Swiss ATC help required
Join Date: Jul 2002
Location: The frequency jungle
Posts: 975
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
northernmonkey1261
Just my two cents worth:
French and German is required for both approach sectors, GVA and ZRH as all the communication with the ground vehicles is in the local language. If language was not a requirement in Approach, I would then start considering where I would want to live and it will have to be ZRH. In my experience you can get around in ZRH better than in GVA with English as your only language. The French are very difficult when it comes to the language side of things.
Now, regarding who is better and who works harder with crappier equipment. It has to be ZRH.
I've gone and checked a few traffic figures for your comparison. These are for 2006:
ZRH-GVA.
Total aricraft movements 260'786 vs 176'709
Total passenger count 19'237'216 vs 9'962'987
Total freight handled 336'325t vs 49'234t
As you've read on this thread, ZRH has the crappier equipment and needs to do a serious amount of catching up. ZRH probably has far more restrictions and complex procedures which will be a real challenge for any newby.
Weather and scenery. Here GVA wins. They always have 2 or 3 degrees warmer weather, more sun and the scenery is more appealing to the eye.
Just my two cents worth:
French and German is required for both approach sectors, GVA and ZRH as all the communication with the ground vehicles is in the local language. If language was not a requirement in Approach, I would then start considering where I would want to live and it will have to be ZRH. In my experience you can get around in ZRH better than in GVA with English as your only language. The French are very difficult when it comes to the language side of things.
Now, regarding who is better and who works harder with crappier equipment. It has to be ZRH.
I've gone and checked a few traffic figures for your comparison. These are for 2006:
ZRH-GVA.
Total aricraft movements 260'786 vs 176'709
Total passenger count 19'237'216 vs 9'962'987
Total freight handled 336'325t vs 49'234t
As you've read on this thread, ZRH has the crappier equipment and needs to do a serious amount of catching up. ZRH probably has far more restrictions and complex procedures which will be a real challenge for any newby.
Weather and scenery. Here GVA wins. They always have 2 or 3 degrees warmer weather, more sun and the scenery is more appealing to the eye.
Join Date: Oct 2006
Location: In an aquarium surrounded by runways
Posts: 52
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Aircrafts movements
Are this IFR a/c actually touching the rwy ? Cause 170,000 mvts or more on a single rwy operation can be a lot! Add it snow removal, inspections and all the crap and this can get really busy!
Join Date: Sep 2001
Location: Sandpit
Posts: 312
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
126,7
Don't have any personal experience of Zurich, so hard to comment. As far as I can see though, both have very complicated airspace and procedures (not helped by surrounding countries but still hugely overcomplicated) and shift a fair bit of traffic - frankly it's only natural that Zurich shifts more - 3 runways vs 1!! Not helped by the fact that the GA lobby is very strong here - light aircraft and gliders especially.
Again, can't speak for Zurich, but Geneva also surrounded by several other airports, some busier than others, as well as France's busiest parachute club, all of 5 miles away (mid downwind, FL145, anyone!). In summer, the thunderstorms liven things up a bit, in winter, it's the snow/icing/fog/bise (v. cold northeastern wind).
Overall, has it's moments - by no means constantly busy, except Weekends in ski season/motor show/telecoms show/airshow/business aircraft show etc. but we regularly have to work our b......s off for little in the way of thanks. Getting busier all the time - traffic up around 8% this year, I believe - much of it later in the evening, when few of us are around. Traffic is hugely mixed - lots of bizjets/light twins/pc12's plus arabs in their 747s, coming to check the bank!!
Overall, fairly busy, v. complicated, understaffed. Nice part of the world, pretty good weather (at least compared to UK), great cheese and wine at reasonable prices (esp. in France), excruciatingly expensive accommodation. Good points, bad points - much like anywhere else, really.
Don't have any personal experience of Zurich, so hard to comment. As far as I can see though, both have very complicated airspace and procedures (not helped by surrounding countries but still hugely overcomplicated) and shift a fair bit of traffic - frankly it's only natural that Zurich shifts more - 3 runways vs 1!! Not helped by the fact that the GA lobby is very strong here - light aircraft and gliders especially.
Again, can't speak for Zurich, but Geneva also surrounded by several other airports, some busier than others, as well as France's busiest parachute club, all of 5 miles away (mid downwind, FL145, anyone!). In summer, the thunderstorms liven things up a bit, in winter, it's the snow/icing/fog/bise (v. cold northeastern wind).
Overall, has it's moments - by no means constantly busy, except Weekends in ski season/motor show/telecoms show/airshow/business aircraft show etc. but we regularly have to work our b......s off for little in the way of thanks. Getting busier all the time - traffic up around 8% this year, I believe - much of it later in the evening, when few of us are around. Traffic is hugely mixed - lots of bizjets/light twins/pc12's plus arabs in their 747s, coming to check the bank!!
Overall, fairly busy, v. complicated, understaffed. Nice part of the world, pretty good weather (at least compared to UK), great cheese and wine at reasonable prices (esp. in France), excruciatingly expensive accommodation. Good points, bad points - much like anywhere else, really.
Freight God
Join Date: Sep 2000
Location: LS-R54A
Posts: 307
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Aehm... if you really make 150 000 to 180 000 per annum then you should not even think a split second longer. Definitely turns out to be one of the extremely well paid jobs in the whole of Switzerland...
