Inverness ATCO job

[broken headset]

Can anyone tell me what the shift pattern is for ATCO's in Inverness?
What are the realistic downsides to the job? Seems a good place and reasonable money for non NATS controllers.

[chevvron]

Ask HIAL. They are the company formed to operate these airfields when it was decided that NATS should concentrate on being an ANSP rather than an airfield operating company. Mind you it used to be fun, with the ATCO in charge also being airfield manager.
I did a 4 week stint at Sumburgh in '72 and it taught me a lot about airfield ops as opposed to just ATC ops as the idea was to send you there as an initiative test.
When an ATCO Cadet had validated at their posting in Scottish Division (in my case Glasgow Airport) they were given a travel warrant with instructions to report to their Highlands and Islands airport on a specific date (I had 3 days notice).
You quickly had to learn not just the ATC side of things but how the airport operated because inevitably, at some time the ATCO Manager wouldn't be there and YOU would have to make the decisions eg granting an extension for late opening and ensuring the Fire Service were informed.

[SUMBURGH DIRECTOR]

I did a 4 week stint at Sumburgh in '72

Easy to feel positive about it when you only have to do 4 weeks!! ;)

By the way, it hasn't change much since 1972!!

[chevvron]

Easy to feel positive about it when you only have to do 4 weeks!! ;)

By the way, it hasn't change much since 1972!!
Whaddya mean, at least you've got radar now. In those days, if anyone had a problem we had to phone the RAF radar station on Saxa Vord to see if they could help, but as they were only fighter controllers, it was a bit hit and miss.(get it? I'll get me coat)

[SUMBURGH DIRECTOR]

No what I meant is.. the island hasn't changed much. And when you step into the terminal you feel like it's 1972!!

[chevvron]

What you mean every shop in the vicinity of the airport still sells those cheroots that Les Isaacs (ATCO Manager c1972) liked to smoke; the local bus company also delivering milk and bread etc?
By the way, that terminal wasn't even planned in '72, the only thing built on that site being the VOR !

[kcockayne]

Is the broken glass that you had to crawl across to reach the TWR still there ?

[Eric T Cartman]

@ chevvron
After validating @ PK in '73, like you I got 30 nights subs & 4 weeks in Sumburgh with Mrs Harper at the Meadowvale Guest House. I'd been at the tower 2 days when I was left at the desk with its BBC 1940 style microphone whilst a certain person went & sat in the sunshine on the balcony with a cheroot & a newspaper. Not that I minded, until he shouted through the door at me to speak up because he couldn't hear what I was saying ! The sheepskin rugs I got off his Mrs. were excellent though !
3 years later I started doing the Manager's relief on Tiree & loved every minute of it.
H&I is good - if you get the chance, broken headset, go for it :-)

[chevvron]

Ah the Meadowvale. If you asked for an egg for breakfast, she would go out to the hen - coop up the hill and get you one.
My sheepskin rugs were bought from Willie Leaske, a local taxi driver, who insisted on negotiating a price whilst sharing a half bottle of whisky with me.
When I first arrived, Cyril Loftus from Aberdeen was doing leave relief for Les. I don't know what he'd done to annoy the staff at the Sumburgh Hotel where he was staying but every day he would throw his sandwiches off the balcony and every day there was this seagull floating past ready to grab them. One day he said 'I asked for plain cheese sandwiches today; they can't possibly cock that up'.
The seagull got his lunch as normal; they'd smothered his cheese sandwiches with salt!