LHR deps yesterday?

[spoilers yellow]

Just a quick question for any LHR tower controllers,

I admit, not THAT unusual, but departing yesterday on 27L for a quick EDI and back, we came round the corner heading towards N1 and were confronted by around 22 aircraft holding. (around 1800hr)

It took us 45 mins of taxiing to get airbourne, was purely wondering was there any problems? in the past any sort of holding point congestion of this level results in a start up delay, was beginning to leave us a touch short on fuel.

Not in ANYWAY a critisism, you all do a great job am asking purely to satisfy my curiosity.

Thanks.

[GT3]

It has been getting busier and busier of late and a queue at all the holding points is all to common.

Another problem we face is that in the delivery position (121.97) we used to have a screen that showed us how many aircraft were started up on each route and if there was too many norths or too many souths we could restrict starts on that route. It gave a good guide to how many were in the system. Unfortunately this was removed a while ago and there are no plans for any replacement. This basically reduces our overall awareness of the traffic situation on the airfield.

Sorry you had to wait and then got short on fuel, however I feel these delays are the sign of things to come. Particularly in the new control tower.

[spoilers yellow]

Thanks for the reply,

First time I managed to finish the sudoko before take off!!:D


Cheers.

[Gonzo]

GT3,

So the obvious assumption that it was an Ops ATCO 2 in the pit is false? :E

[GT3]

Depending on the time he may have been in deps!

[Point Seven]

1800hrs? On a Friday? Gonzo, we both know that there is no chance of anyone from Ops being in the VCR then.

And anyway, if you weren't downstairs filing totally pointless CA4114s then you would have known.

P7

[HEATHROW DIRECTOR]

GT3.. Interesting point about the CCTV. Way back in the days before electricity when I did GMP in delay conditions we used to simply watch the routes on the FPS's of aircraft awaiting start-up. It was then dead easy to choose the starts-ups to give the best airfield splits, taking into account slot times, etc.

Does all that not happen nowadays?

[Gonzo]

Oh yes, sorry Point Seven, what was I thinking????:p

I agree, it really is pointless for us ATCOs to know that an emergency rendezvous point that has been closed for over a year is now back in service!:p

[surfingatco]

I remember doing AIR Deps on 09R (or it might've been 10R!) many years ago and the assistant beside GMP took a phone call from an airline (probably BA) asking if there were start up delays on. He shouted this across to the tower sup but before he could answer, as my departure strips were overflowing the bay and obscuring the crash button (does this still happen??) I responded, " I ****ing well hope so!!!"

The GMP controller, who at that point looked up from his newspaper, is now a senior manager!

[fly bhoy]

HD

Way back in the days before electricity when I did GMP in delay conditions we used to simply watch the routes on the FPS's of aircraft awaiting start-up. It was then dead easy to choose the starts-ups to give the best airfield splits, taking into account slot times

Easy enough to say but a lot harder in principle to manage when you've got roughly one aircraft calling you every 10 seconds for start!! Its very easy to forget if you've, say, started 10 northbounds in the last 5 minutes (in which case don't start any more) or only 8 (in which case keep firing them at ground!!!;) )

Once there's a sizeable queue already built up and there's already been some restriction on startups it seems to be easier to tactically choose who's starting (or maybe thats just me!!!), but if there's no startup delay its a lot harder to remember who you've started!!!

No offence intended but I think it may be a lot more busy now than when you were there so much harder to regulate startups!!:ouch: Certainly i've been doing ground sometimes when it seems that the planner has made a broadcast saying "All stations, heathrow broadcast...start approved. Contact Ground", but then again I daresay i've also been in planning when the ground controllers have thought the same of me!!!!:{ :mad: :{

FB:ok:

[Gonzo]

FB,

That was me, was hoping you hadn't noticed!!! :O

[fly bhoy]

Gonzo

I'm just too polite to say anything!!!;) :)

FB:ok:

[point5]

RVP W is open? Gee wizz!