Any truth in the rumour that the new LHR Tower has been constructed from ivory ?? :)

Whilst I can see what you're getting at, I don't think you can entirely base any military/civil distinction between Airfield and Airport on the phraseology you quote. As I'm sure you know, the same phrases you quote are also regularly used in civvie ATC, and "field in sight" appears in CAP 413 as an example of both military and civil phraseology.

Speke: Yes, they weren't the best examples, but I was just "dashing off" a quick reply. I thought later it might have made the point better by comparing the mil "diversion airfield" with the civvy "alternate airport". I'm just recalling conversational usage rather than R/T. In conversation, (Caveats: In my time / In my part of the Air Force) no-one would have used "Aerodrome / Airport" in conversation. Only "Airfield".

keithl,

As another 'ex-mil', similar vintage, I entirely agree with your comment about 'conversational usage'.

(Mind you, my parents, both ex-WWII and now well into their 80s, still quaintly refer to my place of work as the 'drome !! )

But surely Gonzo you are basically saying the same thing to Heathrow inbounds whereas Gatwick Directors (never mind Essex Radar!!) are giving more varied instructions to inbound a/c?:ok:

Goodness, thats abit scathing towards radar control isnt it?! I suppose they have the advantage fatter pay cheques at the end of the month but they might have alittle difficulty in identifying what an aircraft looks like.....

Surely though if you have been at the Heathrow VCR prior to '93 before TC sucked up your radars then you would have had a radar rating!:E

So dividing those numbers by the number of runways in use (and bearing in mind one controller per runway); You are admitting that Gatwick is at the very least, as busy as Heathrow :E

At airfields, such as Gatwick, an ATCO might speak to maybe 60-70 a/c in one hour.

At airports, such as Heathrow, an ATCO might speak to 120+ a/c an hour.

So dividing those numbers by the number of runways in use (and bearing in mind one controller per runway); You are admitting that Gatwick is at the very least, as busy as Heathrow

Certainly confirms the fact that Gatwick is the busiest single operation runway in the world.

I say Gonzo,aren't you EGLL tower only types just glorified car park attendants.:ouch:
At least you guys know how to say ''Clearded to Land''.
Ever validated a Radar rating working in Class A,D,F,G airspace?:hmm:
There are people who still validate tower and approach radar,north of Watford.

Ok Gonzo, well I dont actually work for NATS or Air Traffic in any sense (failed applicant twice!:ugh: ) but i am aware that the NATS payscale is based more on your time in the job (should know as my old man has worked for NATS for ther past god knows how many eons) so I take that back about approach controllers being on 'fatter paycheques' Although you could argue that radar has 'different' sorts of challenges. I have seen both sides of the operation both at Heathrow VCR and with your colleagues at TC and I can see that ensuring necessary vortex wake spacings would be pretty tricky on radar but remembering the names of all the holding points at Heathrow from a visual control point of view would be a complete nightmare! :E

Finally, a bit of banter! :D

North of Watford...bit cold up there for us sophisticated southerners!

All those non-squawkers, non-radios.....no thanks, you can keep 'em! :ok:

Yer like you probably fall into this category if you an ATCO and you dont work for NATS...... I think I would much prefer working for a Private organsation which is how it used to be in the good old days where you will atleast be able to obtain aerodrome and approach ratings rather than being sent like a robot to CATC in Bournemouth to and up working in a Air Traffic factory! :ok:

Classicwings.
There are quite a few Nats units were Tower and Approach are the norm.Bristol,Cardiff,Birmingham,Manchester,Belfast,Glasgow,E dinburgh,Aberdeen,and Gibraltar spring to mind.Don't know about Aberporth?
Everyone is paid much less than Heathrow,and bar one (Manch) less than Gatwick.However ATC wise it's much more interesting than the sausage machines in the South.
Gonzo,
You Southern softies should listen to a certain Billy Connolly when he says there is no such thing as bad weather,just the wrong kind of clothes.We do have SSR and radios North of Watford you know.Probably invented them:ok:

Ah, but do you have colour TV?

An airport is a big airfield
An airfield is what you say is 'in sight' then you can see the runways, unless you are at an airport when you say "runway in sight"
An aerodrome is something Spitfires used to land on

Thow a dyce - you missed out Farnborough and Southampton. Aberporth airfield is FISO but NATS still supply staff to Aberporth (Cardigan Bay) Range Control via (I think) Cardiff. These controllers also do range control in the Hebrides range.

Point taken throw a dyce, I am aware of NATS units where tower and approach still exist but I think my bite was focused more towards current trainee cadets prospects of been able to get but aerodrome and approach ratings. Seems now you are streamed either on an approach or area course following your initial training on the course but from what I can gather after signing my life away on my initial declaration there is currently little chance of being sent to anywhere else other than Swanwick!:::oh: