Visual landmark to disappear
Thread Starter
Joined: Dec 2007
Posts: 573
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From: England
Visual landmark to disappear
The three cooling towers at the former Richborough Power Station will be demolished tomorrow (Sunday 11th March) at 9.00am.
Situated just south of Kent International Airport (formerly RAF Manston), the towers have, for many years, provided a visual landmark to many hundreds of aviators, both civilian and military. Although Manston is in a fairly distinctive location anyway, I have had cause to be grateful for the assistance the towers have provided on many occasions in my previous work as an air traffic controller there (some years ago).
Picture the scene...
A light aircraft flown by a student pilot over Kent is unsure of position and calls Manston requesting help. Now the pilot could just dial up 121.5 and request a position fix, declare an emergency or radar assistance, but more often than not would call us.
By ascertaining the aircraft heading and using DF we would ask the pilot to report if visual with the three towers. It was easier to see these on a lot of occasions rather than the coastline, which could be indistinct.
Ifvisual with the towers, we would ask the pilot to fly towards them and once overhead the towers, to turn to the north. After a couple of minutes, we asked the pilot to look down and to the left, and report when visual with the lights of Manston's Runway 28, which would have been switched on to maximum brilliance. Once visual, the pilot would position the aircraft into the circuit to land.
Simple, effective and it worked, getting MANY pilots out of a hole in a way that didn't cause embarrassment or further complication.
Situated just south of Kent International Airport (formerly RAF Manston), the towers have, for many years, provided a visual landmark to many hundreds of aviators, both civilian and military. Although Manston is in a fairly distinctive location anyway, I have had cause to be grateful for the assistance the towers have provided on many occasions in my previous work as an air traffic controller there (some years ago).
Picture the scene...
A light aircraft flown by a student pilot over Kent is unsure of position and calls Manston requesting help. Now the pilot could just dial up 121.5 and request a position fix, declare an emergency or radar assistance, but more often than not would call us.
By ascertaining the aircraft heading and using DF we would ask the pilot to report if visual with the three towers. It was easier to see these on a lot of occasions rather than the coastline, which could be indistinct.
Ifvisual with the towers, we would ask the pilot to fly towards them and once overhead the towers, to turn to the north. After a couple of minutes, we asked the pilot to look down and to the left, and report when visual with the lights of Manston's Runway 28, which would have been switched on to maximum brilliance. Once visual, the pilot would position the aircraft into the circuit to land.
Simple, effective and it worked, getting MANY pilots out of a hole in a way that didn't cause embarrassment or further complication.
Last edited by P6 Driver; 10th March 2012 at 16:15.
Joined: Jul 2005
Posts: 69
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From: Uckfield, East Sussex
Funny that; I flew to Manston for the first time yesterday from Lydd- It was very hazy, and when I reported to ATC that I 'had the cooling towers in sight' (but not the airfield) he replied that 'we are removing them tomorrow'. I put this down to 'ATCO-Humour' ,but obviously not!
Thread Starter
Joined: Dec 2007
Posts: 573
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From: England
Joking they were not!!!
Demolition photos now posted in the Jet Blast forum;
http://www.pprune.org/jet-blast/4796...emolition.html
Demolition photos now posted in the Jet Blast forum;
http://www.pprune.org/jet-blast/4796...emolition.html
Joined: Jul 2005
Posts: 75
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From: se england
Cooling towers.
Many years ago when I was at Lydd a very nervous young lady came in with her instructor prior to a qualifying cross country. Later that afternoon she returned solo and reported over Ashford. I passed the joining information and asked her report field in sight. Quite a time passed and no report came so I asked her if she could see the field to which she said no. I then said can you see the power station ( Dungeness ) to which she said yes. So I told her to fly towards the power station and that the field is about a mile before it. She called at the power station but I still couldnt see her so I said report final for RW22. When she called final I still couldnt see her so I asked her to confirm it was 22. After a short while she said it was 28! I told her she was at Manston and not to land. She got vectors to Lydd and asked me to sign her form!! Tears and sympathy followed. So, yes they stood out like tits on a fish
