Swanwick problems...
BA crashed?
Join Date: Jan 2001
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Swanwick problems...
Sounds like a day not to be flying in the UK...
BBC Web / R4 say Swanwick software problem, due to a changeover last night (database / upgrade?)... long delays...
I'll stay in the garden...
NoD
BBC Web / R4 say Swanwick software problem, due to a changeover last night (database / upgrade?)... long delays...
I'll stay in the garden...
NoD
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No BA Crash
This is just the regular Swanwick ATC failure. LHR on 1 departure every 10minutes at the moment and arrivals may have to be diverted as there is no where at LHR to park them !
Happy Friday
Happy Friday
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Got airbourne this morning just as it all went horribly wrong!!
We were held low (FL190) as the sector above couldn't be opened.
On arrival at destination we found ourselves with a slot delay which kept slipping back to 4 hours before working its way forwards again to just an hour and a half.
Despite having to put up with 200 grumpy passengers, a big thank you to ATC for keeping the delay to a minimum
We were held low (FL190) as the sector above couldn't be opened.
On arrival at destination we found ourselves with a slot delay which kept slipping back to 4 hours before working its way forwards again to just an hour and a half.
Despite having to put up with 200 grumpy passengers, a big thank you to ATC for keeping the delay to a minimum
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Is this one of those crashes that 'could never happen again' or 'a one in a million chance?'
But as said above, a big thank you and heads up to the ATC guys who kept us all going and with far less delay than I expected!
But as said above, a big thank you and heads up to the ATC guys who kept us all going and with far less delay than I expected!
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It's been fairly grim for passengers. Down here at T1 - not best able to cope with foot traffic at the best of times - it's been chaos, if reasonably well controlled chaos. A large number of cancellations has pushed passengers back into being reticketed, and so the queue at the BA desk runs round the terminal.
At one point ground staff were trying to work with police to move the queue outside on to the pavement, but that plan seems to have failed.
For me, being a weekend trip, it's basically game off. I can't get to where I'm going in time, so I'll just have to go home and take the refund.
Perhaps next time I'll fly myself. Lower Airspace may be slow, but at least it doesn't screw up.
And one last irony - my job is technical architect. Building 24x7 resilient systems.
By the sounds of it I've been let down by one of my own.
At one point ground staff were trying to work with police to move the queue outside on to the pavement, but that plan seems to have failed.
For me, being a weekend trip, it's basically game off. I can't get to where I'm going in time, so I'll just have to go home and take the refund.
Perhaps next time I'll fly myself. Lower Airspace may be slow, but at least it doesn't screw up.
And one last irony - my job is technical architect. Building 24x7 resilient systems.
By the sounds of it I've been let down by one of my own.
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Ok RD how did you fix that???
I had my day.....a regular 14 hour shift... well almost ...
first delay..just a few hours.... getting to MAN and then stuck in MAN...four more hours finaly able toleave they tell me wait another half hour on stand before starting...and the delays kept stacking up and up.
Yeah Go Swanick Go..
I had my day.....a regular 14 hour shift... well almost ...
first delay..just a few hours.... getting to MAN and then stuck in MAN...four more hours finaly able toleave they tell me wait another half hour on stand before starting...and the delays kept stacking up and up.
Yeah Go Swanick Go..
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Just so y'all know...
Swanwick is critically short of controllers and assistants.
(Don't beleive it? Ask WHY their have been SO many closures of sectors at night... The real answer is ABSOLUTELY NO CONTINGENCY)
Those that remain are doing their level best to provide as good a service as they are able despite the poor equipment we have to deal with.
Not surprisingly morale at Swanwick is rock bottom. Just to "kick us when we are down" NATS management have offered a derisory pay offer, DESPITE all the extra effort its operational staff are making to keep things afloat.
It makes me very, very sad to post this. I am INCREDIBLY sorry that people have have their travel plans disrupted today. As an ATCO I feel frustrated and let down AGAIN.
Todays problems were due to a FAULT that NATS management knew about but deemed "not urgent" to fix (go see the thread on the ATC issues forum). I wonder what other faults they know about but deem "not urgent?"
BEX
Swanwick is critically short of controllers and assistants.
(Don't beleive it? Ask WHY their have been SO many closures of sectors at night... The real answer is ABSOLUTELY NO CONTINGENCY)
Those that remain are doing their level best to provide as good a service as they are able despite the poor equipment we have to deal with.
Not surprisingly morale at Swanwick is rock bottom. Just to "kick us when we are down" NATS management have offered a derisory pay offer, DESPITE all the extra effort its operational staff are making to keep things afloat.
It makes me very, very sad to post this. I am INCREDIBLY sorry that people have have their travel plans disrupted today. As an ATCO I feel frustrated and let down AGAIN.
Todays problems were due to a FAULT that NATS management knew about but deemed "not urgent" to fix (go see the thread on the ATC issues forum). I wonder what other faults they know about but deem "not urgent?"
BEX
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Bex, just got in from the day (make that night) DLM. You guys & gals are the best in the world bar none ! It's a crying shame you don't get the equipment and salary to match your skills. Thank you to all of you for keeping us safe up there.
Descending FL250, 30 before MID
Descending FL250, 30 before MID
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Thank you for the Kind compliment. It is VERY much appreciated, believe me.
Too bad our own management don't see us in the same light, but no matter, we will continue to provide the best ATC service we can.... despite our, er,um handicaps
Rgds BEX
Too bad our own management don't see us in the same light, but no matter, we will continue to provide the best ATC service we can.... despite our, er,um handicaps
Rgds BEX
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What a day
To hear that NATS management don't understand the meaning of contingency doesn't surprise me at all. Beancounters have great difficulty in coping with anything 'off track' and their presence in the aviation industry is becoming a serious problem. Aviation is a business for experienced professionals to take the important resourcing decisions, whether it be how much fuel you load, or manning levels in a critical function. The plan is only a basis for change, and from the moment you set off you're managing displacements from the plan. That is simply not management psyche and sadly we will be faced with many more days like yesterday whilst the beancounters are in charge. They see 'just in case' as 'unnecessary waste'.
That said, may I just express my gratitude and admiration to all you guys at SwanLake and LHR who coped with calm professionalism and good humour when you had every reason to burst into tears.
I'm glad it was UK ATC in charge, it could have been sooooh different elsewhere.
That said, may I just express my gratitude and admiration to all you guys at SwanLake and LHR who coped with calm professionalism and good humour when you had every reason to burst into tears.
I'm glad it was UK ATC in charge, it could have been sooooh different elsewhere.