Closure Of ScATCC.
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Closure Of ScATCC.
Rumour has it that the Scottish Air Traffic Control Centre, (EGPX or nPC), will close in 2017, and it's AOR transferred to Swanwick.
Can anyone shed any light on this?
Also, if Scotland votes for independence, would this affect the decision?
Can anyone shed any light on this?
Also, if Scotland votes for independence, would this affect the decision?
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Interesting. Didn't Manchester move up there not too long ago? I should think that putting everything in one place (Swanwick) would be somewhat dodgy from a security viewpoint.
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NASTYNAS,
Today I heard it at 53deg21'12.87"N 2deg28'05.43"W. Ground elevation 70m.
Sorry, forgot the time element. Approximately 1130 UTC.
Today I heard it at 53deg21'12.87"N 2deg28'05.43"W. Ground elevation 70m.
Sorry, forgot the time element. Approximately 1130 UTC.
Last edited by ZOOKER; 21st Aug 2013 at 17:40.
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Distinctly possible I'd have thought. It's all about future balance sheets, not short term costs. Why else are NATS paying shedloads of cash to convince many elder ATCOs to leave within 18 months when a great number would have gone anyway? Ours is not to reason why.. but then again I'm a shareholder and think it's an embarrassing sham of a mockery of a cock up. But that's just a personal opinion 0bviously, not a NATS backed comment.
And couldn't agree more about 'back ups' etc. Could Swanwick staff really just arrive at scottish and get going should LACC vanish into a clay pit full of water?
And couldn't agree more about 'back ups' etc. Could Swanwick staff really just arrive at scottish and get going should LACC vanish into a clay pit full of water?
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So you build a brand new purpose built building, then decommission it 8 years later... unlikely at best!
I suspect that there will be a contingency plan in place if, say, there was a fire or a bomb scare at Swanwick requiring evacuation, in which Prestwick would take over control. There would be a freeze on all take offs and aircraft would be denied entry into London FIR, then all aircraft would be got back on the ground or directed out of the FIR. It might not be pretty, there would be lots of holding involved and local Radar controllers may take some extra responsibility, but I'm sure there will be a plan in place...
If it was a long term issue, I'm guessing that there would then be a delay while Swanwick controllers are bussed (probably not flown!) up to Prestwick or other locations, and some of the military or oceanic stations within Prestwick are converted to civil (and D&D gets re-installed)...
I don't know whether the technology at Prestwick is the same as at Swanwick? I know that touch screens are used at both but the stations look quite different.
However - on the original question - I look at other places and there isn't a second Eurocontrol (Maastricht) ATC center so maybe everyone would just have to stop flying until the problem was sorted, and the risk of combining them is acceptable.
Would Swanwick have the capacity to add Oceanic, MACC, ScACC and the extra military stations? Doubt it - so building work would have to be done...
As for independence (which hopefully wont happen) Swanwick could operate in the same way as Eurocontrol, which operates over at least 3 countries (although I think it is upper air only?). You'll note that D&D is already combined.
I suspect that there will be a contingency plan in place if, say, there was a fire or a bomb scare at Swanwick requiring evacuation, in which Prestwick would take over control. There would be a freeze on all take offs and aircraft would be denied entry into London FIR, then all aircraft would be got back on the ground or directed out of the FIR. It might not be pretty, there would be lots of holding involved and local Radar controllers may take some extra responsibility, but I'm sure there will be a plan in place...
If it was a long term issue, I'm guessing that there would then be a delay while Swanwick controllers are bussed (probably not flown!) up to Prestwick or other locations, and some of the military or oceanic stations within Prestwick are converted to civil (and D&D gets re-installed)...
I don't know whether the technology at Prestwick is the same as at Swanwick? I know that touch screens are used at both but the stations look quite different.
However - on the original question - I look at other places and there isn't a second Eurocontrol (Maastricht) ATC center so maybe everyone would just have to stop flying until the problem was sorted, and the risk of combining them is acceptable.
Would Swanwick have the capacity to add Oceanic, MACC, ScACC and the extra military stations? Doubt it - so building work would have to be done...
As for independence (which hopefully wont happen) Swanwick could operate in the same way as Eurocontrol, which operates over at least 3 countries (although I think it is upper air only?). You'll note that D&D is already combined.
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Would Swanwick have the capacity to add Oceanic, MACC, ScACC and the extra military stations? Doubt it - so building work would have to be done...
I don't know whether the technology at Prestwick is the same as at Swanwick? I know that touch screens are used at both but the stations look quite different.
I would not be at all surprised if this rumour is being discussed at some level and is something to have in the back pocket further down the line should it be needed. I'd say it would certainly depend on what instructions come out of Europe and the plan to reduce the number of European centres to just 5.....
Last edited by zonoma; 22nd Aug 2013 at 13:54.
I've always heard that they only needed 2 centers In the UK/Ireland FAB. Dublin ACC is being moved down to Shannon as part of this. Never thought Prestwick would go after NATS spending all that money on the new building though
Hopefully it's just a rumour and all 3 centers will be left alone
Hopefully it's just a rumour and all 3 centers will be left alone
Last edited by Una Due Tfc; 22nd Aug 2013 at 18:13.
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So you build a brand new purpose built building, then decommission it 8 years later... unlikely at best!