Enter the doctors Inept aptitude tests… Air traffic controllers, just like aircrew, have to meet vigorous health standards to be allowed to practice their trade. At most places, even before entering the training course, prospective controllers are sent to specialized medical institutions where a careful evaluation is made, not only to check that the candidate… Continue reading Same time, same place, same level…12
Category: Same time, same place…
Steve’s book of old ATC stories
Same time, same place, same level…11
Animals seen from the tower – chicken in boxes Animals flown by air seemed to create all kinds of difficulties. Our local airline had a number of elderly turboprops, with a few years’ worth of flying time left in them, and these were converted for cargo duty. The catch was they had no big cargo… Continue reading Same time, same place, same level…11
Same time, same place, same level…10.
The machines and their tenders Though modern towers are equipped with electronic instruments of all kinds, when visibility permits, aerodrome controllers are still expected, to the extent possible, to keep an eye on their aircraft. On occasion this can save lives. The little departing aircraft was dwarfed by the dimensions of the runway, built for… Continue reading Same time, same place, same level…10.
Same time, same place, same level… 9.
Dawn in the tower On another occasion we managed to draw fire from the duty supervisor, however. He was a nice elderly gentleman with an understanding of the young, and this attitude manifested itself in many ways. One of this had been his insistence that he not wake the slumbering tower crew when out doing… Continue reading Same time, same place, same level… 9.
Same time, same place, same level… 8.
View from the tower There can be little doubt that an airport looks its best from the control tower. True, pilots may lay claim to this, insisting that nothing equals the view from the front office window of an airplane in the final stages of its approach, but for earthbound controllers, the tower is absolute… Continue reading Same time, same place, same level… 8.
Same time, same place, same level… 7.
About sheep, grass and airplanes Before the time big, heavy airplanes were born, smooth, closely cropped grass growing on compacted, hard ground was the ideal place for a flying machine to land. Even to-day, there are happy fellows who operate almost exclusively into and out of grass fields and some of them tend to regard… Continue reading Same time, same place, same level… 7.
Same time, same place, same level… 6.
Fun unlimited Episodes like the one above, when controllers and flight crews must maintain their calm in the face of danger need an antidote. And what better in this respect than fun and laughter? It does not matter if there happens to be no special occasion for fun, controllers will see to it that funny… Continue reading Same time, same place, same level… 6.
Same time, same place, same level… 5.
Fire in the air Fire on board an aircraft is never taken lightly. Air traffic control will arrange for all other traffic to keep clear and the stricken machine will get a bee-line course to land as quickly as possible. Aircraft are equipped with fire fighting equipment of their own, but a major fire in… Continue reading Same time, same place, same level… 5.
Same time, same place, same level… 4.
The fire extinguisher – 2 As I said before, the fire extinguishers saw little use, but on the one occasion they were needed, they sure turned into an instrument of calamity. In the old days, before computers became widespread even at airports as small as ours, the message switching center was of the torn-tape type.… Continue reading Same time, same place, same level… 4.
Same time, same place, same level… 3.
The fire extinguisher – 1 The fire hazard at an airport is a fact of life one learns to live with very quickly. To overcome complacency, staff are regularly reminded of the need to observe fire prevention precautions and a further, constant reminder is also provided in the form of an abundance of red, hand-held … Continue reading Same time, same place, same level… 3.