Airport Live - BBC 2 UK - 17th June 2013
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Hmm.... <<a similar prog back in the 80s>>totally unscripted
Remind me again how one particular section finished? Ah yes.....
'British ATC is the safest in the world ( 5 second pause) - just don't fly from XXXXXXX'
I still laugh at that one. Pure class.
Remind me again how one particular section finished? Ah yes.....
'British ATC is the safest in the world ( 5 second pause) - just don't fly from XXXXXXX'
I still laugh at that one. Pure class.
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Controllers are definitely like soldiers. The only time you should worry is when the buggers stop moaning 
I thought the program was pretty good. Considering the target audience I think they did a great job of explaining stuff without making it sound like MATS2.
I thought the program was pretty good. Considering the target audience I think they did a great job of explaining stuff without making it sound like MATS2.
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Where does Kate Humble get this "Doors to automatic; check cross feed" nonsense from?
I finally managed to catch up with it at the weekend.
Did I hear it correctly when they said that it cost up to £700k to train a controller or has someone added a decimal point?
As a matter of interest how do you get to be a controller at Heathrow? I spoke to an ATCO a few years ago who said that controllers were posted to units. If you qualified as a radar controller you would probably end up working at Swanwick as most were based there but what happens with tower controllers? Are vacancies advertised with selection boards or is there some other method?
Did I hear it correctly when they said that it cost up to £700k to train a controller or has someone added a decimal point?
As a matter of interest how do you get to be a controller at Heathrow? I spoke to an ATCO a few years ago who said that controllers were posted to units. If you qualified as a radar controller you would probably end up working at Swanwick as most were based there but what happens with tower controllers? Are vacancies advertised with selection boards or is there some other method?
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I was confused when looking at the paint shop. Does that paint shop handle only one aircraft at a time? If, so, and, if as they say, it takes six weeks to pass an aircraft through the shop, that equates to between 8 and 9 aircraft per year. They then claimed that the whole fleet passed through every five years, and that that was the only paint shop in the company. Doesn't add up, or I misunderstood something.
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Peter47. It's a complex business becoming a controller, much like becoming a pilot with similar subjects to be studied. After obtaining a licence one then has to obtain ratings for the licence - tower control, radar control, etc. If one joins NATS, to where one is ultimately posted is up to the powers that be. I got to Heathrow by a round-about method. I did not match up to the Civil Service requirements at the time (mid 60s) and ended up working as a controller overseas, during which time I sat the exams and obtained my UK Licence. On return to the UK I worked at a small airfield and then applied to join the Civil Service as a controller based on my ATC expereince. It worked and following a radar course I wen to Heathrow.
There was a period when controllers from Heathrow went to the College of ATC to assess controllers being trained for their suitability to work at Heathrow. If I recall, it didn't work to well. Some who were "top of the class" failed to validate (go solo) at Heathrow. One's education or background seems to make no difference in ATC. I have worked with ex-RAF pilots and controllers and youngsters straight out of Uni. Nobody knows if they will make it until they start live training....
HTH
There was a period when controllers from Heathrow went to the College of ATC to assess controllers being trained for their suitability to work at Heathrow. If I recall, it didn't work to well. Some who were "top of the class" failed to validate (go solo) at Heathrow. One's education or background seems to make no difference in ATC. I have worked with ex-RAF pilots and controllers and youngsters straight out of Uni. Nobody knows if they will make it until they start live training....
HTH
Last edited by HEATHROW DIRECTOR; 24th Jun 2013 at 15:29.
if as they say, it takes six weeks to pass an aircraft through the shop, that equates to between 8 and 9 aircraft per year
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Short haul about 6 days as DaveReidUK said.
Long haul (747/777) takes about 9 days.
Using an average of about 50 aircraft a year - BA has about 250 aircraft. Total time? 5 years!
Incidentally, some aircraft were painted in Shannon, Madrid, East Midlands and Dublin during the bmi takeover as there was such a rapid influx of aircraft that the paint shop simply had no space.
Champ
Long haul (747/777) takes about 9 days.
Using an average of about 50 aircraft a year - BA has about 250 aircraft. Total time? 5 years!
Incidentally, some aircraft were painted in Shannon, Madrid, East Midlands and Dublin during the bmi takeover as there was such a rapid influx of aircraft that the paint shop simply had no space.
Champ
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What a fantastic programme! Having recently entered the world of ATC myself as an Assistant, it was about time a documentary was made on this, good job BBC2!
Quickie aswell; the Ground Controllers at Heathrow ATC, are they actually controller's or are they experienced ATSA's?
Quickie aswell; the Ground Controllers at Heathrow ATC, are they actually controller's or are they experienced ATSA's?
Supermen
It was the changing from mild mannered 'Clark Kent', not sure if that meant you Mick
, to Superman ie Reds and Greens that got me impressed!
No strips either!
Thought - do the lighting ops have electronic strips?
, to Superman ie Reds and Greens that got me impressed!No strips either!
Thought - do the lighting ops have electronic strips?
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was confused when looking at the paint shop.
The hangars behind Which were recently modified for the A380 and the reason BA were doing line mainteneance in Singapore for a while are these ones I believe.
JUMBO JET HANGAR DOORS ERECTED - British Pathé
Do excuse the giant cock in the corner, they were more innocent days...
Last edited by Skipness One Echo; 26th Jun 2013 at 22:45.