Assistants
Luvverley!
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I worked for years without (an) ATSA(s). Worked for a bit at an RAF station (as a civvy) where I learnt their true worth in diamonds.
Now, I have the privelege of working with an incredible ATSA team, and I simply couldn't imagine NOT having them with me.
You know who you are, chaps (and gal)
Now, I have the privelege of working with an incredible ATSA team, and I simply couldn't imagine NOT having them with me.
You know who you are, chaps (and gal)
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Many [many] moons ago, I was the Approach assistant at Brum. One of the APCAs duties was to make the tea. On this particular day, we had "visitors"...
, so I had to make extra tea. As was the norm, I held the tray in my left hand/arm and picked up the cup for the u/t APC, saying
"Don't move John, your cuppa is here"....as I leant over, he spun round and said "What"? as his elbow collided with my tray...
Twentytwo cups of tea were spilled. Over him , over the Radar 
, Radio panels and Telephone keyboards....
The most annoying thing was I had to make 22 cups of tea again
, so I had to make extra tea. As was the norm, I held the tray in my left hand/arm and picked up the cup for the u/t APC, saying"Don't move John, your cuppa is here"....as I leant over, he spun round and said "What"? as his elbow collided with my tray...
Twentytwo cups of tea were spilled. Over him , over the Radar , Radio panels and Telephone keyboards....The most annoying thing was I had to make 22 cups of tea again
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A few lines about life at Northern Radar, Lindholme in 1976 taken from my memoirs.
All the Assistants were brilliant.
One Assistant I always enjoyed working with was a guy called ****
He was an overweight young lad from Manchester. He had such a broad accent and a high pitched voice that it was sometimes difficult to understand him when he spoke, especially when he got excited.
He was a top notch assistant and just the sort of guy you wanted alongside you when it got busy and you were up to your armpits in aluminum.
One afternoon we were sitting together, me on radar, him alongside me on the boards. It was very quiet but I could see that soon it would get very busy. On the radar I could see lots of aircraft taking off from Heathrow and Gatwick all coming our way.
Now **** was not in the best of health that afternoon. He blamed it on a dodgy lamb Vindaloo the night before. He kept running to the loo, leaving me on my own. That in itself was not a problem, with very few aircraft I could manage.
It started to get very busy as the hoards of aircraft called us as they headed towards Scotland and then out over the North Atlantic to America. **** started to get a little agitated. I asked him what was wrong. He said that he needed the toilet and quick. I said ‘Christ man you can’t leave me now on my own with all this traffic!’
He stayed at his post. When all the aeroplanes had gone and we were able to relax a bit, **** stood up and said; ‘I think I need to visit the toilet’ He had soiled himself. When he returned he was in a sorry state. I sent him home for the rest of the shift to get himself cleaned up.
On his chair was a little brown stain. The chair was pushed into a corner of the Ops room and from that day onwards until the unit closed, nobody ever sat in that chair. It was forever known as ‘****’s chair’.
He made the ultimate sacrifice and stayed at his post supporting his Controller at the expense of soiling himself. A real colleague, he should have got a medal. If he did, can you imagine the citation at the Palace when the Queen says, ‘To **** ******* an OBE for sh*tt*ng in his pants and not leaving his Controller on the radar on his own?’
Magic.
A good Assistant is worth his/her weight in gold.
They have saved me many times from grief over the years before I retired.
C.
All the Assistants were brilliant.
One Assistant I always enjoyed working with was a guy called ****
He was an overweight young lad from Manchester. He had such a broad accent and a high pitched voice that it was sometimes difficult to understand him when he spoke, especially when he got excited.
He was a top notch assistant and just the sort of guy you wanted alongside you when it got busy and you were up to your armpits in aluminum.
One afternoon we were sitting together, me on radar, him alongside me on the boards. It was very quiet but I could see that soon it would get very busy. On the radar I could see lots of aircraft taking off from Heathrow and Gatwick all coming our way.
Now **** was not in the best of health that afternoon. He blamed it on a dodgy lamb Vindaloo the night before. He kept running to the loo, leaving me on my own. That in itself was not a problem, with very few aircraft I could manage.
It started to get very busy as the hoards of aircraft called us as they headed towards Scotland and then out over the North Atlantic to America. **** started to get a little agitated. I asked him what was wrong. He said that he needed the toilet and quick. I said ‘Christ man you can’t leave me now on my own with all this traffic!’
He stayed at his post. When all the aeroplanes had gone and we were able to relax a bit, **** stood up and said; ‘I think I need to visit the toilet’ He had soiled himself. When he returned he was in a sorry state. I sent him home for the rest of the shift to get himself cleaned up.
On his chair was a little brown stain. The chair was pushed into a corner of the Ops room and from that day onwards until the unit closed, nobody ever sat in that chair. It was forever known as ‘****’s chair’.
He made the ultimate sacrifice and stayed at his post supporting his Controller at the expense of soiling himself. A real colleague, he should have got a medal. If he did, can you imagine the citation at the Palace when the Queen says, ‘To **** ******* an OBE for sh*tt*ng in his pants and not leaving his Controller on the radar on his own?’
Magic.
A good Assistant is worth his/her weight in gold.
They have saved me many times from grief over the years before I retired.
C.
When I was at Lindholme in '73, there was an assistant who made tea as follows:-
Put water in kettle, add tea, milk and sugar then boil the lot together.
Thank goodness for the RAF crewrooms!
Put water in kettle, add tea, milk and sugar then boil the lot together.
Thank goodness for the RAF crewrooms!
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Loved that one, T. We used to make curry in the kettle out in HLLT. The subsequent cuppa was out of this world!!
When I worked at Kidlington there was just one ATCA and he was superhuman - he did GMC with his Student Licence, kept a handwritten log, provided strips, answered the phones, read the barometer, changed the recording tapes, got us cold drinks in the summer...... When I got to West Drayton 23 years later he was there too!! It was like having Radar from MASH.... he was 10 steps ahead of everything. Before anyone even mentioned a go-around, he'd have the new FPS in front of us.
Thanks, MH, for some outstanding help and some great fun.
PS I note with sadness that the originator of this thread has not commented further......
When I worked at Kidlington there was just one ATCA and he was superhuman - he did GMC with his Student Licence, kept a handwritten log, provided strips, answered the phones, read the barometer, changed the recording tapes, got us cold drinks in the summer...... When I got to West Drayton 23 years later he was there too!! It was like having Radar from MASH.... he was 10 steps ahead of everything. Before anyone even mentioned a go-around, he'd have the new FPS in front of us.
Thanks, MH, for some outstanding help and some great fun.
PS I note with sadness that the originator of this thread has not commented further......
More than just an ATCO
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Chevvron RAF Standard that was.Same at Sopley (Southern Radar) in the 1960s; the last duty of the night ATCA was to chuck packet of tea, packet of sugar, tin of condensed milk, water into the urn and boil it all up. At intervals through the day the process was repeated as required, First duty if the night ATCA was to empty the urn which by then had a layer of sodden tea leaves several inches thick at the bottom. Needless to say the inside of the urn, and of the tea mugs (mainly 1 pinters nicked from transport cafes) was a rich mahogany brown,As civvies we were exempt from what little bull there was (anybody remember the LS WAAFs and the Teddybear Club?
) however we were required to make an effort for AOCs (?) inspections. This involved a tin of Vim and a scrubbing brush being used on everything in sight. I quickly learned to hide ny own mug but iIt normally took several weeks to get the brew back to an acceptable taste
) however we were required to make an effort for AOCs (?) inspections. This involved a tin of Vim and a scrubbing brush being used on everything in sight. I quickly learned to hide ny own mug but iIt normally took several weeks to get the brew back to an acceptable taste
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Mr Grubby
An excellent story, reminds me of good times past
as does
Lon More
'One divorced me"
I divorced mine after she she became a cadet/controller. Must be a connection there, somewhere??? Well, she was a 23 year old Babe!
To infinity and beyond and, hopefully, back in time to ?
An excellent story, reminds me of good times past
as does
Lon More
'One divorced me"
I divorced mine after she she became a cadet/controller. Must be a connection there, somewhere??? Well, she was a 23 year old Babe!
To infinity and beyond and, hopefully, back in time to ?
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<<also without them who would make or fetch the coffee? The Supervisor?>>
Meant to respond to this bit.. Way back when Pontius, etc,.... there was a tradition on A Watch, Heathrow, that the last person to arrive for the morning duty would go back down and get the teas, irrespective of rank. After the trials of the M4 on a foggy winter morning, searching for a ground floor slot in the car park, avoiding getting killed crossing the road and stumbling up the stairs to the tower the last thing you wanted to hear was JK singing: "I like a nice cup of tea in the morning..."
Meant to respond to this bit.. Way back when Pontius, etc,.... there was a tradition on A Watch, Heathrow, that the last person to arrive for the morning duty would go back down and get the teas, irrespective of rank. After the trials of the M4 on a foggy winter morning, searching for a ground floor slot in the car park, avoiding getting killed crossing the road and stumbling up the stairs to the tower the last thing you wanted to hear was JK singing: "I like a nice cup of tea in the morning..."
More than just an ATCO
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there was a tradition on A Watch, Heathrow
, although in fairness the machine was in a room just behind our sector suites. I've also done more than my fair share of cooking on night duties.
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Mr Grubby
Further to your reply re 23 year old babe.
Memories, memories.
Best encapsulated in a duet by Shania Twain & Wille Nelson called "Blue Eyes Crying in the Rain".
Shania Twain's pronunciation of the word 'memories ' brings it all back!!
P.s. My eyes are blue.
Cheers
Further to your reply re 23 year old babe.
Memories, memories.
Best encapsulated in a duet by Shania Twain & Wille Nelson called "Blue Eyes Crying in the Rain".
Shania Twain's pronunciation of the word 'memories ' brings it all back!!
P.s. My eyes are blue.
Cheers
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assistants
The response on here says it all really, you suggest a month of nights would suit me , must be so busy I dont know how I would cope.
A lot of criticism aimed my way but not one condemnation of the assistant for taking a days sick due to hiccups.
A lot of criticism aimed my way but not one condemnation of the assistant for taking a days sick due to hiccups.
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<<but not one condemnation of the assistant for taking a days sick due to hiccups>>
Have you ever had a protracted spell of hiccups? Probably not. Assistants spend a lot of time on the telephone passing messages (clearances) which have to be right. If the person cannot do that it's rather pointless him being at work. Some years ago my ATC Licence was suspended due to a medical problem. I was, to all intents and purposes, 100% fit but had a problem which the CAA medics wanted to investigate. They duly did and re-instated my licence. During that time I did not go to work; I stayed at home.
You have to accept that some jobs are different. Would you be happy for your wife and kids to fly on an aircraft which was being flown by someone with a protracted spell of hiccups, which can be painful and worrying?
I might be a retired ATCO but I started life as an unestablished Clerical Assistant so I know both sides. Accept that your job is different to that of ATSAs and accept it. If you don't like it then try for class to class transfer to the ATSA grade...
Have you ever had a protracted spell of hiccups? Probably not. Assistants spend a lot of time on the telephone passing messages (clearances) which have to be right. If the person cannot do that it's rather pointless him being at work. Some years ago my ATC Licence was suspended due to a medical problem. I was, to all intents and purposes, 100% fit but had a problem which the CAA medics wanted to investigate. They duly did and re-instated my licence. During that time I did not go to work; I stayed at home.
You have to accept that some jobs are different. Would you be happy for your wife and kids to fly on an aircraft which was being flown by someone with a protracted spell of hiccups, which can be painful and worrying?
I might be a retired ATCO but I started life as an unestablished Clerical Assistant so I know both sides. Accept that your job is different to that of ATSAs and accept it. If you don't like it then try for class to class transfer to the ATSA grade...
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The Pointed One.
I wonder if you are being a little harsh and judgemental discussing a colleagues medical condition on a public forum. I know from experience how unhealthy the en-route operations room at Swanwick is with limited or no access to sunlight and/or fresh air compounded by staff coming into the operations room with respiratory illnesses which are then spread through the airconditioning system.
"Hiccups" may well mask a more serious medical or psycological issue that the individual has and as we know from recent sad experiences the supervisory staff have neither the personal qualities, empathy, or intelligence to deal with it.
I wonder if you are being a little harsh and judgemental discussing a colleagues medical condition on a public forum. I know from experience how unhealthy the en-route operations room at Swanwick is with limited or no access to sunlight and/or fresh air compounded by staff coming into the operations room with respiratory illnesses which are then spread through the airconditioning system.
"Hiccups" may well mask a more serious medical or psycological issue that the individual has and as we know from recent sad experiences the supervisory staff have neither the personal qualities, empathy, or intelligence to deal with it.
Last edited by DC10RealMan; 28th May 2010 at 20:37.
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Surely the en-route operations room at Swanwick should have the best 'working environment' of any ECAC centre?
It is, after all, 'ranked', 1st.
Any truth in the rumour that the other UK centre, ('ranked' 6th), frequently smells of 'meat'?
It is, after all, 'ranked', 1st.
Any truth in the rumour that the other UK centre, ('ranked' 6th), frequently smells of 'meat'?