ATC Delays ex- BNE this morning

[FabulousBakerBoy]

Can anyone explain why we got delayed ex BN to ML this morning? Apparently something about ATC staff shortages but we never saw a NOTAM.

What was going on?

[tobzalp]

Wasn't at work (but have been called twice to go in due to staff shortage today). I expect that the Notam was not issued because some yes man (I know who was the Ops Manager this am btw so am not surprised) thought they could mitigate the shortage by delaying the aircraft. As soon as the Notam is issued, Two First Names (the CEO) gets notification and is on the phone wanting answers.

There are unstaffed sectors often with no Notam issued but the boys make up the slack and usually get lucky. Seems today this was not the case. And to think that they are going to make 140 odd ATC's redundant in the very near future (budgeted for already).

[VVS Laxman]

From the Civil Air forum:

The ATIS in CG and BN this morning:

ATIS ATIS YBBN D 272153
RWY: 19 AND RWY 14 FOR ARR. RWY 19 FOR DEP
+ OPR INFO: CONVERGING RUNWAY OPERATIONS.
POSSIBLE DELAYS FOR SOUTHERN
DEPARTURES DUE STAFF SHORTAGES
+ WND: 180/10
VIS: GREATER THAN 10 KM
CLD: FEW030
TMP: 16
QNH: 1019



ATIS ATIS YBCG BRAVO 272151
APCH:
RWY: 14
SFC COND:
OPR INFO:ALL JET ACFT REQ START CLEARANCE
DUE POSSIBLE DLA AIRBORNE
WND: 210/12 XWIND MAX 14KT
VIS: GREATER THAN 10KM
WX:
CLD: FEW 3000
TMP: 18
QNH: 1019

A contingency plan which has a NOTAM advising if delays and reduced services was not issued at the insistence of the Ops Manager.

[Shitsu_Tonka]

Wow. I wonder if TFN reads PPrune? (or has a PPrune minion).

I am sure he would hate to hear it from the media first.

[turnleftnow]

So was that some of the enroute sectors south of YBBN?

[Yarbles]

The latest one on Coral's link re; the very northwestern brissy sector seemed to confirm the extreme reluctance to TIBA. The word is that a previously used technique of a short term TIBA early and late in the doggo (during quiet bits) to facilitate breaks for the lone staff member was overlooked in favour of getting an unrated supervisor to babysit during any required breaks, expected to be a total of at least 1 hour as it is an 8 hour shift. The controller responsible was, unsuprisingly, reluctant to leave an unrated person in charge of the dozen or more that you get in that part of the world for most of the early morning and of subsequently soldered on through most of the shift untill it got quiet enough to have a break, with the exeption of a quick loo break. There was, of course, no notification of the reduction (or absence) of control services to the industry at any time except the usual "possible delay".

[DirectAnywhere]

WND: 210/12 XWIND MAX 14KT

Bugger the staff shortage, I'm still trying to work this one out on the Cooly ATIS!:eek:

Work experience kid typing in the ATIS due to staff shortage?!?!?

[89 steps to heaven]

Here are the ATIS requirements for wind.
WIND [DIRECTION] / [SPEED]
WIND DIRECTION shall be quoted as:
1.SINGLE MEAN DIRECTION; or
2.TWO VALUES representing variation in wind direction whenever:
a.the extremes in wind direction vary by 60 degrees or more; or
b.the variation is considered to be operationally significant (eg the variation is less than 60 degrees, but the variation from the mean results in either a downwind, and / or significant crosswind component on a nominated runway).
(eg "Wind varying between 070 and 120 degrees."); or
3.VARIABLE where it is not possible to report a mean wind direction, such as:
a.in light wind conditions (3 KT or less); or
b.the wind is veering or backing by 180 degrees or more.
(eg Passage of thunderstorm, or localised wind effect).
WIND SPEED shall be quoted as:
1.CALM (less than 1 KT eg "WIND CALM"); or
2.SINGLE MEAN VALUE whenever the extremes between minimum and maximum are 10 KT or less (eg "WIND 250 DEGREES 25 KNOTS); or
3.TWO VALUES REPRESENTING MINIMUM AND MAXIMUM VALUES whenever the extremes in wind speed vary by more than 10 knots (eg "WIND 250 DEGREES MINIMUM 15 KNOTS MAXIMUM 28 KNOTS).:eek:

That should clear it up. :}

[Shitsu_Tonka]

Simple - the wind is a mean. The XW is a max.

EDIT: Oops - beat me to it.

[DirectAnywhere]

I was waiting for it....;)

Just couldn't resist asking the question. One red too many praps!