ATC Staff Shortage set to bite
Join Date: Apr 2005
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Cecpit,
I am him and he is me
I am a few others as well, I think you will find that my aliases take up about 43% of prune membership.
Once again, you are out of your depth, do you understand the issues here? Good Lord, I'm falling into his trap, what a stupid question?
Super Cecpit, you're next stupid statement please? Really, you are making a fool of yourself.
I am him and he is me
I am a few others as well, I think you will find that my aliases take up about 43% of prune membership.Once again, you are out of your depth, do you understand the issues here? Good Lord, I'm falling into his trap, what a stupid question?
Super Cecpit, you're next stupid statement please? Really, you are making a fool of yourself.
Mostly Harmless
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Hello DHC Driver and please pass on my felicitations to The Missus.
The drones who are telling her she is unemployable are talking complete crap, it is just policy they don't do short courses any more. She passed one once, I'm sure she could do it again. I think the drones are convinced nobody is employable now if they are over 20 and don't have a degree.
To claim that anybody who hasn't seen a console in 5 years is unemployable is crap also, if true some of the instructors should hang their heads and head off (back) to retirement
I'm on leave now, after about 4 days without phone calls this dreamy feeling of well being hit me. I believe its called relaxation. Brilliant. Egad, its afternoon, time to get up.
The drones who are telling her she is unemployable are talking complete crap, it is just policy they don't do short courses any more. She passed one once, I'm sure she could do it again. I think the drones are convinced nobody is employable now if they are over 20 and don't have a degree.
To claim that anybody who hasn't seen a console in 5 years is unemployable is crap also, if true some of the instructors should hang their heads and head off (back) to retirement
I'm on leave now, after about 4 days without phone calls this dreamy feeling of well being hit me. I believe its called relaxation. Brilliant. Egad, its afternoon, time to get up.
Last edited by karrank; 1st Sep 2005 at 06:09.
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ATC sleeping in
Heard on ABC radio today that a QF jet had to hold "over Canberra" because the duty controller had supposedly "slept in".
If it's true, I feel for you mate. I hope you come out of it with a second chance. As if nobody else has ever overslept before.
Sleep is very underrated in this day and age.
I wouldn't have thought that the previous duty controller would've left the building unattended though, knowing that there was no one to talk on the radio. Seems odd.
Anyone got any insight to offer on this one?
520
If it's true, I feel for you mate. I hope you come out of it with a second chance. As if nobody else has ever overslept before.
Sleep is very underrated in this day and age.
I wouldn't have thought that the previous duty controller would've left the building unattended though, knowing that there was no one to talk on the radio. Seems odd.
Anyone got any insight to offer on this one?
520
Join Date: May 2004
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Canberra tower is not staffed 24hrs. The morning shift opens the tower.
The aerodrome would have been 'open'. I believe the pilot could have landed if he wanted too - it was probably a company requirement not to land without ATC.
The aerodrome would have been 'open'. I believe the pilot could have landed if he wanted too - it was probably a company requirement not to land without ATC.
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The S about hit the F.
Tops East closed for 2 hours tonight. Tops West down to 1 Staff class E closed. DTI closed. Apparently no one available at all for doggo on Fri Night. Expect all Flex tracks through West Proc or through Tops East.
TIBA Watch
Tops East closed for 2 hours tonight. Tops West down to 1 Staff class E closed. DTI closed. Apparently no one available at all for doggo on Fri Night. Expect all Flex tracks through West Proc or through Tops East.
TIBA Watch
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MBZ Procedures??
I heard this on ABC radio also, an RPT with fare paying pax in a holding pattern for 20 mins burning costly fuel over Canberra in the early hours of the morning !!
Find this hard to believe, surely it could operate MBZ procedures on 118.7. They do at other airports outside TWR HRs.
Any reasons for a problem here?
Find this hard to believe, surely it could operate MBZ procedures on 118.7. They do at other airports outside TWR HRs.
Any reasons for a problem here?
Just Binos
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To claim that anybody who hasn't seen a console in 5 years is unemployable is crap also, if true some of the instructors should hang their heads and head off (back) to retirement
Most of us who have been in the field for longer than ten minutes remember the laughable University of Tasmania degrees or diplomas or whatever the hell they were. Loads of students coming out with "tertiary" qualifications, well versed in middle management techniques and IT, but when they got to the field a disconcerting proportion were found not to be able to control an aircraft as long as their bums pointed to the ground.
