Xmod; I was present at Glasgow one day when a certain person in his Ford Capri crossed the taxiway without seeing the taxying Chipmunk. I also remember your fridge full of tins of 'heavy'.

I did the Procedural Aerodrome/Appch course at Bailbrook during the Spring of 1983, resided in the Shaftsbury hotel during the time. Was taught by Larry Lawrence (?), and Jack Sowertsby (sp) who always regaled us with his exploits with his "..flat chested, near sighted widow girlfriend." I believe both had served during the war, Larry as a pilot and Jack as a nav. The rest of the staff was a tall chap who taught Met and Tels named Richard, and the course director Alan (cant recall their surnames). Anyone know what might have become of these gents?

I believe that both Jack and Larry have popped off the planet.
Would that be Richard Shaw who did the Met and Tel's?
Alan, sorry, can't help you.

Sorry to hear about Larry and Jack, they were already retirees when I met them - fine gentlemen.
Richard Shaw was the fellow's name indeed. Thanks Niknak.

Chevvron - re your post #16, I remember it well; t'was my course (21) and Mgt were not impressed with those large-scale resignations. Most of the guys involved claimed it was because they could not afford to live near LATCC. Many ended up in the Mid-East but several later came back to UK.

I loved Bailbrook (jailbrook as we knew it)...food was good sometimes....then other times it looked like grilled sparrow!!!
I popped by on a recent visit to Bath to see it in all its glory as a hotel/conference centre!
Funny how we can't remember much about the radar theory lectures but sure remember the Norwegians sunbathing topless on the grass! Good excuse for study!!! And what about their washing days when they congregated in the corridor playing poker whilst ALL their clothes were being washed!!!!:O

IAL and 21 course
 

Twas my course too...

Never regretted leaving, travelled the globe with IAL and others, including time at Bailbrook.

Can remember drinking in an Irish pub in Southall while at the IAL school there.

Richard Shaw
 

Yes Richard used to be a full time met man but became an ATCO and is now working in the tower at Guernsey.

haha, Jailbrook College :) did my ab initio course back in 1994 :)

food was ALWAYS terrible :)

http://avijacija.net/slike/bath/PICT0119s.jpg

http://avijacija.net/slike/bath/PICT0127.jpg

http://avijacija.net/slike/bath/PICT0134s.jpg

Ahhh, Chris Rundle. The Southampton Radar ATCO during the famous BAC 1-11 incident.

British Airways Flight 5390

Tea Time at CATC
 

Those of us who are old enough can remember the "school" (pre-collage!) superintendent the Venerable R.F. Bulstrode, giving us the first ATC rule we were taught, "The Yellow Cups have no sugar"!

Mr Bulstrode never told my course that. A pity because it's an an excellent idea. I did learn later about standard NATO coffee. It appears from a Russian colleague that standard Warsaw Pact coffee was much the same!

IAL
 

Hi, It is interesting seeing all the comments about IAL/Bailbrook as I have heard so much over the years from my dad, ex IAL, and his friends. Not sure if some of you were talking about Graham Duffin, ex IAL, who was based in Bahrein for some time as well? Married to Lynne? Sadly, if it is the same Graham, he passed away some years ago but Lynne is alive and well in the UK. Bob Allison, last I heard, is in South Africa. We have a website for expats and have hundreds of ex IAL staffers as members and hundreds of photos that a lot of you ex staffers may recognise. And maybe you can put some names to faces for us on some of the photos! We also have a large database of ex IAL and where they are now if anyone is interested. Message me or email me direct at [email protected]

Bob Allison
 

Bob Allison is in South Africa, or was until fairly recently. I do have an email address for him, I think, if you would like to contact him.

Wow! Can't believe this thread I started is still going :) Must have been a special place!

RS

Special place indeed! I learned that my liver capacity was higher than my brain capacity.

Bailbrook College
 

I was the first Genera Manager-Principal of Bailbrook College.
Bailbrook House was purchased by International Aeradio Ltd (IAL)
a subsidiary of British Airways in 1976/7and opened as a trainng facility
(The college was formally opened by Norman (now Lord) Tebbit when Minister for Civil Aviation)
for IAL and BA staff and overseas organisations.. Initially it provided training in radio engineering and meteorology. ATC training was moved in from Kidlington Airport, Oxford.Bailbrook College was the only private school
authourised by CAA to award ATC licences in the UK
English language training for foreign students was added later.
2,000,000 GBP was spent on refurbishment and a 120-bed dormitory and
recreation block was added.

The house was bult in 1790 by a surgeon employed in HM Overseas Colonial Service in Jamaica with an illegal appropriation of funds The building started life as a psychiatric nursing home with rich patients placed by their families
living upstairs with paupers chained in the cellars.
The college made a profit of 150,000 GBP in the third year of operation.
I left in 1981.

Squadron Leader Roy Handley RAF Ret'd
MBA, C.Eng, FIEE.

"paupers chained in the cellars"

As an Instructor I remember the cellars, some simulators were down there. I seem to remember I was a pauper too.

I think there were chains but time distorts the memories.....

