Prestwick Vacancy

[Nobodys Desk]

Vacancy advertised on the GPIA website:


Air Traffic Control Officers (ATCO's) | Glasgow Prestwick Airport (http://www.glasgowprestwick.com/about-the-airport/recruitment/airtrafficcontrolofficers.html)


Closing date is 15/05/2015.

[HEATHROW DIRECTOR]

Someone tell the writer of the advert that an apostrophe is not needed in Air Traffic Control Officers.

[Nobodys Desk]

Thanks HD, I predicted that would be the first response. :ok:

[Glamdring]

Does Prestwick actually handle anything these days? Whats the movements like?

[ZOOKER]

Glamdring,
I spent a year living at the seaward end of 13. It's quality, not quantity.

[kcockayne]

So, nothing then , Zooker.

[Fly Through]

Future spaceport, don't you know.

[LandingConfig]

Glamdring Still some Ryanair sunshine routes, plus Cargolux and AF Cargo. Lots of GA and military movements.

[ZOOKER]

It was odd kcockayne,
Some days it was interesting, then nothing happened for a while. A great shame, as it's a top location.
No, seriously. If you're landing in Scotland for the very first time.......It's a great introduction to what Caledonia has to offer.

[LEGAL TENDER]

from the CAA stats
25k movements for the year 2014. Of which just 6.6k were air transport.

(I just looked at the 1990 stats and Prestwick had 122k movements that year (of which 102k test and training) -
Only LHR, LGW and MAN had more that year!

[kcockayne]

Zooker

I was only being flippant. I passed through 'PK as a cadet & saw some interesting a/c there myself. But, that was back in the mid 70s.
However, apart from ACA & Speedbird, I saw little airline traffic.

[ZOOKER]

kcockayne,

No worries, it was one of my posting requests on the cadet course oddly enough. While I was there in 2010 it was mainly RYR, with AFR and CLX freighters, plus some crew training.
All the best,

Zooks.

[Jwscud]

Prestwick is also popular for base training - I have done it for two types there and on one occasion had a 787 waiting for the circuit once we were done.

Some big stuff in the visual circuit I would imagine would be quite fun for an ATCO?

[Hooligan Bill]

I believe Taylor Wimpey may be interested.

[LadyAtco]

Did you notice this classic bit of HR rubbish


"All applicants need to be able to provide photographic proof of identity if selected for interview".


What are they expecting ? Bogus ATCOs sending their friends for interviews !!

[parkfell]

Somewhat emotive language in the advert.
Your passport is regarded as photographic evidence.
This is a standard document kept as part of ATPLs. :ok:

[chevvron]

Lady ATCO:
An SRG examiner once told me a tale of arriving to do a validation and recognising the candidate, but under another name! He had somehow managed to get ATCO Licenses in 2 different identities.
I suppose it was possible in the days before you had to complete an 'approved course', ie you could just train at an ATC unit then go and take the exams.

[kcockayne]

then, there's always the Harkins twins.

[obwan]

kcockayne (http://www.pprune.org/members/155823-kcockayne)


There I was having a perfectly pleasant morning and you had to spoil it.:=

[kcockayne]

We'll, I had to venture out in the wind & the rain to get the Sunday papers , so I figured on making somebody else's day miserable, too !

[2 sheds]

I think that LadyATCO has missed the point. It's to protect you and me and the genuine applicants and the employer. There are people around who will try to blag anything. Also SOP for anyone applying to CAA for any form of certifcate or licence.

2 s

[ZOOKER]

It's a long time ago, but I'm fairly certain I had to send NATS/CAA a photo attached to both my ATCO and ATSA application forms.

[chevvron]

I can't recall doing it, but then my initial interview for NATCS (they lost 'Control' and became NATS about 5 years later) - then part of the Board of Trade - was in 1967.

[LEGAL TENDER]

Sorry if I hurt your feelings. I realise the choice of words was a bit harsh.

