Barcelona ATC -what do you think?

[alexban]

Check this post http://www.pprune.org/forums/showthread.php?t=262528 , we would like to hear your part of the story.And what can we do to improve safety.
Brgds

[Sean Dell]

Well speak a universally understood language, might be a start. You can all do it (hopefully)!

[Del Prado]

Since NATS and AENA work so closely together, I propose a 6 month job swap programme whereby we can see each others problems and share our solutions to the benefit of all.



Me first.:E

[You Gimboid]

It's not the easiest place in the world to work.

The problems on approach phase are

1) poor separation and conflicting speed control instructions
2) the use of a "maintain minimum vertical speed" instruction to aid separation (?!)
3) deliberate feeding of national airlines ahead of the logical sequence, thus necessitating longer track distances, or occasional non-standard routings through the localiser for the preferred landing runway.
4) Particularly on easterly runway configuration, holding traffic high to comply with terrain restrictions, but then turning the traffic straight on to the localiser intercept course "to report established(!)" without issuing further descent instructions, resulting in additional R/T calls on an already congested frequency

Terminal/Tower/Ground phase:

1) no remedial action to prevent the already poor separation on final
2) Difficulties with conflicting taxiing traffic from the south runway (eg. poor coordination between ground and tower freqs) and traffic exiting the north runway after landing
3) Pushback and taxi instructions which are regularly cancelled, amended late or just plain bizarre and need to be queried on yet another congested frequency
4) Chaotic and thoroughly undisciplined road traffic all over the apron which adds to the already congested movement area and appears to be under no kind of control whatsoever.

These are some of the regularly occurring problems which appear to make Barcelona one of the most challenging places to work in and out of.

At times controllers appear to be barely coping, and surely the "necessity" to switch quickly to and from Spanish and English in such a stressful environment is part of the problem.

I would propose the most effective change would be to make busy Spanish TMAs and airports into ICAO standard English-speaking environments as soon as possible.

If the ATC infrastructure is unable to cope adequately with the two-language system it would go a long way to improving the situation.

[Sean Dell]

You Gimboid

You have hit the nail on the head.

Anyone from BCN care to comment?

......

[Bearcat]

Flew in there in the last week....me and F/O discussed jeez this place is chaotic. We had all ladies doing ATC and it was like a gaggle of hens at full belt rattling off intructions in the local tongue and english.

Just felt we had to keep an eye on the show more than usual.

[Gulfstreamaviator]

We thought is was just us...the approach was fine, the fun started on the ground with the first parking instructions, and associated taxi instructions, recinded, just as we passed the only escape to the other stand from 36 to 111.....so we had to go head to head with two other aircraft.....
Never mind, it was an interesting taxi.

Only visit once ever few years, so very confuced, but made it in the end.

Hope the departing taxi will be easier...


GlfF