[Peetwo]

Is miniscule La'King inflicted with AIOS?? -    


Ref: https://auntypru.com/forum/-Accidents-Ov...74#pid2974

Via this week's SBG:  - Punched, bored or countersunk?

Air Services Australia – run by the Electric Blue Halfwit and his dodgy accountant mate are supposed to provide for the safety of the public, while being part of Air Traffic movement. Desperate to reduce the incredible debt incurred during the 'One Sky' fiasco, they have stripped down a once world class service to the regular public and private charter operations industry to a point where there are simply not enough ATCO bums at the consuls and heavy aircraft are not fully guaranteed separation, from take off to touch down, from 'all' possible collision risks. Not if, but when, a hull and passengers are lost, perhaps the minister could spare a few moments to consider sorting this abomination out; it is, after all part of her job description, pays the wages and despite the fine print, the media can and will lay the carcass at her door.

And ref via the BITN thread:

Harfwit QON unaswered? ; & La'King in the dark on ATCO work sickie shortages?? - 

Courtesy Matthew Denholm, via the Oz:

‘Air safety threatened by sickies, shortages’, say pilots

By MATTHEW DENHOLM
TASMANIA CORRESPONDENT
@MatthewRDenholm
3:55AM DECEMBER 31, 2022


Australian and International Pilots Association president Tony Lucas, an experienced Qantas pilot, says switching controlled airspace to uncontrolled should occur only in emergencies.

Some of Australia’s busiest ­regional airspace has been left uncontrolled, forcing pilots to “self-separate”, at least 340 times since June, often due to shortages of available, adequately trained air traffic controllers.

The Weekend Australian has obtained 340 “occurrence” reports since June, detailing how Airservices Australia has left normally controlled airspace uncontrolled for periods of sometimes hours or even days.

They reveal frequent resorting to tower closures or uncontrolled airspace across key Queensland regional areas Cairns, Rockhampton, Sunshine Coast and Gold Coast.

Also impacted is a range of regional and outer-city airports or airspace across most states, including Karratha and Broome in Western Australia, Avalon in Victoria, Bankstown, Byron and ­Albury in NSW, Launceston in Tasmania, Alice Springs in the Northern Territory and Parafield in South Australia.

Airservices Australia, which blames a 44 per cent jump in unplanned staff absences, chiefly due to illness, insists the practice, requiring pilots to monitor each other’s whereabouts, is safe.

However, some air traffic controllers and pilots argue it is courting disaster in busy areas, and should be used only in isolated emergencies, not as a routine means of dealing with staffing problems...

More courtesy Matt Denholm, via the Oz:

‘Unacceptable’: Sydney air control unit left without a manager 70 times, as Melbourne-based controllers ‘left in tears’

EXCLUSIVE
By MATTHEW DENHOLM
TASMANIA CORRESPONDENT
@MatthewRDenholm


The control tower at Sydney Airport. Picture: AAP/Peter Rae

Australia’s busiest airport is frequently operating without a manager in charge of air traffic control for arriving aircraft, due to staffing problems, leaked reports reveal.

Airservices Australia “safety related” reports show at least 70 instances from late July to late November last year of the unit controlling aircraft approaching Sydney Airport being left without a rostered manager.

The documents, obtained by The Australian, show the Sydney Terminal Control Unit for approaches being without a manager for periods ranging from hours to up to eight consecutive shifts.

Sources said the ongoing practice was linked to a shortage of experienced controllers after Airservices granted early retirement to 120 in the 12 months to June last year.

“It is concerning that the busiest airport in Australia operates without a traffic manager so often,” a controller said.

The traffic managers are essentially shift managers, consulting with other areas to organise runway selection, traffic flow and “metering” – restricting or increasing the number of arrivals to ensure safe processing of air traffic.

They are particularly relied on for air traffic outside the norm, such as helicopters and scenic flights that add complexity to control operations. They also handle emergency co-ordination and staff rotation to ensure controllers are not overloaded.

In the absence of a Sydney manager, it is understood the role goes to a supervisor in Melbourne air traffic control, but controllers said this was inappropriate.

“The person who then takes control of it is based in Melbourne and does not have the intimate knowledge of Sydney necessary to meter traffic appropriately,” a controller said.

“The traffic manager is usually a senior controller with a wealth of experience. Their workload can‘t easily be shared with controllers on console as it will distract from the primary task at hand.”

CEO of Skykraft, Michael Frater, says that their satellite can detect any aircraft that broadcasts its location as it's mandated globally that all aircraft carry transmitters that report their whereabouts to air traffic controllers. “All you need is to have a receiver within range of that transmitter so that information will be passed on to air traffic control,” Mr Frater told Sky News Australia. Skykraft and Airservices Australia will put 200 satellites into orbit over two years. The project aims to limit turbulence for travellers and enable planes to travel the most efficient route.

Safety reports repeatedly state “no Sydney traffic manager available”, “no Sydney traffic manager rostered”, “Sydney traffic manager position not staffed”.

One report expressed concern that the approach unit was operating not only without a manager, but also without a contingency response manager or revised risk assessment. Another states “no direct supervision was provided to the SYD TCU (Sydney Terminal Control Unit) as required”.

The Weekend Australian revealed some of Australia’s busiest regional airspace was left uncontrolled – forcing pilots to “self-separate” – at least 340 times since June, often due to shortages of available, adequately trained controllers.

The Australian has since obtained a safety incident report from December 23, detailing how two controllers, based in Melbourne, were “plugged in” to their consoles for up to six hours, with only one 15-minute break.

Sources said controllers were usually given longer breaks closer to every two hours, to ensure they retained the mental alertness vital for safe performance of their high-stakes work. The safety report said one controller “broke down in tears and was escorted from the ops room” after finally being “unplugged”; the other “was observed to be physically shaking”.


Sydney airport experienced delays and cancelled flights after an evacuation of the airport's control tower due to a fire alarm. Picture: Liam Driver

It states the two controllers, and a third who worked 2½ hours with no break, had to contend with a “high workload and complexity” across the airspace they were controlling. This included thunderstorm-related deviations and pre-Christmas traffic.

An Airservices spokeswoman said safety was “never compromised” and there was no threat to the travelling public. “Airservices has experienced unplanned leave rates that are 44 per cent higher than normal primarily due to flu and Covid-19 infections,” she said.

“As you have reported, Airservices Australia requires about 800 air traffic controllers to fully staff its operations and employs more than 900 air traffic controllers – so there is no shortage. Claims that the retirement scheme … has created a shortage do not hold water.”

Contingency arrangements had “operated for decades in Australia without incident”.

“Air traffic control duty time is governed by a stringent fatigue management system and an enterprise agreement that ensures air traffic controllers are always fit for duty,” she said. However, controllers say there are inadequate numbers of controllers with the relevant ratings or experience to work the various types of airspace, and a shortage of trainers.

Hmm...the above got me thinking to a period almost 7 years ago where the question was asked: TICK..TICK..TICK - What will it take? (also refer here: On FOI requests & word weasel confections )

Here's Harfwit in his electric blue suit alongside his dodgy CFO:

And from the same period Dick Smith: 

Hansard ref: 18/08/15 ASA Performance hearing:

TICK..TICK..TICK - Indeed, what will it take?? 

MTF...P2