However...
18 months on the market with no buyers - bought by Scottish Government for £1 - on £25 million loan from Scottish Government to operate until 2016 (which is estimated to rise to £40 mil) - running at a loss of £4 million per year.
The Scottish Government made a business plan to return to profit by 2022 estimating passenger growth of 10% per year in the first 5 years.
Like that is going to happen?

The initial loan funding of 21 million until 2022 has now been revised to £40 million until 2021.

How the Scottish Government gets away with throwing good money after bad (while at the same time being very critical of the defence budget and other things) is beyond me - but this is a different subject altogether.
Perhaps the legacy of Elvis landing at PIK and the prospect of a thriving spaceport justify the use of public money to support a failing business.
If I owned a factory (or a football club for that matter) that failed I doubt there would be a similar intervention.

I apologise for the unfortunate choice of words. However the numbers paint anything but a success story I'm sure you'll agree.

Regards

[Nobodys Desk]

I'm guessing you're not interested in applying then??? :ugh:

[Standard Noise]

Applied for a job there 17 years ago, what a complete clusterf**k! Halfwit on the Information desk left me sitting waiting way past my interview time, despite me telling her several times that I had an interview to attend, and when I finally got to the CTB, the DSATCO greeted me with "where the f**k have you been? We thought you hadn't bothered f**king turning up!"


Needless to say, I found a position somewhere else. Glad I did too.
I believe said knobhead DSATCO ended up in SRG..............figures.

[Gingerbread Man]

I applied a couple of years ago, painstakingly filling out their paper application form, calling to find out who it was appropriate to address my cover letter to, etc, etc. They didn't even have the courtesy to respond and say thanks but no thanks.

[off watch]

I'm curious G Man - did you apply on spec or for an advertised ATCO vacancy ?
I don't remember seeing anything there around that time.

[Gingerbread Man]

It was an advertised vacancy. It wasn't two years ago exactly though - September 2013.

[Nobodys Desk]

Looking for two more..........


Air Traffic Control Officers (ATCO) | Glasgow Prestwick Airport (http://www.glasgowprestwick.com/about-the-airport/recruitment/airtrafficcontrolofficers.html)

[chevvron]

Glamdring,
I spent a year living at the seaward end of 13. It's quality, not quantity.

Remember the F104s which were serviced there? And the old story of 'can you make FL250 by the coast?' (meaning east coast)
'Affirm' was the answer.
You guessed it, he was above 250 by the WEST coast!!
Edit to remove 'Luftwaffe'.

[malcolm380]

Weren't they RCAF CF-104s? As a 14 year old in 1969, I was shown round the old Scottish Aviation facility and there were several RCAF Starfighters in there then

[chevvron]

Weren't they RCAF CF-104s? As a 14 year old in 1969, I was shown round the old Scottish Aviation facility and there were several RCAF Starfighters in there then
I think you're right, but weren't they based in Germany?

[Liobian]

Correct - contracted from Jan '63; completed 1000 overhauls by Dec '67; contracts ended in 1978.

[ZOOKER]

chevvron,
I remember an ex-NATS ATCO at EGNX telling me about the time he was on detachment to EGPX/Gailes. I seem to recall him telling me about 'Ailsa Craig 240s' off EGPK. I think it referred to the same aircraft type?

[LEGAL TENDER]

Is the RAF F104s the most up to date tale involving traffic spotted at PIK? ;):cool::E

[obwan]

The Ailsa Craig teardrop was the "procedure" for F104s landing at EGPK , basically involved them arriving over Ailsa Craig (a rock in the middle of the Firth of Clyde, for southerners) at FL240 and 2 mins. later appear on final approach. Prestwick APC. had very little say in the matter other than to keep other aircraft out of the way. I believe one of the D controllers at Scottish Airways was qualified to fly the F104s and did so on occasions, maybe I just dreamed that bit but you never know there might be some old duffer out there who might know.

[ZOOKER]

Thanks obwan. It was about 40 years ago he told me that. You do get a cracking view of Ailsa from the EGPX VCR too.

[Musket90]

Norwegian AF F104's also were occasional visitors for maintenance.