Daventry Sector 28/12/00
 

Just a quick question on slots.

I was operating one of the AM VS flights to the U.S. on the 28th Dec, the morning it snowed. In the first instance we had a slot 35 mins behind schedule which we missed due late inbound a/c. On applying for a new slot, we were given a further 1h 20 min delay. Under the circumstances we thought this was understandable and were told the problem was congestion in the DTY sector.

We taxied and departed without any airport delay. Unusually, we were left on the WOB SID and given immediate climb with no level off until FL280. We were the only aircraft on the departure frequency and subsequent ones were very quiet. No other traffic appeared on TCAS up to 280.

Why the slot?

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What The Hell's It Doing Now?

Prob due to staff shortages in DTY sector.

Staff shortages in NATS? No way!!!!
;)

Who said staff shortages in DTY? Although its not unusual to have staff shortages and these could cause delays I'm not always sure that the exact or correct reason for any delay is actually conveyed all the way down the line. Staff shortages on DTY sounds a reasonable response certainly if you're not sure. Remember that for the past few years the DTY sector as was, is now split vertically and run by two agencies, area control and terminal control and we're both short of staff. Anyone not working at LATCC would probably not be aware of that or care

No other traffic on frequency...?

No other aircraft on TCAS until FL280...?

Bloody marvellous stuff, this flow control :)

Your company have all the details of the Flow restrictions and the reasons why. They are all published to the airlines for every Flow restriction. Ask them. If the restriction and the reality are different get them to ask for an explanation.

Some airline Ops depts are too lazy to learn to understand the messages that are sent to them and the pilots are told cock and bull stories about delays ... which probably explains why we all hear it repeated in PA addresses.

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Go with the flow ... or you'll miss your slot.

No other traffic on frequency...?

Thats probably because the traffic was cunningly flowed so that 75 percent of the TSF would hit the sector within a 15 minute period.

Don't file an overload, though...