Luton Control Tower open house- never mind ATC
 

Anyone knowing the control tower at Luton will know it is not exactly a large space but that doesn't stop the Council and the Airport Operator keep using the tower as some sort of amusement for the great and the good. ATC is a great deal more busy now then even a few years ago so there is never a quiet period but up the visitors come complete with camera crews and take over the floor.

Is this not a compromise of safety? Just asking

Taken Tuesday
https://i.imgur.com/9Cq3w3V.jpg

A few days ago? More like 24 years. :O

That number of visitors is unacceptable. Is there not something in the Manual of ATC about "distractions in control rooms"?

Ops you are right, that was an old photo. Thought she looked a bit young but she was up the tower again on Tuesday with another party of visitors although I don't know how many this time but the question is still valid.

Despite the distractions, Luton ATC give a sterling service to us rotary pilots requesting to transit their CTR to cut the "Bovingdon corner" after failing to get a word in edgeways to Farnborough North, who often seem to be under a forever increasing controller workload.

The tower wasn't operational at that stage, so the number of visitors didn't matter; in the photo of the later visit you can see it was significantly less well attended. Visitors are limited, briefed not to distract & told to leave if they don't comply, it's all taken into account.

Probably 1993 with Richard Gooding as Chief Exec and definitely before the Tower went operational. I just wish I had looked like that last Tuesday.

Not really no.

One day when I was watch manager, I went downstairs to see the airport manager and came back to find a load of schoolgirls in the approach radar room.
I hadn't been notified they were visiting nor had my permission been sought and as there was a validation board in progress, I had no qualms about asking them all to leave.

It must have been nearly 20 years ago when I went there, organised by my instructor at Elstree for a small group of us to go there. Very interesting, we also visited the approach room. We were told to be very quiet at al times. The tower must have been very quiet that night because it was very relaxed in there, almost spa like.

A good thing to see, I remember the LTN chap that took us round (I think his name was Steve) saying that after the tower was built pilots complained it was too shiny and the concrete was a distraction. So they paid someone to Kango little chips off the entire structure to make it less reflective. I also remember the lift in the tower took 42 seconds to ascend.

Used to do Wings and Wheels at Dunsfold too but sadly I understand this years one in June was the last before they start building little boxes called houses.