Night staff shortages at NERC?
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This seems to be a reasonably regular occurence.
Does anyone have any experience of any other UK area unit closing sectors in this way? I ask because I've worked at a couple and I can't think that it has ever happened at them. I never think that the NOTAM concerning such closures is a particularly good advert for NATS.
Does anyone have any experience of any other UK area unit closing sectors in this way? I ask because I've worked at a couple and I can't think that it has ever happened at them. I never think that the NOTAM concerning such closures is a particularly good advert for NATS.
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No other unit has cut the night staffing to the bone like LACC with a management which would rather close sectors than have a few minutes of delay during the day. Scandalous.
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Don't forget on several sectors or depending on the north bank validations, it only takes one person to be sick for the airspace to have to shut for at least part of the night anyhow, but management say they are willing to accept that loss.................
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Discussing this earlier; seems strange as the sectors get bandboxed. In the past trying to get CLN (after they'd switched the phones off) we ended up talking to DTY. The point was raised that according to the AIP service is provided 24/7.
Maybe those inconvenienced can make a claim in the courts?
Maybe those inconvenienced can make a claim in the courts?
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But here we are on the edge, preparing for a grand new 'leap' forward with a brand new logo and everything, to demonstrate our leading position in Europe with our world class ATM systems.
Fine, but it makes me feel really shabby when as a 'leading' provider of ATM we have to close airspace at night. How on earth is that world class? Are we supposed to be proud of that? For whatever reason, it shouldn't happen. Does it happen anywhere else?
Isn't one of our 'destinations' to control a significant amount of European airspace, (but only during daylight hours)
Fine, but it makes me feel really shabby when as a 'leading' provider of ATM we have to close airspace at night. How on earth is that world class? Are we supposed to be proud of that? For whatever reason, it shouldn't happen. Does it happen anywhere else?
Isn't one of our 'destinations' to control a significant amount of European airspace, (but only during daylight hours)
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I find it amazing that a couple of people being sick couild actually close airspace. If we had two of three people call in sick for the midnight shift, we would first hold over two controllers from the night watch for two hours to help out and keep the bandboxed (combined) sectors to the normal two midnight shift sectors (normally five or six sectors combined down to two in our facility per area). Then if you couldn't get anyone to come in for the midnight shift, would have the one person work for four hours by themselves with all the sectors bandboxed on the one and then institute flow if needed. Then call in two or the morning shift controllers to come in for two hours of overtime (we can't work our folks past 10 hours per shift.). To be able to work a midnight shift, you have to be fully certified in the area and be able to work all of the sectors...
Interesting stuff...
regards
Scott
PS. For the couple of you who do know me here <G>, I just underwent PRK eye surgery and have been away from the keyboard for a bit over a week due to blurred vision. My distant vision is still blurred but my near vision is improving and I can see for about 15 minutes at a time before the eyes start to dry out and need some rest... Trying to improve through bionics after age 50 <G>
Interesting stuff...
regards
Scott
PS. For the couple of you who do know me here <G>, I just underwent PRK eye surgery and have been away from the keyboard for a bit over a week due to blurred vision. My distant vision is still blurred but my near vision is improving and I can see for about 15 minutes at a time before the eyes start to dry out and need some rest... Trying to improve through bionics after age 50 <G>
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<<would have the one person work for four hours by themselves >>
Does that include breaks, Scott? They're not allowed to work more than about 90 minutes on some sectors over here.. The ATC system over here creaks a bit through under-staffing.
Hope the sight soon recovers. 50? You wanna wait to you get over 60 and then watch the problems crop up!!
Take care...
Does that include breaks, Scott? They're not allowed to work more than about 90 minutes on some sectors over here.. The ATC system over here creaks a bit through under-staffing.
Hope the sight soon recovers. 50? You wanna wait to you get over 60 and then watch the problems crop up!!
Take care...
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while we're on the subject ... just a quick word of thanks to any of our colleagues from Brussels and Amsterdam ACC who may be reading this, for their co-operation while CLN has been closed. We (Maastricht) have been descending London TMA arrivals 210 or below at the boundary and handing them off directly to TC.
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The requirement to staff sectors is for two people (one Tactical, one Planner) to be in position at all times. In order to provide legally-required 30-minute fatigue breaks every two hours during the night, there must be at least one spare person who has the same validation pairing. In this case, due to sickness, the third person only held a DTY validation and therefore when he was due to provide a break for the two combined CLN/DTY sector controllers (30 mins break each), the CLN sector had to be closed for one hour. Due to the difficulty of accurately controlling traffic flow to ensure there was nothing presenting for that hour, the decision was made to NOTAM CLN as closed from 2300 to 0530 and then allow traffic through when the dual valid controllers were in place. I don't know whether that last option was actually used or not or whether the traffic avoided CLN completely all night.
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Creative accounting?
closed from 2300 to 0530
PP roster planning. Partially validated staff should not be essential to operate a unit. Was there no enticement for someone else to cover the duty? Or is morale really that poor. It seems to be just the one unit that always suffers like this.
Last edited by Lon More; 19th Mar 2006 at 17:13.
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No Lon-read the crucial part of the answer above that you have ignored-it was NOTAMED closed but traffic was allowed through when the 2 valid staff were there. The alternative is that the NOTAM has varios closing times on it and the routes become almost impossible to accurately portray on a FPL if an a/c is running late. Much better to do what they did and allow traffic through when possible.
It's still a far from perfect situation and the sooner we are adequately staffed at night again the better.
It's still a far from perfect situation and the sooner we are adequately staffed at night again the better.
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250, sorry point taken, it was not very clear in the earlier post. Not a brilliant alternative for the adjacent units though trying to arrange their traffic.
Were other alternatives (KOK - DVR?) offered besides the obvious of via N.Sea?
Were other alternatives (KOK - DVR?) offered besides the obvious of via N.Sea?
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Lon. Not sure as I wasn't there. But the solution used gave the least disruption to the surrounding units. i.e. Assume Clacton is closed all night but then traffic could be routed through it on a purely tactical basis I guess on the back of a call from LACC or LACC doing the vectoring on contact. The last thing Maastricht want is to have to call LACC to see if the right 2 staff are there or more importantly traffic running late being refused access to the airspace because one of them is on a SRATCOH break.
Just for the record long sleeps are a thing of the past.
We have 3 staff to man 2 positions with a maximum time in position of 2 hours. That equates to 2 hours in position and 1 hour on a break-all night, both nights. The exceptions are the West end who still have 4 for 2 and Lakes who have the same to accommodate the Oceanic traffic depending on where the tracks are. They are able to do 2 hours on 2 off if the traffic allows.
Just for the record long sleeps are a thing of the past.
We have 3 staff to man 2 positions with a maximum time in position of 2 hours. That equates to 2 hours in position and 1 hour on a break-all night, both nights. The exceptions are the West end who still have 4 for 2 and Lakes who have the same to accommodate the Oceanic traffic depending on where the tracks are. They are able to do 2 hours on 2 off if the traffic allows.