Air delays likely as control centre opens
The new centre will have 600 traffic controllers
A major overhaul of air traffic control in England and Wales early on Sunday morning means plane passengers should expect delays, the head of Britain’s air traffic service has warned.
Flight capacity is being reduced in case of any unforeseen problems with computer systems when a new hi-tech control centre in Swanwick, Hampshire opens.
There will be some delays but we’ve worked very carefully with the airlines to try and ensure they’re kept to a minimum
Nats’ Richard Everitt
Travellers, particularly on domestic and European flights, may experience delays in the first 10 days of the £623m centre, which has gone massively over budget and is opening six years late.
Its takeover of much of the work from the current National Air Traffic Services (Nats) control centre at West Drayton near Heathrow coincides with the introduction of a new flight separation system by European controllers, which is expected to add to problems.
Safety critical
Richard Everitt, chief executive officer of Nats, said the new centre was a “tremendous achievement” and although it had cost 50% more than expected it was still good value for money.
“We’re bringing it in very carefully, as you would expect us to do as a safety critical organisation, and that will mean that our controllers will be given time to bring on the capacity that this offers,” he told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme.
“There will be some delays but we’ve worked very carefully with the airlines to try and ensure they’re kept to a minimum.”
Radar screens
The Swanwick centre is being deliberately brought online at the quietest time of year for air travel.
Its 135 new radar screens will be used to handle aircraft passing over the UK at around 20,000ft, rather than those preparing to land.
Swanwick statistics
Largest purpose-built air traffic centre in the world
Controls 200,000sq miles of airspace above England and Wales
644 staff trained to operate and maintain the system
Airspace split into over 30 flight levels
Will handle 2m flights a year, rising to 3m by 2012
6,000 flights a day at height of summer
Six hundred controllers will work in pairs, aided by new computer systems developed for the centre.
Much of the system in use at West Drayton dates back to the 1970s and is to be taken out of service.
The centre itself will not close, but will play a lesser role.
The opening of Swanwick follows last year’s part-privatisation of Nats, with 46% of the company being taken over by an airline consortium which includes British Airways and Virgin Atlantic.
Welcomed
The General Secretary of the British Airline Pilots Association (Balpa), Christopher Darke, welcomed the new centre.
But he called on Nats and the government to unfreeze development of a new control centre at Prestwick in Scotland, which was put on hold after 11 September.
He warned that the UK needed two state-of-the-art centres to compete for future air traffic contracts under the Single European Sky initiative, when all air traffic control across Europe is integrated.
“The fall in passenger numbers has proved not so drastic or prolonged as once feared. We need, and Nats can afford, to get Prestwick on stream,” he said.
“The UK could miss out on contracts worth millions of pounds.”
But Mr Everitt told Today the fallout from 11 September meant their trans-Atlantic revenue from airline charges was down 15%.
Alliance dropped
The Civil Aviation Authority were being asked to review charge reductions slated at up to 5% over the next three years, he added, although airlines would still be paying less in the UK than in Europe.
The opening of Swanwick at the weekend comes as British Airways and American Airlines announced their proposed alliance was off.
BA was told by the US Government the deal could only go ahead if the company surrendered 200 of its take-off and landing slots at Heathrow.
But both airlines said on Friday the conditions being laid down made the proposal untenable.
By: Jur - 12th January 2004 at 18:50
Normally a slight deterioration of eyesight would not present a major problem indeed, but one has to bear in mind that it is not the ATC Provider, airline or flying club who is deciding whether or not it is acceptable.
The medical certificate of the appropriate class is issued by or on behalf of the CAA unit responsible for safety regulation. The past spending of any money on a candidate’s training is not very relevant in this respect.
Of course it is not advisable for a candidate, who only just meets the medical requirements, to start initial training for a professional career, risking not to meet the requirements for re-certification later in the career.
By: Moondance - 12th January 2004 at 13:49
Also bear in mind that once you are on a sponsored course (be it flying training or ATC), and money has been spent on you, you are highly unlikely to be thrown out just because you eyesight deteriorates slighty.
I used to wear glasses for distant vision as a teenager but , around age 18-20, my eyes came good enough to bluff my way into sponsored flying training. When I was downwind, number 10, at dusk, and I could only see a couple ahead of me, I realised it was time to go see the doc for some specs, and it was not a problem.
