Interesting listening to all you EGFF & GD boys and girls chatting away on here.

It's fairly common knowledge within NATS that the intention, on securing the contract, is to move EGGD APP and ultimately EGTG into EGFF. Cardiff already has the "expertise" of running the zone and by cross validating both controllers onto FF/GD/TG approach you ultimately need less. It's what we already do with EGSS/GW/KK at LTCC.

This is all common knowledge.

:confused:

JayeRipley - As I said on another thread, some of the area guys who come to visit us walk out of our radar room with an astonished look on their faces. It only seems to be the old crusties like Heathrow Director who have the attitude of "if you're chopped by NATS, it's obviously because you can't hack it as an ATCO".
The only NATS ATCO's we seem to get any respect from is our friends like flower over at Cardiff. The area guys don't seem to rate us, but then again, did they rate Luton or Southampton before they joined the fold? Do I care?

But hey, why should I care what people think, very soon I'm going to be on the inside of the tent, but I don't intend to start p1ssing outward.:E

DtyCln - if it's such common knowledge, why do your colleagues at Cardiff not seem to be aware of it? And who's going to pay for it? TBI? I don't think so, they are not a company who like to spend money on facilities, especially when such facilities will not realise a substantial financial return. What would be in it for them to build a new ATC facility at Cardiff to house the approach function to help their nearest (and more successful) rival?
I think you'll find that a twenty year contract comes with certain guarantees, one of which will be that Bristol does not lose it's radar function at the airport. That will enable BIA to get out of the contract should they come to their senses and realise that they were better off as it was before, to put it politely.

Watch words for the coming months remain - up, brewery, organise, piss!

I guess this is due to the age old problem of ignorance. You get respect from the Cardiff atcos 'cos they are fully aware of what you do. There are a few colleagues where I am who slate non NATS regional airports because they assume that because they are not NATS they must be crap. I've never known a job with so much bad feeling between service providers:-

Civil v Mil
NATS v Non NATS
Area v Approach
LACC/LTCC v MACC/SCACC

Rearrange all of above to suit personal gripe!!!

On a different note, does Mr Willcox still fly out of Clutton Hill/High Littleton?

Standard Noise these compliments are getting too much for me :p
We at Cardiff work very closely with our Bristol colleagues, there is no way we could operate the delegated function as successfully if we didn't have the support of our ATCO colleagues at Bristol.
NATS or Non NATS an ATCO is an ATCO.

AS for what happens with Bristol should it come under the NATS umbrella well there is a lot of speculation but I guess only the bean counters really know.

Cardiff ATC is undergoing what could only be described as an extreme makeover at the moment, TBI is spending a considerable amount of money on us as is NATS, the Radar room is undergoing refurbishment with an additional radar position going in, we understand new TFT radar displays are in the pipeline,a NAS link new transmitters and receivers, well just about everything new you could imagine. The VCR is getting a brand new layout and furniture over the winter as well.

There is no doubt that from both a controlling point of view and for the benefit of aircrew's a combined unit would be good, the amount of traffic Exeter also now produces for us perhaps Exeter should also be considered part of the fold, but what you are then creating is a sub centre and I understood NATS policy was to create a two centre strategy so that would be going against policy.

Only time will tell

Hey Flower,

What they didn't tell you is that there is plenty of room just off the River Hamble (but not in the car park!). I see the South West Tracon sitting on those 13 spare consoles being put into the new TCR which no-one (and I mean NO-ONE) seems to know anything about. The rumour was that they were for MACC but that one seems pretty dead now.

On the plus side that will make you working at a Grade 5 station. :D :E :cool: :D :E

A I

A I,
Yep I have also heard those rumours. Quite happy myself for that to happen. :cool:

Every ATCO I have ever met claims to work the hardest, most complicated sector or airfield. (Including me!:))

I agree that ignorance can play a part - and of course most ATCO's have egos the size of the Grand Canyon which doesn't help.

Of course, if we were given time to do liaison visits....... :}

AlanM - we get lots of time for liason visits, our management call them "rest days".:hmm:

Indeed Standard Noise - but failing a visit, how about a (shock horror) change in attitude. Just because a flight goes from a NATS service to a Non NATS service, doesn't mean it's going to be less safe or handled less professionally. Life's too short for this "my unit is better than your unit" stuff, it's just a job after all, and we should all respect that we do it to the best of our ability where ever we are. Hmmm, perhaps my ego needs some Viagra.


Ps. Any Lulsgate ATCOs know if Mr Willcox is still flying out of Clutton Hill, near Chew Valley lake?

