Well Done Exeter Radar
 

Congratulations are due to the controller on Exeter Radar 128.15 at 13:00L today.

The pilot of a Luscombe Silvaire inbound to Exeter in conditions of very low cloud and dreadfull visibility became disorientated. He made a PAN call explaining his predicament. The pilot then made three further transmissions in a state which can only be described as one of pure terror. He pleaded for help and cried out that he had lost ground contact and was disorientated. Those of us listening quickly realised that he thought he was going to die. It was a gut wrenching experience listening to the proceedings.

Throughout this episode the Radar Controller remained calm and professional. He calmed the pilot and gave him the advice and direction required for him to regain his composure and make a safe landing at Exeter.

I believe that the controller probably saved a life today. Well done.

I only heard about this today and everybody in our office thought the controller did a wonderful job. In moments of frustration we sometimes criticise the controllers at the airport (usually while waiting to drive Northside!!) but they do an excellent job mixing the multitude of light training a/c and heavy scheduled jets.

No wonder more and more military craft are using Exeter for training purposes, in fact i have heard that the SRA procedure at Exeter is better than some PAR at some local military airfields that shall remain nameless!

Sounds like he did a great job.
Any chance of getting a transcript so we call all learn from his experience.

I know two Luscumbe pilots, BOTH are ATCO's!

[I have heard that the SRA procedure at Exeter is better than some PAR at some local military airfields that shall remain nameless!]

BozoUK - go on then - spill the beans if you think you know something about the local mil airfields - there is no point spreading gosip if you cannot come up with hard facts!

Yes.....and I've seen traning PAR's flown by some civil pilots WORSE than a visual approach!

You can't compare what is primarily a militray landing aid with an SRA.

BozoUK, and I've heard, allegedly, that there are military units that provide ATSOCAS, unlike some civilian units.

My point: don't start cheap mudslinging.



[This message has been edited by 3rd Runway (edited 07 April 2001).]

It's a good while since I flew any approaches into Exeter, in varying weather, usually on the way back home for the weekend from Dublin, but I can with considerable pleasure recall that the service provided by Exeter was always absolutely first class, even extending to a rapid inquiry of "was there a problem" when I lost rather more height than was appropriate after a pitch trim runaway at about 2 miles on an SRA to 08. The temporary problem was sorted PDQ by some application of a lot of muscle, and all continued as planned. It was real pleasing to see that they'd even noticed it, let alone responded to it.

Another occasion, when caught in some nasty icing on the slopes of Exmoor, during cruise descent, the service was excellent, and appropriate, at a time when assistance was needed to ensure a safe outcome.

All in all, one of the best ATC services I encountered in a lot of flying around Europe at that time.

And, in closing Well done on the incident reported above.