian chums tells me that ATCO actually stands for "Alberta Trailer Co"

[Lew Ton]

Wrong, an ATCO is a very fine lawnmower.

Reddo, how nice, don't often see you on here. :)

[Loki]

Lew Ton:

Is that why pilots keep asking for a short cut?

arf arf

[Serco Stuffer]

Two hours on (ha!) one off, early go.
Two hours on, two hours off, no early go.
Repeat.
Pepeat.
Night on.
Night off.
four days off.
Say again all after......

[Spuds McKenzie]

Do we have a life? http://www.pprune.org/ubb/NonCGI/frown.gif

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"say again?"
"again"

[arrow2]

Hey 10W, better not let your boss see this thread! He will either stop such "work experiences" or want to come along as well!

A2

[10W]

Arrow 2,

The character is not (to my knowledge) based on me. Any likeness or similarity is purely co-incidental :)

Anyway, if it was me I'd probably go on a PPRuNe Bash for the evening of Day 1 ;)

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10 West
UK ATC'er
[email protected]

[halo]

I wish I had a job like that *deep sigh*

[DownUnder111]

Another way of looking at what we do which doesn't sound so good is, we do our job(ie.no welding of metal) day in day out and one day turn to comment on our neighbouring controllers horrible farts and screw up. Then we find ourselves on the front page of the newspapers. Reminds me of that joke about the bloke who Fu*ks one chicken and no matter what else he did his whole life he was always called Fred the chicken F**ker. Good controller for 20 years, one bad day and forever a bad controller. I spose the same goes for pilots... one bad landing etc...

[Lon More]

To 10W - Priceless!!! It takes the heat off me! It is being circulated round Euro.

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Lon More,just an ATCO