Yes, it’s the fire training ground. We get advanced warning before the AFS light it up. Looks very impressive at night with massive flames coming from it.

There’s the possibility that those who feel desperate enough to try this are not aware of the dangers. Does anyone think these poor people know of the intricacies of aircraft pressurisation?

My post on PPRuNe:
People do try and stow away at Heathrow.

I remember working when a BA 747 was lined up on the threshold of 27L about to go, and another a/c waiting at the hold came on frequency warning of a man who had scaled the perimeter fence by Hatton Cross and was sprinting towards the 747. The man disappeared up into the nosewheel bay.

Eventually he was apprehended by a combined Police and Airport Ops rugby scrum!

No. I know this because this afternoon went smoothly!

Always carnage when it turns up.:rolleyes: 😮

Of course, you understand that the VC-25 is only called Air Force 1 when POTUS is on board. Otherwise it uses either SAMxxx or another USAF callsign. I believe it came in as BUST48.

Try this: UK Standard Route Document.

http://www.jeppesen.com/wlcs/index.jsp?section=resources&content=special_pubs.html

Deano, that’s my first question to someone who rings me up as Tower Supervisor to complain about the noise…..”Where did you last go on holiday? And did you fly from Heathrow?” :diablo:

23/05 is no longer a runway. It was withdrawn from service officially last year, practically a few years before that.

Thames Gateway, I’m not sure how many you think there are, but I’d estimate no more than four cargo flights and four bizjet/VIP flights a day, and some days there are no bizjets at all.

Can’t remember the last time I saw a delivery flight at LL.

However, one could (and perhaps should) argue that LL is over-capacity at the moment, we just do not have enough stands to park all the aeroplanes on.

It’s difficult to say without knowing you. I applied when I was doing my A-Levels and got in. I’d always been mature for my age. I validated (fully qualified) at Heathrow Tower when I was 20, one of the youngest. Others I see at interview applying at the same age would benefit from doing another job for a year or so, just to get that bit more life experience and maturity. If you do decided to go into another job before applying, definitely make it aviation, and airside/dispatch is a good choice 🙂 . You wouldn’t believe the number of people who tell me at interview that aviation’s in their blood, it’s all they ever wanted to do, etc. etc., but can show me no evidence of that. :rolleyes:

Ok, here goes:

(If the Mods want to move this post to a separate thread, please do)

He mentioned that if you go straight to NATS they may send you to any airport

As part of the selection process, you sign a declaration that you understand you are what’s termed a ‘mobile grade’, therefore you are liable to be posted to any NATS unit, as per the business requirement. Most (70%) will be posted to LACC Swanwick, near Southamtpon as area controllers. You do get an opportunity to state a preference near the end of the college course as to what your preference is (in terms of either Aerodrome, Approach or Area, and also in terms of unit postings, depending on where the need is at the time).

and you won’t like it at all if you don’t live close to the airport or never been to the area, eg EDI/GLA.

Well, that really depends on you, doesn’t it? I interview plenty of 18-20 year olds who would love to move away from home! Yes, you could end up working and living at the other end of the country. Whether you like it or not is up to you! If you really do feel you have to work close to home, then perhaps another career is better for you.

He also said by being an assistant, you’ll get to experience the ATC environment first hand, whereas at NATS you’ll be learning mostly.

Not quite sure I understand the point here. So by being an assistant you learn about ATC while being an assistant and being paid as an assistant. But by becoming an ATCO you learn about ATC while being an ATCO and being paid as an ATCO, and you learn a lot more about being an ATCO by being an ATCO!

Even if you were an assistant for a year or so, you still need to go to an ATC college to undertake the CAA approved training course to get your student ATC licence.

We asked him what qualificatins we need, and he said apply for ATC assistant, and if you get that position that’s all you’ll need. I wondered about A Levels and if her had any, he said he had a good few but they didn’t really come in handy.

To apply for NATS, you need to have undertaken a course of study equivalent to A-Levels. Note, course of study, not passed. Previous aviation experience (as an assistant) would possibly negate the need for the above.

To get a student ATC licence, you need to pass a CAA approved course at an ATC college. You can pay for this yourself, but you’d be looking at £20k at least for a Tower rating. Then you’d have to find a job at an airport who would be willing to take on an ‘unknown quantity’ as it were. If you don’t start training within six months, the licence becomes invalid, and you’d have to go back to an ATC college again. Other options are; as you identified, getting a job as an assistant somewhere in the hope that in a few years they would pay for you to attend a college and return as a student ATCO, or the RAF, or NATS.

Let me know if you have any more questions.