By: Jur - 12th January 2004 at 12:32
In my opinion, having worked intensively with UK CAA Safety Regulation staff on the subject, 20/20 vision (ICAO requirement!) is also required in the UK. However the 20/20 requirement refers to “after correction with glasses or lenses if necessary”!!
Therefore it is perfectly possible for somebody with glasses or lenses to be accepted as a trainee for aerodrome control, provided the eyesight correction to reach 20/20 standard doesn’t exceed the +3/-3 dioptres limit. In certain cases (see above) a correction up to -5 could also be acceptable.
By: andrewm - 12th January 2004 at 12:25
It isnt as strict as that in the UK as there was a trainee being traned on tower with glasses and had just done the 18 months at Bournemouth.
One of the head ATC people there also told me that you DONT have the have perfect vision to get into ATC and that 18/20 would be acceptable once I told him of my glasses. The trainee has 17/20 vision and got in!
By: Jur - 12th January 2004 at 10:34
Originally posted by tenthije
maximum of +2,0 and -5,0 and the difference between the two eyes may not exceed 2,5. That’s for ATC, I read that a while back at the website of Dutch ATC.
The information is not quite correct. I’ve been a tower and approach controller for some 35 years and have also been a member of an Eurocontrol committee which has reviewed the medical requirements for air traffic controllers.
At initial examination for ATC (Class 3 requirements) you need 20/20 eyesight in both eyes with or without correction between +3 and -3. Provided it is established that there is no underlying disease, correction factors may be extended between +3 and -5. For renewal examinations in principal the same limits apply. However beyond these limits recertification may be granted provided there is no underlying disease and full correction to 20/20 can be obtained.
For aerodrome (tower) controllers perfect eyesight for distant subjects is still very important, as aerodrome control is in principle still based on outside observation!! For radar controllers only (approach control and area control) recertification could be considered with less than perfect distant eyesight, provided that full correction can be obtained at the relevant eyesight distances for reading and radardisplay observation.
By: atc pal - 11th January 2004 at 21:28
D*mn, the secret is out!:D
The best paid, funniest etc. job in aviation – air traffic control!
Couldn’t agree more – but
“Center” or “Approach/Tower” control are two very different jobs. Very few are good at both.
When you start training you will be constantly under scrutiny of how you handle stress – among a host of other things. The worst part of my training was the actual on job training, until after 9! months I got the hang of it. Stress – You get to be something of an adrenaline “junkie”. Much more tired after a day when nothing happens.
As Moondance said – sometimes controllers speak constantly. If you can hear stress in his/her voice, that could be one of the real bad things about the job. Being in a position where no one can help you. And you can’t leave!
I’m not trying to put you off. Some take to the job like ducks to water. Others have a long struggle ahead.
I recommend PPRUNE forum. There ia a special section for ATC.
http://www.pprune.org/forums/forumdisplay.php?s=&daysprune=&forumid=18
Good Luck 😎
By: andrewm - 11th January 2004 at 20:55
A more worrying thing is that if you wear glasses they reduce your eye sight at a worse rate than without them thats why i have them but never use them!
By: paul the wall - 11th January 2004 at 12:33
Thank you for the reply Minidoh it was greatly appreciated. Good luck on the medical:D 😀
By: MINIDOH - 10th January 2004 at 21:03
This has been taken from the CAA Class 1 Medical web page for visual examinations:
“JAR Class 1
The initial refractive error (correction) limit is +5/-5 dioptres, but this becomes +5/-8 for renewal/revalidation. The astigmatism (distortion) and anisometropia (difference between the eyes) initial limits are 2 dioptres, but are 3 dioptres for renewal/revalidation.”
So if you are long sighted then no matter what you cannot exceed +5.00 diopters, but if you are short sighted then after youre initial (in which youre eyesight has to be -5.00 or better), you can go all the way down to -8.00!! I am going for my class 1 medical soon, even though I am only 16. This is because my eyesight is currently -4.5, so I need to have my initial before it gets any worse!!
By: tenthije - 10th January 2004 at 21:02
maximum of +2,0 and -5,0 and the difference between the two eyes may not exceed 2,5. That’s for ATC, I read that a while back at the website of Dutch ATC.
By: MINIDOH - 10th January 2004 at 20:48
Paul the wall, the limit is -5.00 diopters in either eye. It cant be that or any worse than that. But I think that may be at the time of youre initial (first) examination. I think that after that it is allowed deteriorate to a lower level, but you will have to ask the CAA about that I would have thought. Infact, it is on their website. I will check and when I get the answer I will post it here!!
