a look inside LHR control tower
Discussion
Considering the complexity of what they're doing at the busiest airport in the world, it all looks fairly undramatic doesn't it - but I suppose that's the point.
Still a fecking cool job though. I'd be happy working the photocopier for them and looking at the aircraft coming and going.
Who;s the chap on here that was ATC - always interesting to hear his experiences.
Still a fecking cool job though. I'd be happy working the photocopier for them and looking at the aircraft coming and going.
Who;s the chap on here that was ATC - always interesting to hear his experiences.
TIGA84 said:
Considering the complexity of what they're doing at the busiest airport in the world, it all looks fairly undramatic doesn't it - but I suppose that's the point.
Still a fecking cool job though. I'd be happy working the photocopier for them and looking at the aircraft coming and going.
Who;s the chap on here that was ATC - always interesting to hear his experiences.
Euroboy/kapteinlangzam? Or MarkwG maybe? Or djc206? I've been up to the VCR at Heathrow twice, which I consider a massive privilege. It is undramatic - I think people assume it's shouty and chaotic, but ATC rooms of any sort tend to be quite subdued really. The aircraft look like playmobil toys as you're so high up. It takes a short while for them to climb to your eye level, which is quite cool.Still a fecking cool job though. I'd be happy working the photocopier for them and looking at the aircraft coming and going.
Who;s the chap on here that was ATC - always interesting to hear his experiences.
Disastrous said:
Looks pretty simple to me. I reckon I could mind that for 15 minutes whilst they nipped out for a tab or whatever.
I know you're kidding, but that's the thing about people who are really good at their jobs. I've sat on Heathrow approach at Terminal Control, and thought "they're not really doing anything I haven't done - how hard can it be?", but at the same time knowing that if I took the frequency for one minute, they'd probably spend the next hour trying to get the sequence back to normal. It's the 'swan' thing - all the work is happening under the surface, so to the casual observer it looks effortless!TheProfessor said:
Are they controlling ground movements from the tower, and just the local air space as Swanick must kick in at some point?
At the busiest times there's six controller positions AFAIK open in the tower at Heathrow. Ground Movement Planner (issuing clearances and 'feeding' a sequence of aircraft to ground control who are ready to start), three Ground Movement Controllers (they take a portion of the aprons and taxiways each, and control that), and two 'air' controllers, one north and one south (they each have a runway, so control either just arrivals, or departures occasionally mixed with the odd arrival, depending on which side they're sat and the time of day). There's also a tower supervisor, who is a controller with a management role, as well as assistants who are Lighting Panel Operators. They have a big touchscreen where they can select ground lighting to give aircraft a green lit route.All the lining up of stuff on approach is done at Swanwick, who also 'kick in' (yo!) shortly after departure. Provided the tower controller doesn't need to hang on to anything in order to provide separation, aircraft will be chucked once they're airborne and it's a sensible time to start speaking to the crew.
Obviously this explanation is all a bit Fisher-Price, but hopefully it answers some questions.
ETA: FFS I've just realised it tells you half of that on the link /suckeggs
Edited by Prawo Jazdy on Wednesday 4th February 17:47
I would love to have a look around that... in fact I'd love just to have the opportunity to go up there, sit in a corner and watch / listen.
My greatest regret in life is not following my dream when I was 16 and joining the RAF as an ATC.. a few years later I spent a short time working at Bailbrook college in Bath assisting in training junior ATC and that just confirmed what a mistake I'd made not going for it all those years earlier.
Very envious of all who have had the opportunity to go up into the tower.
My greatest regret in life is not following my dream when I was 16 and joining the RAF as an ATC.. a few years later I spent a short time working at Bailbrook college in Bath assisting in training junior ATC and that just confirmed what a mistake I'd made not going for it all those years earlier.
Very envious of all who have had the opportunity to go up into the tower.
Been up there once for a visit during my training as an ATCO, stunning view over the London cityscape.
The general consensus was that Air control (the position working the runways) is pretty simple as you've got two runways, but Ground Control is by far the trickiest due to the sheer number of aircraft and the need to get them into a decent departure order for the air controller.
I work at Birmingham Airport now, much better balance of work and life here for me.
The general consensus was that Air control (the position working the runways) is pretty simple as you've got two runways, but Ground Control is by far the trickiest due to the sheer number of aircraft and the need to get them into a decent departure order for the air controller.
I work at Birmingham Airport now, much better balance of work and life here for me.
TIGA84 said:
Any interesting stats on it?
I saw them moving it on the TV on the back of one of those remote controlled lifting machines, if that counts. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=maUXFa2lUBE
motomk said:
TIGA84 said:
Any interesting stats on it?
I saw them moving it on the TV on the back of one of those remote controlled lifting machines, if that counts. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=maUXFa2lUBE
Certainly was an engineering (and logistics) challenge. There were a lot of hearts in mouth the night the completed top section was finally moved across the south runway.
Mabbs9 said:
On the windier days, the controllers sometimes point out how much the tower moves. Possibly aeropilot can comment, but on a visit up there a few years ago, the supervisor said that the external lift can jam on windy days?
Oooops......
(well the firm that designed it did also design the infamous wobbly bridge
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