ATC History
Join Date: Oct 2000
Location: Berkshire, UK
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Hahaha... Out in HLLT, to while away the night hours, we used to chuck metal strip holders at the mice trying to drink our Carnation milk. Sadly they'd gone by the time I started over here. Biggest strip holder I ever saw was wooden, about 6 ft long.... but most of you will have seen that!
Metal FPS holders still existed in '74 when I started at Farnborough. One of the controllers used to come in, grab a handfull of them and thow them at one of the assistants with the shout 'these are finished Joe, catch'.(normally when Joe either had a fag in his hand or was just lighting one!!)
Join Date: Mar 2001
Location: Asgard
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The sport at the tower where I once worked was to lob a plastic strip holder into the disc of the ceiling fan (naturally when it was going at full throttle). One learned to duck extremely quickly....the results were entirely random too.
Join Date: Jun 2002
Location: UK
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Ah! Ceiling Fans.
Lobbing Tunnock's Snowballs was less dangerous but just as amusing, but far funnier was watching the first time the fan was switched on after a winter of inactivity to discover that "someone" had covered the upper surfaces with a generous coating of Talcum Powder or Bombay Mix.
Sadly, do that today and say goodbye to your career.
Lobbing Tunnock's Snowballs was less dangerous but just as amusing, but far funnier was watching the first time the fan was switched on after a winter of inactivity to discover that "someone" had covered the upper surfaces with a generous coating of Talcum Powder or Bombay Mix.
Sadly, do that today and say goodbye to your career.
Join Date: Mar 2001
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Occasionally we used to do something similar with the fans in Flight Clearance/AIS at EGLL, only using the sugar cubes appropriated from the BEA canteen (in their wrappers).
On one occasion there was a BEA Trident captain present, studying the temporary nav warning board, when one of these missiles hurtled across the room.....making a gratifying whirring noise....its trajectory taking it across said pilot`s shoulder and removing the briefing notes from his grasp. when he looked round, everyone in the room was working away in a most diligent and earnest fashion.
I wish I could remember who the culprit was....
On one occasion there was a BEA Trident captain present, studying the temporary nav warning board, when one of these missiles hurtled across the room.....making a gratifying whirring noise....its trajectory taking it across said pilot`s shoulder and removing the briefing notes from his grasp. when he looked round, everyone in the room was working away in a most diligent and earnest fashion.
I wish I could remember who the culprit was....
Join Date: Mar 2001
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HD
My very first day at EGLL (June 1970) Yours truly walked across from the bus stop, to the Control Tower Building, across a carpet of paper aeroplanes....I was bemused, to say the least until their origin was explained.
My very first day at EGLL (June 1970) Yours truly walked across from the bus stop, to the Control Tower Building, across a carpet of paper aeroplanes....I was bemused, to say the least until their origin was explained.
Join Date: Dec 2009
Location: That France
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I remember that there used to be a Check imposed by Air Deps on SVFR (possibly when on 09s?). 'Check is on/check is off' would be the norm.
AC used to ask who the Navigator was on the Enterprise......
AC used to ask who the Navigator was on the Enterprise......
Join Date: Oct 2000
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Back in the days before SSR in the tower the directors would ring the tower with the landing order. Often the AIR man would ask the No.2 for a space for crossing traffic. Colin Ward (very sadly no longer with us) would warn in something like : "Air France 971, Bealine Echo Mike, Clipper 100, Gold Alpha Papa, Iberia 424". When the AIR man asked where the gap was, Colin would say: "Between Clipper 100 and Iberia 424".. I can still hear his unique laughter now.....
Join Date: Dec 2009
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Remember when UK registrations contained 3 letters and 3 numbers? Well, I don't, much too young, obviously 
The last two letters gave the district in which the car had been registered
Well Colin had memorised the two letters of every issuing district - I once asked him why, and he just grinned and shrugged.
The last two letters gave the district in which the car had been registered
Well Colin had memorised the two letters of every issuing district - I once asked him why, and he just grinned and shrugged.
Join Date: Jul 2001
Location: Ottawa, Canada
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Thats as bad as AC!!, met him a few years back for the first time in 20 years and was greeted with words to the effect, Hi Barry, that escort of yours was registered NUD392T. Now I can understand me remembering it, but AC 
Join Date: Mar 2010
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OK, that's enough civvy flight-strip stuff 
Real Men, with Real radar, and with chinagraph on the screen!!
And, of course, in the true spirit of Jointery ...
Real Men, with Real radar, and with chinagraph on the screen!!
And, of course, in the true spirit of Jointery ...
Last edited by MPN11; 22nd Oct 2010 at 17:07.
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Hi Loki,
I remember we used the Three Maggies after work at SATCC (on the North Side) prior to LATCC. After the move to West Drayton we used, firstly the King William IV at Langley, and later the Crown at Harmondsworth.
At Gatwick, prior to both of the aforementioned, we used the Six Bells at Horley.
Cheers!
Dave
I remember we used the Three Maggies after work at SATCC (on the North Side) prior to LATCC. After the move to West Drayton we used, firstly the King William IV at Langley, and later the Crown at Harmondsworth.
At Gatwick, prior to both of the aforementioned, we used the Six Bells at Horley.
Cheers!
Dave