By: paul the wall - 10th January 2004 at 19:24
Every day I grow worried about my eyesight. I can only pray that the correction in my glasses isn,t to strong. Does anyone know where I could check the visual requirements for becoming a pilot on the web
Thanks
By: skycruiser - 10th January 2004 at 18:42
I did 5 years in ATC before becoming a pilot. I will give you some more info tomorrow as I have just got in from being on the town. A little wasted.
By: Moondance - 10th January 2004 at 13:59
I’ve visited various ATC centres over the years (including my week’s work experience in the distant past) and my over-riding impression is that ATC provides all the stress of aviation, but little of the pleasure.
I’m sure they get the satisfaction of a job well (and safely) done, but sitting in the dark for hours on end playing 3D chess with people’s lives, strikes me as highly stressful. You only have to in the Daventry Sector at morning or evening rush hour to be amazed at how the controller keeps his/her mental picture – the EFIS map display on the aircraft is full of climbing/descending TCAS contacts and the controller is talking non stop (that is NOT an exaggeration) – at times you can sense the stress in the controller’s voice!
If you go through Bournemouth, I would imagine initial postings would likely to be NERC (deepest Hampshire) or West Drayton (where the approach functions for most of the London airports are located), not exactly near real aeroplanes.
I wouldn’t like to put anyone off an ATC career, but not for me thanks!
By: dan777 - 10th January 2004 at 13:38
I want to be an Air Traffic Controller anyway after I finish University (thats if I get in – Im in year 13 at the mo!).
I first thought about it after looking in my school library where there is a special career section. There was an air traffic control booklet and once I had finished reading it I thought thats what I want to be! The whole package looks fantastic.
Whenever I tell people this, they always look gobsmacked and say what a stressful job it is and they seem to get the impression that aeroplanes just fly about anywhere and dont follow “corridors”.
I would rather be based at a London airport though.
andrewm – yes you have convinced me a lot more 😀
Regards
dan7777
By: andrewm - 10th January 2004 at 13:34
I think it may be allowed to get slightly worse but your medical has to be recertified every 2 years and 1 year when your aged 50 or over.
There is an older guy up at EGAA who wore slightly thick glasses.
By: MINIDOH - 10th January 2004 at 13:31
If some some reason I couldnt become a pilot then I would like to go into ATC. But preferably pilot!! Also, with the medicals, is it -5.00 diopters or better ONLY on the initial examination and then after that they can get worse?? That was what I had heard.
By: andrewm - 10th January 2004 at 13:22
Well i have glasses but in one i just have 18/20 compared to full vision of 20/20 which I am told is fine 🙂 Two ATCO’s at EGAA wore glasses and one was in his training newly arrived from Bournemouth!
You seem, no matter if nats or private airport atc, to have fun all the time and you do get a social life! Even at the college everyone goes to the same pub and takes it over as there are several courses which are like school years such as 1st form, 2nd form, etc.
The order is:
Aerodrome 1
Aerodrome 2
Aerodrome 3
Radar 1
Radar 2
Radar 3
Approach 1
Approach 2
Approach 3
Area 1
Area 2
Area 3
Out of the i think 30 or 40 odd in each year 12 go to do Approach instead of Aera and these people will be posted at airports around the UK whereas the majority will do Area and usually end of at Swanick where there are still ALOT of terminals not being used!
If you suck up to teachers you can get on Approach sometimes but I dont mind what I do but yes I would rather be at an Airport in a control tower doing Approach, Tower and Ground if used!
By: tenthije - 10th January 2004 at 12:58
Re: Atc
Originally posted by andrewm
Anyone else wanna change from Pilot to ATC like me 🙂
You know, I did apply 4 years back. I got refused because my glasses are to strong. My glasses are -5,3 whereas -5,0 is the maximum. Same as with becoming a pilot.
I don’t really know why this rule is still used. After all, most of it is done by looking on a computer. Looking outside is still required, but is not as important as it used to be!
By: wysiwyg - 13th October 2003 at 09:14
Personally I think there were ulterior motives to this question and Ren is the one who has progressed to the next stage. I think they are looking for people who can think laterally as every candidate should be able to do the basic maths. The challenge was identifying ways of avoiding the situation altogether.
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January 26, 2002 at 3:22 pm