I did a few boards @ Bailbrook as a field member, around 1990 iirc, but then a new IAL bean counter decided that he wasn't going to pay my expenses & the CAA for an IAL ATCO to examine IAL staff on IAL premises so that was the end of that
:-(
Instructors I recall:
Mike Perry, who'd been my Chief Officer at Glasgow in the late 70's
Eric Wood, who'd been head Inspector @ Edinburgh & who had done my validation on Ninian Central in 1980
Martin Thomas, who'd been my 2nd SATCO on the Ninian
Dave Graves, the atc book author, who'd been what is now called an OJTI on my watch when I was an ATCA @ EGLL 1970-72
Dave Schofield, ex Manchester, who I knew from my time @ Liverpool ( can't remember when he started @ Bailbrook though)
It turned out to be quite a reunion for me - happy days :-)

I was the first General Manager-Principal of Bailbrook College - appointed in 1977.

Bailbrook House was purchased by International Aeradio Ltd (IAL) in1976/7
and after 2,000,000 GBP refurbishment commenced training with the provision of courses for IAL & BA staff and overseas organisations in avionics, meteorology and ATC ,with the movement of IAL ATC training from Kidlington Airport, Oxford. The college was formally opened by Norman (now Lord) Tebbitt - then Minister for Civil Aviation.
The college was the only private sector establishment authorised by CAA to issue ATC licenses.
English Language training was also introduced later. A 120-bed dormitory and
recreation area (bar!) was added. The college moved into a 150,000 GBP profit in 1980.
Bailbrook House was built in 1790 by a surgeon employed in HM Overseas Colonial Service with an illegal appropriation of funds. It started life as a psychiatric nursing home. Rich patients, placed by families, lived upstairs with paupers chained in its cellars.
I left in 1981.


Squadron Leader Roy Handley RAF Ret'd
MBA C.Eng FIEE
(Ex-55th Cranwell)

Happy days at Bailbrook, I was there as part of the first CAA Area Course in 1990. Mike, Eric, Martin and the two Dave's were all there then. I was fortunate enough to get back there regularly after joining IAL/ Serco Ial/ Serco BT/ Serco Aviation Services/ Serco International and every other name they came up with in the 90's.

My last visit was as a Hotel Guest last year which was a rather surreal experience.

Tony Jakes resigned from NATS at Farnborough to become an Area instructor at Bailbrook.

Atc Radar area course 1998
 

I attended My Air Traffic control ( radar area ) course in 1998 with an Italian classroom; we had one Italian teacher and all the others were from South Africa, even if they were British. Breakfast was good, dinner so so... my room was small but nice. I still have two white cups from Bailbrook College. At reception Hall the women working there, they were very nice with us, very kind people. I have only good memories of this place. There was a girl at safety deposit boxes room working there, her name was Kirsty, she was 29 years old, black hair, black, eyes, she was from south England, but she lived in Bristol , she was really nice , shy and very kind, does anyone remember of her? Years later, in 2006, I met some of Bailbrook College teachers at Eurocontrol school in Luxemburg. I didn't know that Serco in Bath didn't exist anymore. I
​​ still work as air traffic controller (radar area). Old good memories...

I think that that should read "...authorised by CAA to conduct approved rating courses". The CAA still issued the licence (sic).

2 s

I heard that when Bailbrook closed, some ex instructors tried to start a college for ATS at nearby Rudloe Manor which had just been vacated by the RAF (or at least part of it)

Some of them worked in Luxemburg at Eurocontrol Academy in 2006.

They tried, and succeeded; I did a couple of short courses there. They became ASTAC and ultimately Global ATS.

You could add that it was also due to greed - trying desperately to get their grubby corporate mitts on NATS. Delighted to play just a small part in their failure to achieve that!

2 s

In about 1996 I heard from an ex IAL controller that SERCo were trying to get their hands on the IAL Pension Scheme funds; he was a trustee and had been sent on 'gardening leave' because he and the other trustees were refusing to release the funds.
I also heard that SERCo had planned to open a new college at Tewkesbury to replace Bailbrook and Hurn; maybe that was the 'cheaper location'?.

In the late 80's rumours were that STC (I think it was STC or someone similar) bought it just to get at the pension funds. Also was quietly asked by a high up if the instructors would take it on if they pulled out. (About 1988, I think).
Interesting place to work. Reception phoned one morning to say xxx Radar Course from some distant land was waiting in reception. Nothing planned - it appeared that they were a year early. Naturally the course was run.

Bailbrook
 

Bailbrook


Hi
Hope I can help. It was an ATC training centre in Aerodrome and Approach with a Radar course too.
I went there as a student about forty years ago
It was run by IAL with final exams at Hurn.
I haven’t been back since those days, have had no contact with anyone and now semi retired doing something else . It was owned alleged at one stage by John Lennon of Beetles fame. Although not sure of those facts . I have no idea what it is now one of the instructors was a chap called Don D’Cruz that’s all I remember..

Ahhhh IAL. Where job interviews for ATC vacancies went a bit like this ..

Walk in door.
Interviewer - Hello you are going to xyz in the Gulf.
Me - Does it have radar ?
Interviewer - Don't really know
Me ILS?
Interviewer - Don't really know
Gave up at that point and went to personnel department.
Personnel person - Well you will have been thoroughly grilled upstairs - You leave in 3 days.
.........

I had an interview, I think in the IAL days, that went a bit like that. I forget the name of the Personnel chap that I was dealing with but every communication with him was peculiar! I was told that he later left on medical grounds. I asked for a little more, merely out of curiosity or polite conversation, and was told he had a problem with his hands.......he hit the MD.

Or there was the controller who was fired on the 6th floor for some reason. On his way down, in the lift, he was chatting to woman who asked - What do you do? When he replied he was a controller - she said Oh we are looking for those and promptly hired him as an Instructor at Bailbrook.. It was interesting when the 6th floor person visited Bailbrook...