New idea for TV documentary [Archive]

FinDir

18th Oct 2007, 18:32

Just wondered how many people, like me, are fed up with the endless repeats of Airline and Airport on TV and also the over-dramatic and completely unrealistic American ATC programmes and films like Pushing Tin?

Does anyone agree that a small series of proper UK ATC documentaries would be a good idea? I really liked the BBC's Airport series, but this has seen its day now - a fresh look at aviation from a new angle might be very interesting!

Ppdude

18th Oct 2007, 18:37

People would never fly again.

Standard Noise

18th Oct 2007, 18:43

mmm, lots of tea, feet on desks and people thumbing through the Currant Bun. Yep, folks'd love it.

Scuzi

18th Oct 2007, 18:46

I suppose a few minutes footage of me sitting on my arse in the rest room with a coffee would be much more interesting than some of the drivel that is on the box nowadays.

When I was at the college I heard talk of someone wanting to do a documentary on ATC training. Nothing seemed to come of it though.

Gonzo

18th Oct 2007, 18:47

Airport stopped featuring ATC in the documentary because in thousands of hours of filming, only one or two interesting things happened.

You say Pushing Tin is unrealistic?

Whaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaat? :}

CleartoFire

18th Oct 2007, 19:00

Always dangerous to invite satan into your house. I have seen many occasions when people think they are going to come out of these shows a star and end up looking like a complete t1t, does anyone remember that "look at me2 fest that was HMS Brilliant a couple of years ago.

On the upside there is 2 weeks of being a z lister to look forward to and the obligatory GMTV appearance-an interview with Jenni Falconer anyone?

FinDir

18th Oct 2007, 19:43

Why Gonzo? Have you had a fight in the Ops Room haha.

Gonzo

18th Oct 2007, 20:24

Many.

I and my colleagues also drive very recklessly, insult pilots in front of diner waitresses, stand underneath landing aircraft, and generally act in a childish way while playing basketball in front of partners....:}

takeonme

18th Oct 2007, 20:47

I thought everyone wore a feather in their headset.....

Honey Monster

18th Oct 2007, 21:28

I think it was in the early 1990s that there was a rumour going around the the College about a TV company wanting to do a "fly on the wall" series about the training of ATCOs.

According to the rumour, management refused because they would have no say in what was transmitted. They worried that it could show NATS in a bad light if the wrong emphasis was put on events such as dealing with weak students.

coolbeans

18th Oct 2007, 23:00

I thought everyone wore a feather in their headset.....

Damn straight, pushing tin is the reason I got into air traffic

Now I'm just waiting to bag angelina jolie and my career is complete.

Chilli Monster

18th Oct 2007, 23:16

Now I'm just waiting to bag angelina jolie and my career is complete

Forget it - she'd never understand a word you said :uhoh:

Not long now eh? :D

SM4 Pirate

18th Oct 2007, 23:47

What about an abinitio training course with a few individuals doco'd from whoa to go.

Compare 2 groups of people on the course: 1 group picked from the HR aptitude/testing/interview/resume process the other group picked by a bunch of ATCs down at he local boozer (picked by the old gut feeling) and see what the difference would be.

eastern wiseguy

19th Oct 2007, 05:10

Frankly the idea would be boring......:hmm: ATC isn't about glamour or excitement.It is about keeping stuff apart...usually done efficiently and with a minimum of fuss.Watching a bunch of students battle through their latest summative would be prime time TV :yuk:

The EZY programme on telly seems to be broken into lost bags and late (shouty teary) passengers(very little about the,imho,interesting bits ie FLYING)

We could have ATCO's complaining about Unit Grading and AVA's.

Rivetting stuff:rolleyes:

loubylou

19th Oct 2007, 15:54

Ooooh no Fin Dir - couldn't think of anything more tedious than having to watch my language around a film crew!!!:p
And as the main gripe at most units appears to be pay and banding, you can just imagine how sympathetically that would be reported...... NOT!!!
And every landing clearance would be potentially seconds from disaster.

louby

FinDir

19th Oct 2007, 16:06

Well guys, thank you for your positivity and encouragement. You all sound like you love your jobs!

wlatc

19th Oct 2007, 17:19

Here's a nice, informative video put together by UPS and the New York Times:
http://video.on.nytimes.com/?fr_story=ddf6ffdff959f2da930edb4d711ad7c3fe497e40

Lon More

19th Oct 2007, 18:23

Wlatc: One operator, operating a small number of types onto one airfield, by the nature of the business departures and arrivals aren't mixed. Throw in numerous operators,dissimilar types, simultaneous arrivals and departures from other airfields and it's not going to happen. That's without weather or the occasional overshoot or aborted take off being factored in

Standard Noise

20th Oct 2007, 18:02

ATCO IDOL -I like it, 12 unknowns picked off the street. Put them through a summative training exercise each week live on telly, eastern could be the Simon Cowell character on the panel, loser gets kicked out and the winner gets a posting to the opposite end of the country from where he/she wanted.

Cracking idea!

Scuzi

20th Oct 2007, 18:09