Request qgh gca through dense apathy

[Flybynight]

Come on, people, there's a forum here, use it or lose it! When, back through the mists of time, I had the honour to drink tea and eat sticky buns in the finest Towers, Ops Centres, Flight Planning Sections, and ATCCs in the Lands of Brit and Kraut, and square-bashed at Bridgnorth (AC2) and later Jurby (O/Cdt) to earn that privilege, I was forced into the opinion that there was no viable career to be had in military or civvy ATC owing to the practice of remustering redundant aircrew into the job, effectively blocking promostfution. My initial impression is that this is no longer the case or at least less the case than it was. Would anybody care to enlighten me?

 

[The Pundit Man]

Old and ex-Aircrew filling ATC posts

Old and ex-Aircrew filling ATC posts

Thankfully, the opinion that anyone even ex-aircrew could do controlling disappeared in the last century! I remember my first tour at Vulcan filled Scampton in the early 70`s, there was a controller that held the rank of Master Navigator!!!! The trade gradually formed its own specialization in those days and very quickly these ex-aircrew vanished like an old oak table.
However, the trade still attracted "chopped" aircrew from various stages of their failed choice. So, we had to make spaces for people who were not ATC orientated and some, not all, carried huge chips of granite on their shoulders about working in ATC and not thundering through some valley! To preserve their ignorance or identity, I shall refrain from naming them, but they would nearly always take the word of a pilot before asking their own controllers for their interpretation. A move guaranteed to earn them utter contempt!!
This situation happened because the RAF commissioned them first and had to find alternate employment, even after having served 3 years...and still not productive.
The SNCO controller initially grew up in the trade, gaining experience before controller training. Should they fail the course, then posts had to be found, or after a change of thought, some "experts" suggested that sacking them would be the way forward. The trade has changed considerably over the last few years and it is over 6 years since I departed.
Its always easier to suggest that we had it good in the heady busy days controlling in the 80`s and 90`s. There were a massive amount of flying and at some places, Valley, Chivenor, Brawdy, Leeming and Linton we cracked over one thousand movements a day! More than Heathrow....
The most important item that we all gained was an immense amount of trust, teamwork and pure enjoyment! I admit that I controlled for the latter, the buzz, the utter joy of handling that pressure and deriving pleasure from it!!
I only hope that the current crop are doing the same.

 

[Drill Bit]

Not sure what the op is saying but it sounds like a load of old shoite to me.

 

[Flybynight]

Thankfully, the opinion that anyone even ex-aircrew could do controlling disappeared in the last century! I remember my first tour at Vulcan filled Scampton in the early 70`s, there was a controller that held the rank of Master Navigator!!!! The trade gradually formed its own specialization in those days and very quickly these ex-aircrew vanished like an old oak table.
However, the trade still attracted "chopped" aircrew from various stages of their failed choice. So, we had to make spaces for people who were not ATC orientated and some, not all, carried huge chips of granite on their shoulders about working in ATC and not thundering through some valley! To preserve their ignorance or identity, I shall refrain from naming them, but they would nearly always take the word of a pilot before asking their own controllers for their interpretation. A move guaranteed to earn them utter contempt!!
This situation happened because the RAF commissioned them first and had to find alternate employment, even after having served 3 years...and still not productive.
The SNCO controller initially grew up in the trade, gaining experience before controller training. Should they fail the course, then posts had to be found, or after a change of thought, some "experts" suggested that sacking them would be the way forward. The trade has changed considerably over the last few years and it is over 6 years since I departed.
Its always easier to suggest that we had it good in the heady busy days controlling in the 80`s and 90`s. There were a massive amount of flying and at some places, Valley, Chivenor, Brawdy, Leeming and Linton we cracked over one thousand movements a day! More than Heathrow....
The most important item that we all gained was an immense amount of trust, teamwork and pure enjoyment! I admit that I controlled for the latter, the buzz, the utter joy

Thanks, Pundit Man, that's cheered me up! I remember there was a DATCO at Kinloss in the 60s who was a Master Engineer on his final ground tour. By then, his main interest in life was golf, for which Kinloss was handily placed. Having realised that once a WO he could no longer (in those days) be DATCO, only a lesser controller on GCA or in the 'greenhouse' on top doing local control, he did the SWO course at Uxbridge (handy for Denham Golf Club) before going to Bruggen (on-station 9-hole course and genuinely all-ranks clubhouse), where I first met him, and then Leuchars (near The Royal & Ancient Golf Club of St Andrew's), where I met him again. A very nice chap, in his office he had working (if that's the word) a nasty and very stupid discip. Sergeant, who had got used to standing up and shouting at any junior rank for some or other alleged misdemeanour who entered. I saw this happen one day. "Sit down and be quiet," said New SWO, "he's come to see me not you". Nasty Sgt's face was a joy to behold!

In those days, there was no specialisation as Flight Ops Officer. Again, the job was done by Flt Lt or Master aircrew on ground tours. FOAs working in Ops Centres now seem to have less status than tradesmen did then; it was certainly thought of as more interesting and more greatly bonded than working in the Tower. As you know but others reading might not, after 1 April, 1963, ATC airmen were called 'Assistant Air Traffic Controllers' until as Sergeants half a lifetime on they passed the JATC course and became Air Traffic Controllers (no further promotion for those who failed). To become WO they had to pass the Approach Radar or Transit Radar course. Until 1963, 'skilled tradesmen' (on a lower pay scale) were called 'Operations Clerks' (highest rank Sergeant) and 'advanced tradesmen' (on a higher pay scale) were Aerodrome Traffic Controllers after a course at Shawbury as SACs or Corporals. Officers were then in the General Duties (Ground) Branch, an adjunct of the General Duties Branch in which aircrew lurked. The SATCO and the SOpsO were always Sdn Ldr pilots. Other ATCOs were mostly either ex-aircrew or ex-SNCOs, who rarely got beyond Flt Lt. All this started to change after WRAF officers wre allowed to become ATCOs.

 

[Flybynight]

Not sure what the op is saying but it sounds like a load of dill shoite to me.

I haven't the foggiest idea what this means. Is anybody able to translate it or should I take lessons in gobbledook?

:0

 

[FOMz]

It means you are talking bollocks and he cannot understand your post.

 

[the lovetoad]

It means you are talking bollocks and he cannot understand your post.

Thank god someone said what I was thinking.

I'm exTG9 and haven't a clue about half of it!!!!!

 

[Flybynight]

Thank god someone said what I was thinking.

I'm exTG9 and haven't a clue about half of it!!!!!

I'm sorry but not surprised you don't understand because it all happened long before you, FOMz or dillbit were born. You could all show Pundit Man more respect, though.

 

[the lovetoad]

I'm sorry but not surprised you don't understand because it all happened long before you, FOMz or dillbit were born. You could all show Pundit Man more respect, though.

Of course we could, if any of us had a clue why!! Is he special???

 

[FOMz]

I'm sorry but not surprised you don't understand because it all happened long before you, FOMz or dillbit were born. You could all show Pundit Man more respect, though.

I actually understood all of it, thank you very much Flybynight, maybe you should show some respect as well eh? works both ways matey boy.

 

[Flybynight]

Of course we could, if any of us had a clue why!! Is he special???

Of course he is! So are you! So are FOMz and dilbert!

Happy Father's Day, I've had a good 'un. It may be time to change my avatar to something more elderly - the present one reminds me of someone I used to know.

Now That's Funny