Long Serving Controller Retires from Sydney

[nerdboy]

After 39 years as an Air Traffic Controller, Jeff Lockey is retiring from Airservices Australia on 8 Aug 08. Currently employed as an Aerodrome Controller in Sydney Tower, Jeff has worked in all three Sydney Towers as an ADC and Ground Controller. In his earlier years he also worked in various radar positions including Approach, Departures and Arrivals, and spent a short time as a Flow controller, all at Sydney. During his unblemished career he has ensured the safety of millions of passengers, aircrew and ground staff as they passed through Sydney.

Jeff works his last shift at Sydney on Thu 7 Aug from 1330 - 2000. If you are passing through Sydney during that time I'm sure he would appreciate your words of farewell.

[Starts with P]

He's doing an AD on Thursday... :ok:

(Got to love our staffing levels :} )

[max1]

Good on you Jeff, enjoy your retirement, you've earnt it.
Always good for a laugh.

[Blockla]

Jeff,

Have a great time spending the kids inheritance; hope you continue in your global travels. 39 years, amazing; I'm out after 16:}

Cheers,
Block

[Stationair8]

I suppose the gurus in Canberra will engage a consultant to see what the bloke will be given for a retirement present!

Enjoy your retirement.

[Roger Standby]

And come up with the standard gold spray painted headset mounted on a piece of 2 by 4. :}

Best of luck SKIing.

[Capt Fathom]

I hope your last 'cleared to land' won't be a go-around!

I'm on a day off! :E

[Trevor the lover]

Jeff

Best of luck for the future my friend. Have a great retirement.

For those that don't know Jeff - one of the best guys on the planet.

I shall be in touch Jeff.


ENVOY 604

[Vampire 91]

Hi Jeff

Prior to my retirement former colleagues said 'you won't miss the job, but you will miss your workmates'. Within days after I retired I found that I didn't miss the job or the people I had worked with.

Enjoy your new life - there is a whole new world out there and for a young chap like you it's not too late to find something else interesting to fill in your time.

I enjoyed working with you over the years - even if you were a bit contrary at times, but I was always confident that your operational decisions were good ones.

I wish you all the very best in your 'retirement'.

[Jet_A_Knight]

Ofcourse, your last day had to have thunderstorms.:{

Enjoy retirement!:ok:

[WELLCONCERNED]

Good riddance to another waste of space Sydney controller. Sooner they close the place and get rid of all of the lazy b@^*ard so-called controllers [more like hinderers] at Sydney the better.

[undervaluedATC]

wellconcerned, that last post clinches it - you are a TROLL!

welcome to my ignore list!

[WELLCONCERNED]

U-ATC,

Let me see.

You have exactly how many instructions at your command as an ATC?

Go fast. That's one.

Go slow. That's two.

Turn right. That's three.

Turn left. That's four.

Climb. That's five.

Descend. That's six.

Can't think of any more [unless you're a tower controller who can say stop!].

So, you have EXACTLY SIX INSTRUCTIONS that you can give, and you consider yourself worthy of a huge salary and a huge range of service conditions that the average Australian could only dream of. You are an anachronism and a hindrance to effective air traffic management. Resign, and do the travelling public a favour!!!

[Obie]

Lots of bods put in 20,30,40 plus years in a job and then sod off!

Wots the big deal here?

Are we collecting money or something for a retirement present? :cool:

[make-mine-a-Coopers]

Well done, Jeff - and enjoy it all.

It has been an honour and a pleasure to work with you, and I look forward to catching up for a drink come December at The Dud.

[zoics88]

Jeff,

:ok:

Thanks for the good times and the support in the bad times, the freely offered tips, the healthy disrespect of managers and the detestation of lame ducks, lurk merchants and doggo dodgers.
Subtract those four categories, you ain't got many friends left.... who cares? The remainder are solid. (perhaps, even, no one in particular!)

WELLCONCERNED - F U
you have no idea!
I have stood beside this bloke, for nearly 20 years, countless boring shifts and the occasional moments of sheer terror.
I give you the tip, mate, one of the best, a passionate aviationista.
There are few people around with his dedication to grass roots flying, air traffic control and the human condition.
Do you fly 767's? :p

[SARMC]

Wellconcerned

Knowing when to issue an instruction is as important as issuing the correct instruction. In your view there are only 6 instructions, I suggest you read a copy of MATS.

6 choices hey? "Hmmmm, which one will I use, which instruction will not put an aircraft or another aircraft nearby in danger. Decisions decisions" the ATC ponders......whoops to late as the burning wreckage of two RPT jets rain down on an inner Sydney suburb.

Perhaps an example is in order: Someone throws a rock at you, the rock is flying towards your head, I know that the correct instruction to you is "DUCK". Too bad if I say it a little too late hey????

Obviously you have absolutley no idea of what ATCs do or how they do it. I suggest that you contact your nearest ATC provider and ask if you can visit an ATC facility.

If, as I suspect, you are a child, then you probably wont be allowed in until you grow up.

Regards
Stephen

[lestump]

Well-concerned, I can tell from your last couple of posts that you are a brilliant, highly skilled, versatile, w@nker of the first degree. What a CLINT! If you truly believe ATC only requires six instructions, you wouldn't make a controller's jockstrap.

[maggot]

good luck in retirement, just need to hear a sound bite of his voice to pick who it is on the other end of the line though!

[drunkensailor]

Folks,
As UATC said, noconcern is a troll, why feed the useless thing?:ugh:
Enjoy retirement Jeff.

[tobzalp]

Wellconcerned is an Airservices manager if you were unaware. Being a c0cksmoker is a prerequisite.

[Vampire 91]

To Wellconcerned and Obie

Sometimes in life we get to know people through work who are well respected by their colleagues and become our friends. Someone obviously decided that this forum was an appropriate place to share their respects for a particular individual. The fact that he was an ATC is not really relevant, just that he is someone who his colleagues feel strongly about and have taken the opportunity here to make a few posts. Perhaps having friends and respecting others, and having others respect you, is something which you two have never experienced or understood. In which case I feel a bit sorry for you. But then, having reread your posts, I suspect you are a couple of miserable sods so really I dismiss you as being quite irrelevant. Go and get yourselves a life.

[SARMC]

Thank you Vampire 91, a very well considered and relevent post. Your viewpoint is refreshing.

I have been fortunate enough to have worked with ATCs like Jeff and their retirements have left a huge "experience" hole in the ATC system.

Fortunately there are still many ATCs left in the ATC system that are approaching "Jeffs" overall expertise and experience, so even though he will be missed by many, the excellent service delivered by SY ATC will continue. (Despite AsA management).

I have not met Jeff, but his reputation has spread throughout Australian ATC as not only an extremely good ATC but also as someone who has love of aviation in general.

I join with all the others who have met, or have known of, Jeff in wishing him a long, prosperous and happy retirement.

Regards to all
Stephen

[etz]

All the best Jeff.
You never did get that shift where all the equipment worked and you only ever had to say something once and nothing went pear shaped and the new procedures that were thoroughly tested in Adelaide worked flawlessly in Sydney.
The stable year is just around the corner and you're leaving? It's coming Jeff. I'm going to make it all happen. I'll do it all after I retension the pigs wings.

Oh and management said "The love's back".

[keepemseperated]

Jeff, I would like to echo the thoughts of most (well all if you disregard WC) and say what a pleasure it has been working with you over the past 12 years or so. One of the true gentlemen in the ATC ranks, all the best and look after yourself.

""Green in between, paid every second Thursday""