IRAQ ATC training

[frostbite]

Did anyone see the prospective ATCOs being 'trained' on Newsnight last night?

Can't recall ever having got a good laugh out of Newsnight before.

It appeared to be all carried out with Dinky toys - 747 being carried at shoulder height by guy who shuffled towards runway painted on board, while another moved a model car along taxiway!

Since I'm not in the business, please reassure me this doesn't happen pre-Swanwick!

[lobby]

You are quite right, this does not happen pre Swanwick.

It is not until trainees get to Swanwick that they move on to the more advanced Sim's as you have described above!:O

[Bagso]

...yes Newsnight was brilliant.... (always is )

Did anybody spot the ramp as well ?

IL76 , possibly a 727, but the Spitfire and Vampire was stretching it a bit.....

Having said all that I must confess personally I felt somewhat sorry for them as well, I am sure they were doing there best !

[Pierre Argh]

My first ATC training was at RAF Shawbury, before the days of the 3D Virtual VIS SIM... The Tower was done sat in front of a Comms panel looking out at a large painting of the airfield. Not a single aircraft in sight (that was until our final exercise when we added some paper cutouts from recognition magazines etc... oh how we laughed?)

[CUNIM]

I was out there two years ago in Basra and Baghdad. They are a serioius bunch of guys battling against the odds. I remember having a tower simulator in Australia in the early sixties that was not much different. Good luck to them as thay fight to regain a normal life.

[Fox3snapshot]

A very practical concept to start appreciating the tower environment, a diorama with models and basic scenerio's was still being used prior to going into the old tower sim when I trained in 89. Actually is quite helpful.

Lets face it the Russian Air Force still use it for briefing sorties with models, chalk and sticks to run the profiles, Putin was involved in one when he went bombing recently.

Don't forget the KISS principal still works.

;)

[frostbite]

Points taken, although I must confess I was half expecting John Cleese to come in and say 'nobody expects the Iraqi atcos'.