Shoreham proposal to downgrade ATC to FISO
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IO,
Each unit or provider has their own working practices as agreed between themselves and their staff. In the UK however all also have to adhere to SRATCOH, as laid down in CAP670 and it is SRATCOH that will ultimately dictate minimum staff numbers etc. .
You may consider it a tragedy that SRATCOH exists but fortunately the more enlightened folk in the aviation industry recognise fatigue and suchlike as bad things and to be avoided. You no doubt probably also consider it a tragedy that when you fly commercially your flight deck and cabin crew have duty time limitations as well?
Anyway, you think duty time limitations are a bad thing? Nothing to stop you starting your own campaign to petition the CAA and government to have them changed or removed.
Shoreham has the best and most helpful ATC of all places I know. It is a tragedy that established ATC working practices make ATC so expensive to operate, but obviously nobody has an interest in changing that.
You may consider it a tragedy that SRATCOH exists but fortunately the more enlightened folk in the aviation industry recognise fatigue and suchlike as bad things and to be avoided. You no doubt probably also consider it a tragedy that when you fly commercially your flight deck and cabin crew have duty time limitations as well?
Anyway, you think duty time limitations are a bad thing? Nothing to stop you starting your own campaign to petition the CAA and government to have them changed or removed.
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I think, Roffa, that you spend your shift breaks trawling the 2 UK aviation forums I post on for my posts containing any references to working practices, and when you see one you pop up like that toy which has the spring up its backside 
By "tragedy" I mean the tragedy of the way UK GA is organised and run. Mandatory ATC for approaches means GPS approaches will never be of operational relevance in the UK. This sets up a cost barrier to IFR traffic which at the vast majority of GA airfields can never be crossed.
The only solution is "DIY GPS approaches" which are tacitly approved by the CAA (ANO, G-reg) because everybody knows that nobody wants to deal with the issue in the way it can be dealt with in every other country in the world i.e. regarding GA as an economic/transport resource which, like roads etc, should be centrally funded.
Of course you might say the real culprit is ATC privatisation, which is true, but (in the post-Maggie era) there was never any will to provide specific GA services anyway, and we have to move on from where we are now.
Excellent news from Shoreham
By "tragedy" I mean the tragedy of the way UK GA is organised and run. Mandatory ATC for approaches means GPS approaches will never be of operational relevance in the UK. This sets up a cost barrier to IFR traffic which at the vast majority of GA airfields can never be crossed.
The only solution is "DIY GPS approaches" which are tacitly approved by the CAA (ANO, G-reg) because everybody knows that nobody wants to deal with the issue in the way it can be dealt with in every other country in the world i.e. regarding GA as an economic/transport resource which, like roads etc, should be centrally funded.
Of course you might say the real culprit is ATC privatisation, which is true, but (in the post-Maggie era) there was never any will to provide specific GA services anyway, and we have to move on from where we are now.
Excellent news from Shoreham
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Fab news from Shoreham.
Did my training there last winter, and cannot begin to imagine the chaos that would ensue on a sunny weekend without ATC. On more than one occasion whilst training, I was number 5 in the circuit and grateful to have the all-seeing-eyes of ATC there to assist me with my lookout and positioning.
Bob, and others, you do a great job!
Did my training there last winter, and cannot begin to imagine the chaos that would ensue on a sunny weekend without ATC. On more than one occasion whilst training, I was number 5 in the circuit and grateful to have the all-seeing-eyes of ATC there to assist me with my lookout and positioning.
Bob, and others, you do a great job!
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Unfortunately, IMHO it is only a matter of time before the management company does eventually what it wants with Shoreham Airport. It is apparently talking about trying to "save £180,000" instead of trying to make £180,000.
This is only the beginning of the end. I hope I'm wrong.
This is only the beginning of the end. I hope I'm wrong.
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Well, if you get a property developer who is focused on a particular site and is happy to take a long term view, and throw a lot of money at it, then he will always win.
The reason they often give up is because they find an easier target elsewhere.
But in this case the local council is equally determined to keep the airport as an airport. They want to keep the green gap between Shoreham and Lancing.
Obviously if the council changes their policy the airport would be finished.
But one could say that about all aspects of planning policy. Relax planning policy and it will be like the Spanish coast. All we have to go on is that the council does not change its policy, and that comment applies to most GA facilities in the UK. Nothing is somehow sacred - even an airfield owned by an aviation enthusiast will come to an end when he dies, or gets fed up with it.
The reason they often give up is because they find an easier target elsewhere.
But in this case the local council is equally determined to keep the airport as an airport. They want to keep the green gap between Shoreham and Lancing.
Obviously if the council changes their policy the airport would be finished.
But one could say that about all aspects of planning policy. Relax planning policy and it will be like the Spanish coast. All we have to go on is that the council does not change its policy, and that comment applies to most GA facilities in the UK. Nothing is somehow sacred - even an airfield owned by an aviation enthusiast will come to an end when he dies, or gets fed up with it.
