Ops room background noise/voice recorder

[pir]

Hello everybody,
has anybody heard about ICAO's initiative to make background noise/voice recorders mandatory in ATC ops rooms from 2010 on?

Any opinions?

Thanks,
pir

[Jerricho]

Terminal Control at West Drayton trialed open mikes about 2 years ago. Didn't hear anymore form that.

Me, I don't have a problem with it. Of course, given some of the conversations I have heard at the console, there are going to be some interesting tape checks :E

[Spuds McKenzie]

How about ICAO doing their homework first and declaring the use of TCAS mandatory before another Ueberlingen happens?

:mad:

[Nick Falzone]

mandatory in ATC ops rooms from 2010 on?


So starting from ten past eight in the evening until what time?

Don't see the point, most of the traffic's gone by then!

[Don't Tell Him Pike]

Well done Falzone!! You've killed it!!

[Spitoon]

To give a more serious answer, I don't know anything about the ICAO proposal but I've got no problem with it. I worked in a facility with hot mikes for several years and to my knowledge it confirmed a controller's recollection of events when others questioned them on at least one occasion. In my experience, any fears about management listening to the tapes are nothing to worry about - they really have got better things to do with their time. Like deciding what company car to get next!

[pir]

Hmmm... would have thought to get a few more reactions. After all this would change our working conditions quite a bit.

From what I hear, a lot of the colleagues at Maastricht don't want to hear of it.

At our own unit, even though it's only a small one, we are very much divided over the question. Some think for example, if there are recordings to be made they should only be used in case of accident (not incident).

Thanks anyway for the replies so far.

[Findo]

I expect it to be in use in the UK in the near future. Can't see what the problem is with it's use in helping with incidents.

I doubt if any managers will be deeply shocked by non ATC conversations.

[niknak]

Concur with Findo, I would have no problem with it, and would see it as an asset in the event of an incident.

Anyone who's ever had to listen to the replay of unit atc tapes will appreciate exactly how tedious it gets and the level of concentration required to properly absorb whats said after any length of time.

As Findo says, the vast majority of managers will have a very good idea about the content of conversations which take place out of their earshot.

[bibendum]

I really wouldn't worry about this sortof an initiative. As a manager (not ATC) I have access to the emails of all my staff, but I really do have better things to do than read them!

I know what I get called behind my back and i know that not everything done or said is work related. But they are a good team and get the job done and thats all that matters. I can't belive that any professional manager worth their salt would have a vastly different view.

[Jerricho]

I can't belive that any professional manager worth their salt would have a vastly different view.

Hey you're right...........with a comment like that you couldn't be an ATC manager ;) :E

[TheOddOne]

I often have telephone conversations with our NATS unit on lines that we both know are recorded. Occasionally, I guess we both might slag off each other's and our own management if there's something in particular that we feel the need to grumble about but I'm pretty sure no-one's going to trawl through all of those recordings unless there's a really serious event that's occurred. Actually, we don't normally have the time for that sort of conversation,but I guess it's different in the ops room environment during quiet periods - 'the devil finds work for idle hands'.

Cheers,

The Odd One

[zed3]

bibendum.....agree wholly BUT I wonder which ATC units have 'professional managers worth their salt'? That's the worry , evidence would be taken down and used against you . Believe me we know how these people generally work !

[Euroc5175]

I believe that one of the recommendations arising in the Ueberlingen report is to have voice recording for all 'direct' co-ordination.

However, as has been pointed out, a trial was conducted in TC a couple of years ago. The trial recordings contained too much background noise, making it difficult to interpret who said what.

The best option would be to have both video and voice recording to make it easier to see who was involved in the direct co-ordination. Obviously a policy would have to be put into place, i.e. only view the tapes in the event of an incident having occurred, to try and assist in such a system being acceptable to all involved.

[Red Dragon]

Hey Pir,

I'm sure the tower controllers will be getting paranoid about what the radar guys are saying about them and vice versa!!

How's things going anyway? I see Serco are there for another year anyway.

;)

Red Dragon

[pir]

the tower controllers will be getting paranoid about what the radar guys are saying about them
Well there's obviously someone who knows the place. ;)
How's things going
Everybody still heavily involved in politics to kill the idle time:zzz: I don't think SERCO will leave anytime soon. Actually I HOPE they don't.

:ok: