SERCO Baghdad
Serco are hiring controllers for Iraq again.
Looks like a cut and paste of the job description from last year.
Advert on flight global website here.
Looks like a cut and paste of the job description from last year.
Advert on flight global website here.
Join Date: Oct 1999
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Vectoraround - if you have the experience (and that really counts!) and the customer approves you then you're in. Many people forget it's not just whether Serco want you but if the ICAA like the look of you.
And the UK contingent is only the 4th largest here with 4 ATCO's.
And the UK contingent is only the 4th largest here with 4 ATCO's.
The original job advert has been pulled. An updated listing with more info is now on the Flightglobal website.
Direct link here.
Direct link here.
Join Date: Aug 2011
Location: Ramania
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Info on Serco Baghdad
The Acomodation is perfect. Good food, clean rooms, Base is between the 2 runways a little closer to the military one ( the shorter one) Security is excelent. All rooms (90) have AC, Microwave, satelite tv,one big bed. They have a big Gym fitted well, laundry twice a week, a tv room, and a big dinning room. 2 months ago they started to built a pool and a basketball court. Not finished yet. The base is owned by ...AL BURHAN GROUP. I came back home one month ago. Not worth the mony. Too RISKY! The radar dropped twice in a week . Frequencies... a joke. Procedures...some... If u look in Iraqs AIP u will see 5 NM all around. WRONG. It`s 20 NM.
The fact that made me return home were the working conditions. The ACC and APP are in the same room. They have 2 ACC sectors and 2 APP sectors in that room and another APP in another room. You will freze to death while on radar because they keep 3 AC units each of 18000BTU on full. After 2 hours your feet are numb. The program should have been...2 day shifts,2 Evening,2 Mids,1 Sleep day,3 days off. It`s not. Only 1 day off. I worked 10 weeks and 2 weeks off.
Almost 70% of the controllers are American. The other 30% ...Islanders, New Zeelanders,Australians, South Africans, Spanish, British, Romanian, Macedonian,Panama.
Most of them if not all are retired. This is not a permanent job. 4 maby 6 months. After that..u r done.
The fact that made me return home were the working conditions. The ACC and APP are in the same room. They have 2 ACC sectors and 2 APP sectors in that room and another APP in another room. You will freze to death while on radar because they keep 3 AC units each of 18000BTU on full. After 2 hours your feet are numb. The program should have been...2 day shifts,2 Evening,2 Mids,1 Sleep day,3 days off. It`s not. Only 1 day off. I worked 10 weeks and 2 weeks off.
Almost 70% of the controllers are American. The other 30% ...Islanders, New Zeelanders,Australians, South Africans, Spanish, British, Romanian, Macedonian,Panama.
Most of them if not all are retired. This is not a permanent job. 4 maby 6 months. After that..u r done.
Join Date: Jan 2011
Location: Baghdaddy Airport
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hey "C"...glad you made it home okay..as a retired.....correction....Resigned ATCO I feel justified in rebutting some of your points
yea mostly, food is always about chicken...chicken for lunch, chicken for dinner day after day after day after day after day...well you get my point.
yea the accomodation is good, but then it hasn't rained yet (for about 6 months) judging by the amount of sand I get in my room when the wind is blowing I'm thinking....flood...having said that you are correct, we have the rooms serviced every day of the week, they are comfortable, room to swing a cat, and an ensuite. I, probably like the others, like my room and I make it my home away from home.
Correct...and don't forget the Bar........
Correct
Room for inprovement as was highlighted the other day
Only twice???
yes and no....when the fibre network is working its fine.....when it gets shut down and your using VSAT its ****....procedures....yes possibly right ..there are many in place at present and it 'seems' to work
I think your getting confused with LOA's .....separation in Iraq airspace is as per ICAO DOC 4444 and the ..rest of the world..5NM and 1000ft. The LOA'S however between Iraq and the 'other' countries bordering this place insist on 20nm between 2 aircraft same level. So, in conclusion everything coming into Iraq at the same level is or should be 20nm apart and everything leaving Iraq airspace at the same level is or should be 20nm apart......to achieve that we use 5nm or 1000' seps to climb or descend etc..just like every other country.
High level is in one room (240 and above)
Low level is in the other room (Kirkuk, Ali and soon Baghdad approach)
The exception is Samarra which is in the 'High' Level room
during the day you are hot, during the night you are cold......you actually work this out within about a month of working here and so you adjust your clothing to suit the shift you are on and on the mids you bring an extra piece of clothing. If this is an issue then you are to precious to be here.
Correct...this is an issue and highlighted at a recent staff meeting. I believe most of us are agreeing that there is nothing to do here so will continue this cycle but management are looking at more leave and less time between leave breaks.....wait and see situ
by Islanders I presume you mean Icelandics ..now I'm trying to do this off the top of my head
Icelandic = 8
New Zealand = 2
Australian -2
Spanish =1
Romanian = 1
Macedonian =1
Panama = 1
British = 4 (not including any management but including a Scotsmen)
Canadian = 3 (not including management but including a Lebanese Canadian)
American = 17
While I probably have forgotten someone at any rate the % is around 50 percent.
The Americans have some compulsory system that I don't understand with regards retirement. The rest of us have resigned from our former employers and the age bracket is low (under 55}
Don't quite feel 'done' yet and its been 9 months but hang on...I'll just go knock on the door of someone who has done 3.5 years......back soon....yep he is still almost sane
The Bond is louder than actions. Over
The Acomodation is perfect. Good food, clean rooms
yea the accomodation is good, but then it hasn't rained yet (for about 6 months) judging by the amount of sand I get in my room when the wind is blowing I'm thinking....flood...having said that you are correct, we have the rooms serviced every day of the week, they are comfortable, room to swing a cat, and an ensuite. I, probably like the others, like my room and I make it my home away from home.
All rooms (90) have AC, Microwave, satelite tv,one big bed. They have a big Gym fitted well, laundry twice a week, a tv room, and a big dinning room. 2 months ago they started to built a pool and a basketball court. Not finished yet.
The base is owned by ...AL BURHAN GROUP
Security is excelent
The radar dropped twice in a week
Frequencies... a joke. Procedures...some..
If u look in Iraqs AIP u will see 5 NM all around. WRONG. It`s 20 NM.
The ACC and APP are in the same room.
Low level is in the other room (Kirkuk, Ali and soon Baghdad approach)
The exception is Samarra which is in the 'High' Level room
. You will freze to death while on radar because they keep 3 AC units each of 18000BTU on full. After 2 hours your feet are numb.
The program should have been...2 day shifts,2 Evening,2 Mids,1 Sleep day,3 days off. It`s not. Only 1 day off. I worked 10 weeks and 2 weeks off.
Almost 70% of the controllers are American. The other 30% ...Islanders, New Zeelanders,Australians, South Africans, Spanish, British, Romanian, Macedonian,Panama.
Icelandic = 8
New Zealand = 2
Australian -2
Spanish =1
Romanian = 1
Macedonian =1
Panama = 1
British = 4 (not including any management but including a Scotsmen)
Canadian = 3 (not including management but including a Lebanese Canadian)
American = 17
While I probably have forgotten someone at any rate the % is around 50 percent.
Most of them if not all are retired.
This is not a permanent job. 4 maby 6 months. After that..u r done.
The Bond is louder than actions. Over
Last edited by baghdadkiwi; 5th Sep 2011 at 14:01.
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separation in Iraq airspace is as per ICAO DOC 4444 and the ..rest of the world..5NM and 1000ft
Thenoflyzone
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Does approach control have the right to put 3nm, or are those part of the "procedures still to come"?
Not that the traffic density needs it - 5nm is fine and, more importantly, comfortable.
Join Date: Feb 2007
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Bearing in mind the Approach sectors, as done at the moment, are approx 200nm x 200nm, displayed on 26" displays, the chances of 3nm are non-existent in the current environment / configuration.
Join Date: Jan 2006
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Jobs
I don't suppose there is much chance of a 60 year old Tower Controller who is bored sh@%*ess with his present job getting a gurnsey? (previously held radar appch and en-route but now lapsed)
Join Date: Aug 2011
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Info please
I have sent in my CV and have an upcoming interview. I have seen the youtube video which shows the camp area. As to working conditions, I'm assuming three shifts ?? and what is the on/off rotation? What sort of radar and communication equipment are you using and are they reliable? Do you cross qualify in all areas if you have multiple ratings? That's it for now - thanks!
Join Date: Sep 2011
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Yes the pay is correct 180K . Pays better the Midwest and you don't work 60 hours a week. Will be headed that way soon. Kabul is not for me. BTW the leave policy is much better with SERCO
Join Date: Jan 2011
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what specifically do you want to know....happy to answer any questions but not the ....what's it like....how do you find it.....type questions as this only encourages opinion based answers, not factual.
