UK slipping standards
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UK slipping standards
Yesterday due to French ATC strike, UK to Canaries Oceanic was a very busy sector.
From Day 1, position report formats were drilled into me in order to be standard.
Yesterday on Shanwick VHF we painfully listened to 2 flights from the same airline who just made it up as they went along. Resulting in the poor radio operator having to ask again for certain info. "Say again estimate" say again "flight level". I'm just guessing that the Shanwick guy is writing the info in boxes, or typing into a computer. A nice queue subsequently formed of people trying to transmit position reports.
Also another UK airline failed to monitor 121.5 or 123.45 during the crossing. Several of us had to speed up as he was gaining on us. (Possibly not maintaining his ASSIGNED speed). Cost us an extra 200kg in fuel burn.
Now for years on this site I've read about cowboy RT by the Americans, but seriously yesterday we were no better.
Now don't get me started on the TFS tower controller who couldn't handle 7mile arrival separation for departure traffic.
From Day 1, position report formats were drilled into me in order to be standard.
Yesterday on Shanwick VHF we painfully listened to 2 flights from the same airline who just made it up as they went along. Resulting in the poor radio operator having to ask again for certain info. "Say again estimate" say again "flight level". I'm just guessing that the Shanwick guy is writing the info in boxes, or typing into a computer. A nice queue subsequently formed of people trying to transmit position reports.
Also another UK airline failed to monitor 121.5 or 123.45 during the crossing. Several of us had to speed up as he was gaining on us. (Possibly not maintaining his ASSIGNED speed). Cost us an extra 200kg in fuel burn.
Now for years on this site I've read about cowboy RT by the Americans, but seriously yesterday we were no better.
Now don't get me started on the TFS tower controller who couldn't handle 7mile arrival separation for departure traffic.
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Radio operators
I'm just guessing that the Shanwick guy is writing the info in boxes
But I agree, yes - standards are slipping.
More than just an ATCO
Join Date: Jul 1999
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Shanwick is the name of the area and is the callsign used, covers the operation at both Shannon and Prestwick
OP stated "monitor" not chat, Normally it'd all be on HF but puddlejumpers 
rarely carry it
121.5 as a chat frequency
rarely carry it
