UK ATC issues today?
Join Date: Sep 2007
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NYC IROPS
It’s NATS this time. Yesterday we ended up cancelling the flight after over 5hrs with pax onboard. First two sectors cancelled today. How is the UK perpetually so vulnerable to this?
Yesterday there was a total stop on departures in any direction from LGW, I appreciate that it’s busy airspace, but when a CB rolls in over the Hudson, all NYC airports don’t shut down. Same in Paris.
Today a radar failure has resulted in (at my count) 33 cancelled flights from LGW for my airline ALONE. What is the cost of that financially? Happens a number of times a year; surely that’s worth installing a little more redundancy? Of course I realise that it is not that simple, but I think we just get into the mindset that the London airspace is simply just too busy for there ever to be any solution!
We are just frankly an embarrassment here in the UK.
One of the biggest pains when there is bad wx about is, when as an LHR controller, your next planned departure... say a DVR off 27R tells you as he lines up that he'll need to look at his 'Cloud & clonk' before rolling. Quite understandable of course - so would I. If he says he needs to go straight ahead for 5 or 6 miles before turning left that's your next 5 minutes or so of deps' screwed plus you've got 3 or 4 different radar controllers to co-ordinate with. All part of life's rich pattern!
At least you're all on the ground not being hammered by the storms!
Please excuse a retired old fart coming in with his 5 pennies worth.'' Nurse, Where's my tablets!''
At least you're all on the ground not being hammered by the storms!
Please excuse a retired old fart coming in with his 5 pennies worth.'' Nurse, Where's my tablets!''
Join Date: Jun 2007
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giggitygiggity
I once spent 1.5hrs at JFK just taxiing due sever storm activity on a BA flight to LHR. So no JFK does no better, although 1.5hrs is my record for this sort of thing in the states. Another long hold was at DXB last December when held for storms over the Oman border for over an 1.15hour in race track pattern with 50 + other AC, so I do not think anyone can really cope when Nature strikes her matches !
Regards
Mr Mac
I once spent 1.5hrs at JFK just taxiing due sever storm activity on a BA flight to LHR. So no JFK does no better, although 1.5hrs is my record for this sort of thing in the states. Another long hold was at DXB last December when held for storms over the Oman border for over an 1.15hour in race track pattern with 50 + other AC, so I do not think anyone can really cope when Nature strikes her matches !
Regards
Mr Mac
Last edited by Mr Mac; 31st Jul 2019 at 10:56.
I can assure you @giggitygiggity that when a storm rolls into NYC airspace chaos ensues. We get pretty decent 20 mile wide 100m long lines roll in over 8 months of the summer :-) and I for one am very happy when I'm either sat at my local in lower Manhattan or out on a trip somewhere. The North East US can be a nightmare in the summer. We had speed restrictions last week heading to Boston... on departure from RSW!!!
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One of the biggest pains when there is bad wx about is, when as an LHR controller, your next planned departure... say a DVR off 27R tells you as he lines up that he'll need to look at his 'Cloud & clonk' before rolling. Quite understandable of course - so would I. If he says he needs to go straight ahead for 5 or 6 miles before turning left that's your next 5 minutes or so of deps' screwed plus you've got 3 or 4 different radar controllers to co-ordinate with. All part of life's rich pattern!
At least you're all on the ground not being hammered by the storms!
Please excuse a retired old fart coming in with his 5 pennies worth.'' Nurse, Where's my tablets!''
At least you're all on the ground not being hammered by the storms!
Please excuse a retired old fart coming in with his 5 pennies worth.'' Nurse, Where's my tablets!''
And the request is never going to get approved.
And there's not enough time to get him off the runway.
And the arrival has said in the event of a go-around it will be non standard.
And the next 3 departures are all on slots.
And an MDI.
And the slowest is first.
No wonder I'm shattered most days during the summer. Way too old for this game.
