Tower chronicles

At the tail end of the darkest year

Luckily, the failure of Ferihegy tower did not last long. But it was nevertheless long enough to cause misery to thousands of travelers. A few of them tried to find alternative means of transport, like taking a bus to Vienna and trying to secure a seat on planes there. Others, resigned to their fate, just… Continue reading At the tail end of the darkest year

Transition

Following our late-autumn holiday, returning to our dearly loved capital city’s even more beloved airport, we once again struck the strings in the thick of life. There was no time to get bored, in part because of the frequent foggy weather but even more, since air traffic control’s history had entered a new phase. Apparently… Continue reading Transition

Tower fails – Ferihegy airport closed UFN – Why was there no contingency tower?

Ferihegy aerodrome controllers have to sit for a recurrent examination every spring. Preparation for the test takes the form of studying a set of questions for which multi-choice answers are provided. One of the questions and the correct answer has suddenly taken on new significance… Here is the question: “In case of an unforeseen catastrophic… Continue reading Tower fails – Ferihegy airport closed UFN – Why was there no contingency tower?

With fair winds on the ocean of experience

I have just made a discovery! All things considered, it is better to fly with a low-fare airline than with a traditional, national carrier. We took a late-fall vacation recently and I had plenty of time to mull over the matter, making a mental inventory of the pro and cons. May be it was just… Continue reading With fair winds on the ocean of experience

Painful regrets… The Transformation of Ferihegy in Words and Pictures.

Very possibly I am risking my job by broadcasting my pain, but I am unable to keep myself from doing it. I guess any reader would do the same thing if he were to be stripped of his home but still forced to continue living there. This complicated frame of mind is exactly what I… Continue reading Painful regrets… The Transformation of Ferihegy in Words and Pictures.

Low-fare summer, low-fare Ferihegy

Well, we are over one more summer. The sinking of Ferihegy took a new turn when after about ten years of operation, Terminal 1 once more closed its gates. Since traffic at Terminal 2 dropped precipitously following the sad demise of Malev earlier this year, this was an unavoidable step. Low-fare airlines were moved to… Continue reading Low-fare summer, low-fare Ferihegy

Stormy Sunday and the Formula 1 Race

Like on other days when leaving house for duty at the airport, I was scanning the skies while I walked to my car. Are we going to use runway 13 or 31? Will there be thunderstorms or “flashies” as some people refer to them these days or not? Well, clouds were towering on the South-Western… Continue reading Stormy Sunday and the Formula 1 Race

ATCO Turned Passenger

I can hardly believe it myself, but although I flew for the first time 35 years ago, I still feel the thrill and excitement of an upcoming trip. I think this will remain as long as I live. Getting ready at home, packing, hauling the luggage down to the car and then heading to the… Continue reading ATCO Turned Passenger

The Darkest Winter

Spring has arrived and we are leaving behind Ferihegy’s darkest winter. Although I could write about weather-related problems or minor aviation incidents, there is something far worse for the storyteller to write about. What has previously figured only in our worst nightmares has become reality on 3 February. I have written about this before and… Continue reading The Darkest Winter

The First Day in the Tower Without MALEV

We woke to a sad day on 4 February 2012. We had every reason to be happy… winter had arrived and we were looking forward to some serious snowfall. Of course for those on day-shift this was also cause for a bit of apprehension, what with the memories of a day two years ago when… Continue reading The First Day in the Tower Without MALEV