He flies out of a local strip called Stowey, less than a mile from Clutton Hill, I think you'll find.

Ohmigod! We're at the point of no return, only 9 days til the asylum door slams behind us!!:{ :{

And I hear rumours that Bristol and Cardiff ATC may have a joint Christmas Party, what is the world coming too ;)

Does that mean NITS have gotten hold of Bristol, Noisy?

Dan.

That means you can all join the NATS Forum. I bet you can't wait.

A I ;) ;)

mmm, I'm trembling with excitement....................or is that just the curry I had for lunch?:confused:

I have only one thing to say....:ok:

Trapped, in a nightmare not of my making, fab. Still, could be worse, I could be working for Serco!
Rumour has it the new ATSM/GM will commute from the sunny south coast. NATS shelling out for a new dual carriageway are they?!:confused:

Flower - notice up on our board in the Rest Room now re. joint Xmas party proposal. And where were you at the Cardiff-Bristol bowling night? A very good do, for sure. Even I went along...

ATCOJ30,
would have loved to have been there but it was arranged when I was working.
As a lady who gets strikes and turkeys when I bowl I suspect it was arranged on purpose when i couldn't attend.

Like the idea of a joint Christmas doo though, gets my vote :ok:

OH! That sounds like a challenge, the Fabulous Flower v Stormer Settle.

REMATCH!!:}

Hehehe,
I shall introduce you to the Barnes Wallace bowling style of Flower :O

It's ok flower, I we have a few exponents of that style on our team already!:ooh:
Although maybe you could teach them a thing or two.

If your new GM is the South-Coast commuter - you one very lucky bunch! i don't know what the bowling skills are like, but they are one top boss.

We'll, the proof of the pudding and all that. Roll on the 17th!

Yeah but which year ??? :rolleyes:

and which month:} :\

Oh for goodness sake, you lot just don't get it, do you!?
Were only interested in silly dates that keep being put back, we don't actually want to join, we just want to be kept waiting. It's so much fun.:rolleyes:

:D you gotta laff, put back again - 1st November now:rolleyes:

Marvellous, that solves a few issues we had.

The contract is finally signed and Bristol have made the front page of NATS intranet news.
Good to have you onboard Bristol :ok:

Welcome back Standard..!!! sounds of Hotel California playing softly in the background :E

Well speaking as a customer all I can say is that both Cardiff and Bristol air traffic are equally marvelous as a product.

Whatever the politics or issues the fact is that all the customers I know who use your service every day rate it highly - from both suppliers. So whatever happens in the future just keep on doing what you are doing.

I have particular interest in BRS ATC as I spoke to them on the first day of Go-Fly operations into BRS. Just a blink of an eye later and there are 8 737/319's parked every night plus a growth in the incumbent operations. You've coped well and developed seemlessly with the pace of traffic at the airport. I've noted improved procedures every couple of months and the way various incidents have been handled have been spot on. You have a lot to be proud of and I hope that continues under NATS.

Cheers

WWW

Well its now a case of "NATS is now providing ATC at Lulsgate"
all the best for the future working for NATS
Ranger 1 :ok:

Join the fleet
 

Hearty welcome Bristol buddies!
Ah....I can picture it now.....the swift frigate "Brizzel" joins the cruiser "Cardiffboyo" and falls in line with the mighty aircraft carrier "Swanwickus".
It's all a game really....called monopoly. You've joined a not-for-profit organisation that made a £68.8million profit year-end 31st March 2005; but don't worry because now you have shares.
UK Gov 49%
The Airline Group 42%
BAA 4%
Employee sharetrust 5%

You will not believe how small a pay rise we have been offered after a continuous stream of fantastic performance headlines through-out the year.

Could I be serious for a brief moment ...did you get your pension thing sorted....and do you have Union representation settled?
RGDS.

055166k - no, and yes. I'll try not to get too excited about the shares, I hear they're worth less than the bog roll.

"....on a dark Somerset highway, cool wind in my hair, warm smell of NATS, rising up through the aaaiirr...." :{ :{

Still, it brings the quality of NATS ATCO's up a notch, eh guys?:ok:

. Not quite 055166K.

NSL is unregulated and is therefore an entirely profit motivated part of the company.

A twenty year contract! - you get less than that for murder:}

Better sleeping areas as well Legs11!!

Sleep? Sleep? We ain't got time to be sleeping, we're busy, busy busy!!!

As for the 20 year contract, knowing my luck (where NATS is concerned) it won't be renewed and they'll screw me over when I'm in my fifties, just like they did when I were in my twenties!:{

To be fair, I think the statement made at the time was "not for commercial return" - there is a difference :ok: