Panny

Looking up Companies house...it seems a bit "you say potato...I say potato" I expect someone who works for them might be along to quench your thirst for knowledge.

I am surprised though that your "contacts" at EGAC can't help you out?

That's possible I suppose. The contract may have been a package as Wallop is ADV/ADI and APP/APS which NSL could do. NSL as far as I'm aware do not have any AFIS contracts and the Area FISOs who do FIR are NERL not NSL.

Middle Wallop and Netheravon were acquired by Aquila - NATS (NSL?) as part of Project Marshall.

AQUILA - Air Traffic Management Services | About AQUILA

Let's hope their technical ability is better that their web designer putting white lettering on a white cloud background.


2 s

Lets's hope that NATS becomes a better company to work for!

Let's hope that with more contracts being lost, it will become easier to go to work for other employers.

The conspiracy theorist in me thinks that all these contract losses and consequent wins by other ANSPs are all orchestrated by NATS themselves in an elaborate plan to get shot of as many people on the DB pension plan as they can.

Give it a decade or so and we'll all be back with NATS with a nice new DC pension and reduced T&Cs ;)

"Scraping the barrel" - nothing like an elitist statement, sure the hard working guys at these units appreciate that attitude, regardless of size or movements, each unit carries its own challenges and it's a job that I'm sure people still have pride in. Could say easy life at EGKK being tower only, just one rating part skilled ATCOS, so ANS scrapping the barrel, compared to say a unit that requires ADI, APS and APP, with a mix of traffic types and speeds.

Perhaps NATS losing contracts is as equally as much to do with the views of the airport management of "Some" NATS staffs arrogance with statements like that, especially when they compare the t&c to their own staff.

It is - Amazon are recruiting.

3miles,

Hate to break it to you but TDM isn't a NATS ATCO.

No, like me he's a retired NATS ATCO who got pi$$ed off with NATS HR.

Yep.. and he was an ATCO for many more years than Gonzo!

Errr, ok.

I was just pointing out that 3miles seemed to misunderstand TDM's language when he said 'scraping the barrel', and assumed he was 'NATS elitist', which couldn't be further from the trut in my experience.

Never mind.

Not surprised
 

I was at Brum when the local "expertise" bought out the contract, not nice. Know Edinburgh well, but it's Tower GM is a bit of a tool and his Engineering predecessor was an even bigger one, so no surprises the contract was lost because of the infighting ( and its serious infighting). Glasgow will most definitely follow, I'd rather hope that the shambles at HIAL will implode pretty quickly as a result.

My main beef : The people in charge of NATS and its subsidiaries, are not forward thinking in any sense of the phrase and are still entrenched in the outdated dogma of the DoT.

Paul Reid and the Germans, that's does make me smile, good on you Gazza.

F NATS !!

I think NATS losing tower contracts is an interesting situation, the bosses are getting it wrong somewhere. The controllers are still doing the job they are paid to do, but for the airport owners are not happy with NATS as ATC providers.

That said, Gatwick could be a disaster yet if validations don't happen soon. The latest recruits are from Bournemouth and Oxford, I hope they do well, but it's a big ask. Are wages going to have to increase to attract ex gatwick or ex Heathrow tower validations, or Middle East expats I wonder. Watching with interest.

The cynic in me says that there will be no problem with Gatwick validations. All will be well - because that is what is needed, so that is what will happen !

T250, 1 Middle East expat, 1 has already failed. Sorry if the Oxford info was wrong, do you know where others are being recruited from?

Gatwick is not an easy place to validate; we had at least 6 from Farnborough who went there and I believe only 2 managed to qualify. Certainly my personal feeling is someone from Oxford or Bournemouth would find it a bit of a struggle as the traffic is more IFR biased than the places they've come from ie very few VFR arrivals/departures at Gatwick.
For instance, in NATS days, I've been on the flight deck of a 737 landing on easterlies and at 4 miles with one lander ahead just vacating, they've still got 2 departures away before giving us landing clearance.
Do they do that nowadays?

Know Edinburgh well, but it's Tower GM is a bit of a tool and his Engineering predecessor was an even bigger one

They were/are both engineers but you have it the wrong way around!

I would call you out on your perhaps 'vintage' view of the task at Oxford. IFR, (whether it be PA34, G650, Global or anything up to BBJ/A319) is the staple diet these days. All single controller in radar with circa transit figures that match most LARS units. Takes a controller on the top of their game to achieve the capacity required to validate. . . . . until such time as manning allows Rad 2 !!!!

We aim to issue IFR clearances at 4nm but no later than 2. I'm sure your quote is somewhat sensationalist and well before the days of SMS lead decision making. :ok:

Fred