AND TO ADD A DEGREE OF DIFFICULTY
 

Try being the GCA instructor on FPN36 in the shoulder period during the introduction of the (then) new digital technology phased array equipment. This meant the instructor had to do all the manipulation in the trays while the stud just did the talk down.

"Talk to him ...2 1/2 miles - 750 feet... don't worry about what I'm doing down there..."

Much more fun than reviewing long term CNS/ATM strategic plans.

Alas no sarcasm smiley TDM......anyway, surely a 424 is cutting edge technology for a man of your vintage!:E:}

424 is about as 'cutting edge' as flint...

(360, a beer next time in UK..)

SRA recency was taken seriously at Heathrow. One supervisor, recently arrived at the unit, took it so seriously that one morning he had the ILS turned off so we had to do them all morning!

I really must spring to defend the reputation of the 424, an elderly machine indeed, but very accurate in the hands of a skilled operator.:D

obwan

I'm with you, my record 43 1/2 mile SRAs in one "day radar" 13 1/2 hour shift, eating my sandwiches in the black hole between going into continuous transmission for the last five miles of the approach - the joys of the job before some b***er invented SRATCOH!

We've talked about recency, but for those who don't know, in the UK you need to do 50 SRA's as part of your MER for an initial C of C, and 25 for a subsequent one at another unit.

Sadly all the SRAs I ever did were on a souped up 264 (2 milers)....still quite satisfying though. Last one I gave was in the early Autumn of 1983 to an Air Ecosse Bandeirante....ho hum.

SRA s
 

For my sins I've done 1 milers on a 424 and a 430, 2 milers on watchman and a new digital.

As a talking ILS you couldn't beat the 424 as long as the aircraft followed the correct slope otherwise it fell out of the beam and had to be sent round for another go.

Usual routine was - standard SRA, standard with step downs, no compass no gyro, ncng with step downs and if that didn't work go somewhere else!!

Ah! Those were the days! I can still hear the whine of the frequency converter!!

Oi, running dog, what's all this 'past tense'?
Some of us are still doing it...

You could beat the 424 by using a PAR.
Mind you, when Farnborough had a localiser installed (didn't fit the glidepath initially as the thresholds were due to be moved) I made sure it was set up so that the QDM of the localiser was co-incident with the PAR centreline thus enabling the pilots to fly a 'hybrid' LLZ/DME approach but with GP information passed by the talkdown controller down to half a mile ie a pilot interpreted ground controlled approach.(but I didn't tell you that).

424 SRAs
 

Sorry Talk down man!

Still do 2 milers on a digital radar but the 424 is DEFINITELY in my past!

The thought of the 400hz whine still sets my pulse racing. Will I be able to find the moving dot amongst all the still ones? Will he stay in the beam? Will the map stay erect? Etc,etc!!

Lovely!!!