View Full Version : Breaks in towers - need info
country boy
28th Jun 2010, 01:50
Hi, I am seeking verifiable information on how tower controllers in secondary airports in the UK take their breaks, particularily solo watch towers. Are there formal mechanisnisms where the tower closes for a set period of time to achieve a break or do they just grab a quiet moment to make a cup of coffee?
chevvron
28th Jun 2010, 12:11
All UK ATCOs irrespective of operational task have to take at least 30 min rest for every 2 hours of operational duty. Any modification of this by the ATS provider has to be approved by the UK CAA.
In the UK it is called SRATCOH and can be found in CAP670 Section D part 2 page 1 onwards.
http://www.caa.co.uk/docs/33/CAP670.PDF
The document can be downloaded for free.
eastern wiseguy
28th Jun 2010, 13:53
Country Boy...try locating someone from Eglinton City of Derry. They used to shut up shop on a regular basis to accomodate their breaks.
country boy
29th Jun 2010, 01:22
Thanks that document will be very useful to me. What I need to know now is how many "solo watch" control towers there are in the UK. Can anyone point me in the right direction to find this out?