Oxford ATC

[Toppers]

Is it my imagination or do the people in Oxfords Tower think they are related to God.
I would be suprised to hear from anyone who hadn't felt like they were a naughty school boy when communicating over the radio with Oxfords "Deus from up above".
Lighten up you lot, whatever makes you so aloof stop taking it.
:cool:

[FNG]

Dominus Illuminateo Mea!

Also: an ATIS that you can never hear, a Ground frequency that gives you a b*llocking for not having the ATIS, and an Approach frequency which can't see you anyway as they have no radar (and anyway if you want radar there is super-wonderful-extra-fabulous-incredibly-helpful-and-marvellous-in-every way Brize just next door).

On Sundays it turns into AFIS and all is sweetness and light, even though some of the voices are the same.

Presumably it's all designed to get the ATPL students used to a big airport set-up? Fun is not allowed. A friend of mine is a training Captain for BMI and has to deal with new recruits from Oxford. He does this by encouraging them to go out and get wired on various Class A substances, stay up all night with dodgy Ukrainians etc etc, but says that counter-indoctrinating them is a hard and thankless task, so well has the brain washing been performed.

[ 25 August 2001: Message edited by: FNG ]

[Salvador]

Well Oxford ATC clearly are trying to emulate their idea of a big commercial airport. Only thing is, is that a big airport is a much nicer and more polite in my experience. They also seem to need enormous seperation for landing and take off.
I nearly declared a fuel emergency once when sat at the hold for 40 minutes. A shiny red Pitts is a really good aircraft to **** them off with. Oh and avoid Westcott, the local training establishment spend lots of time flying around the NDB with the screens up and no one looking out. The Moral - Avoid this airfield.

[BEagle]

As a visitor last year, I dropped in to pick up a passenger and to pay the landing fee. I then taxiied out to RW 20 following the flow, advised 'ready immediate departure' and was highly annoyed when some bizjet belonging to a F1 racing team was allowed to elbow its way past without warning (overtaking contrary to the normal Rules). I remonstrated with ATC and was told by a very officious woman to call them on the land line later if I wanted an answer. So I did. I also stated that I was on the point of writing a MOR. I was told that there was an 'unofficial' VFR/IFR 'line' which aircraft were supposed to join (it was CAVOK++ that day!). No-one had briefed me about it, there was nothing in the UK AIP nor even Pooley's about it. Crystal ball was a bit cloudy that day, I'm afraid. I eventually got through to someone who told me that the commercial influence being placed upon Kidlington ATC (with 'encouragement' from the operating company) was something he was greatly concened about - and he agreed that the actions of the bizjet were totally wrong. But never once did anyone offer an apology!!

If I ever have the misfortune to go there again, I'll make damn sure that there's no space available for anyone to shove their way past when I'm No 1 waiting for departure clearance! Incidentally, how come this scruffy little piece of mud and gravel still hasn't got an ILS? Upper Heyford has been closed for quite a while now.......

[ 27 August 2001: Message edited by: BEagle ]