Media MIA or just muzzled?
I'd bet my best socks that there is not one 'media' person who has not experienced the pleasures and delights of a delayed flight, or a cancelled flight. Those long happy hours spent hanging around in the terminal, lost in the maze of retail outlets trying to find the loo; or, even just a quiet place to scream and beat the walls. Aye, when things are running 'normally' the accepted misery of travel by air is tolerable. But, once ensconced in the cabin and the push back tug moves the aircraft away from the bridge, the end is in sight. What the punters don't know is that from the first shunt of the tug during 'push back' to the aircraft pulling up at the destination air bridge is that every phase is covered by Air Traffic Control (ATC). Yup, even the start and push back is a coordinated effort between ground, air and ATC crew (ATCO).
The taxi out to the runway controlled; the sequence of take off and landing controlled, the height and heading after take off controlled; the cruise altitude controlled, the air route, descent, approach, landing, taxi into the bay – all controlled, All carefully managed to keep aircraft separated – lest they bang into each other. (No fender benders there).
Well, that's the theory anyway. The system, for the most part works well, efficiently and importantly – safely: provided the ATC boys and girls are at work and the system tools are working. The story our media folk seem to be ignoring is that it is not possible to field a full compliment of ATC crew and those who are available are stretched to the limit. In short, the almost gold plated guarantee of positive aircraft separation throughout all phases of flight is null and void. There is an excellent 'thread' on the Pprune forum – HERE – which clearly and succinctly defines the lack of comprehensive ATC coverage. This is outrageous enough, stand alone; but the truly ugly part is the ability, through law, to load all responsibility onto the operating aircrew. Despite millions spent to build, maintain and crew a first world system – ASA just shrug, abandon all responsibility for public safety and say its up to the flight crew to sort out separation from other traffic and terrain. Stellar....
Just like that – Airservices have run out of bodies to sit at the consoles; run out of money due to the great drain of the yet to be delivered 'One-Sky – Pie in the sky' and through a clever scheme to save wages by shaking off the experienced and training newer, less expensive bodies to man the battlements. Oh, and to keep the KPI bonus for the top dogs rolling in. A complete, clearly defined cock-up of mammoth proportions.
Now, while the reduction in 'services' may increase the 'collision risk' factor by a small percent, and the flight crew are competent and equipped with some pretty handy gizmo's to 'see and avoid' other aircraft; the increased workload and stress factor is fatiguing; add a 'run-of-the-mill' system failure, throw in some bad weather to duck around; and even a dark night instrument approach (all routine stuff) and consider how very easily a tiny triangle on a screen, an insignificant 'blip' could be missed and the seeds of disaster sown. Conversely, the blip is spotted and corrective action taken which leads directly into another conflict – BANG – all over and it will be the flight crew to blame. Not that it will trouble them; not any longer.......
But, put the threat of a mid air collision to one side and think about the bottom line the airlines will be looking at – increased operating hours – increased cost – increased maintenance – increased flight crew hours – increased fuel bills – passenger complaints increased – all of it costs serious money – guess where that comes from – increased ticket prices. But, with the country on the borders of recession – who can afford to travel for a holiday?
About time the media picked up this horror story and shamed the powers that be to tackle this problem – head on and get it sorted out. What ASA is doing may well be legally 'nice' but that won't matter much if, god's forbid, a body meets a body..
If a body meet a body,
Comin' thro the rye,
If a body kiss a body,
Need a body cry?
Toot – toot.
I'd bet my best socks that there is not one 'media' person who has not experienced the pleasures and delights of a delayed flight, or a cancelled flight. Those long happy hours spent hanging around in the terminal, lost in the maze of retail outlets trying to find the loo; or, even just a quiet place to scream and beat the walls. Aye, when things are running 'normally' the accepted misery of travel by air is tolerable. But, once ensconced in the cabin and the push back tug moves the aircraft away from the bridge, the end is in sight. What the punters don't know is that from the first shunt of the tug during 'push back' to the aircraft pulling up at the destination air bridge is that every phase is covered by Air Traffic Control (ATC). Yup, even the start and push back is a coordinated effort between ground, air and ATC crew (ATCO).
The taxi out to the runway controlled; the sequence of take off and landing controlled, the height and heading after take off controlled; the cruise altitude controlled, the air route, descent, approach, landing, taxi into the bay – all controlled, All carefully managed to keep aircraft separated – lest they bang into each other. (No fender benders there).
Well, that's the theory anyway. The system, for the most part works well, efficiently and importantly – safely: provided the ATC boys and girls are at work and the system tools are working. The story our media folk seem to be ignoring is that it is not possible to field a full compliment of ATC crew and those who are available are stretched to the limit. In short, the almost gold plated guarantee of positive aircraft separation throughout all phases of flight is null and void. There is an excellent 'thread' on the Pprune forum – HERE – which clearly and succinctly defines the lack of comprehensive ATC coverage. This is outrageous enough, stand alone; but the truly ugly part is the ability, through law, to load all responsibility onto the operating aircrew. Despite millions spent to build, maintain and crew a first world system – ASA just shrug, abandon all responsibility for public safety and say its up to the flight crew to sort out separation from other traffic and terrain. Stellar....
Just like that – Airservices have run out of bodies to sit at the consoles; run out of money due to the great drain of the yet to be delivered 'One-Sky – Pie in the sky' and through a clever scheme to save wages by shaking off the experienced and training newer, less expensive bodies to man the battlements. Oh, and to keep the KPI bonus for the top dogs rolling in. A complete, clearly defined cock-up of mammoth proportions.
Now, while the reduction in 'services' may increase the 'collision risk' factor by a small percent, and the flight crew are competent and equipped with some pretty handy gizmo's to 'see and avoid' other aircraft; the increased workload and stress factor is fatiguing; add a 'run-of-the-mill' system failure, throw in some bad weather to duck around; and even a dark night instrument approach (all routine stuff) and consider how very easily a tiny triangle on a screen, an insignificant 'blip' could be missed and the seeds of disaster sown. Conversely, the blip is spotted and corrective action taken which leads directly into another conflict – BANG – all over and it will be the flight crew to blame. Not that it will trouble them; not any longer.......
But, put the threat of a mid air collision to one side and think about the bottom line the airlines will be looking at – increased operating hours – increased cost – increased maintenance – increased flight crew hours – increased fuel bills – passenger complaints increased – all of it costs serious money – guess where that comes from – increased ticket prices. But, with the country on the borders of recession – who can afford to travel for a holiday?
About time the media picked up this horror story and shamed the powers that be to tackle this problem – head on and get it sorted out. What ASA is doing may well be legally 'nice' but that won't matter much if, god's forbid, a body meets a body..
If a body meet a body,
Comin' thro the rye,
If a body kiss a body,
Need a body cry?
Toot – toot.