It was always better in the old days, of course. I remember the stories of the old timers being thrown into a procedural tower, told "that's north, now get on with it". All slightly enhanced with time, of course, but not totally removed from the truth.
Now trainees have 87 volumes of training manuals and paperwork to fill in before they can answer the phone. Unfortunately none of those volumes tells them how to answer the phone.
If you can do the bloody job you can do it, if you can't you can't. If DHC's missus has held a rating in the past she can do it again. Everything else is politics.
I suspect the same "cover your arse" mentality is at work in the airlines. Any old TAA/Ansett drivers remember being asked to turn base south of the Pioneer river into Mackay? Never a problem. Now a close base means four miles, and never below 1500ft.
Somebody bring me the bloody grumpy old man pills, please.
NURSE!!!!!!!
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Karrank, you must have been in the ATC college some time ago. I visited the guys there 2 weeks ago, and all the instructors I spoke to were all online controllers seconded to the college for 2 years. Only 1 of these was anywhere near retirement.
Thread Starter
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Join Date: Aug 2005
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"I visited the guys there 2 weeks ago, and all the instructors I spoke to were all online controllers seconded to the college for 2 years. Only 1 of these was anywhere near retirement."
That was probably because the majority of the instructors were out the back having their afternoon nap due to old age!
I visited the College early this year and at that stage they only had a couple of seconded controllers there. One left after only 6 months (due to frustration). Another who was there said that in his first 6 months he tried to introduce new things to bring the College up to date but got beaten down by the older guys. He now just goes with the flow until his time is up.
But as you have been there more recently, hopefully I am wrong and things have changed. Those poor ab-initio's need to be taught current ways, not some rule that was used 20 years ago when the instructor last controlled a real aircraft.
That was probably because the majority of the instructors were out the back having their afternoon nap due to old age!
I visited the College early this year and at that stage they only had a couple of seconded controllers there. One left after only 6 months (due to frustration). Another who was there said that in his first 6 months he tried to introduce new things to bring the College up to date but got beaten down by the older guys. He now just goes with the flow until his time is up.
But as you have been there more recently, hopefully I am wrong and things have changed. Those poor ab-initio's need to be taught current ways, not some rule that was used 20 years ago when the instructor last controlled a real aircraft.
Just Binos
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And here I was wondering whether I should volunteer my services as an instructor for my last couple of years in the job. It appears my age would prevent me from imparting any knowledge. 
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Don't be so sensitive Bino's; I think you'd be a real asset in your twilight years.
The biggest problem with the college over the last 5 years; is the 'retirement crew' dusting off the headsets... This isn't current staff seeing out there days at the college; it's been some crusty old blokes who had given up the gig 5-10 years earlier coming back for another go. But they are cheaper than FPCs you know.
There also has been that little matter of every applicant, being failed to be released from ops duties when selected.
Some of the old blokes (they are all great blokes by the way) have been multi-tasking; i.e. ex SNR TWRs (5 years past) teaching Enroute, where they hadden 'trod the boards' in over 20 years. One was heard to say, where are the strips?
Have been some current bods there in recent times, mostly all from the North; not that there's anything wrong with that.
The biggest problem with the college over the last 5 years; is the 'retirement crew' dusting off the headsets... This isn't current staff seeing out there days at the college; it's been some crusty old blokes who had given up the gig 5-10 years earlier coming back for another go. But they are cheaper than FPCs you know.
There also has been that little matter of every applicant, being failed to be released from ops duties when selected.
Some of the old blokes (they are all great blokes by the way) have been multi-tasking; i.e. ex SNR TWRs (5 years past) teaching Enroute, where they hadden 'trod the boards' in over 20 years. One was heard to say, where are the strips?
Have been some current bods there in recent times, mostly all from the North; not that there's anything wrong with that.
there was an ad for new college instructors on Friday 2/9/05. From memory they were looking for at least five years experience and no more than five years since last operational, but check for yourself. At least if you were an instructor fatigue management would be less of an issue
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At least if you were an instructor fatigue management would be less of an issue
Cheers,
NFR.
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Anyway, back to the - ahem - topic:
Noservices from Airservices tonight:
http://www.civilair.asn.au/cgi-bin/y...num=1125210489
Noservices from Airservices tonight:
http://www.civilair.asn.au/cgi-bin/y...num=1125210489