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Aviation History
1970
1970 - 1315.PDF
FLIGHT International, It July 1970 Letters Variations on a Control Theme SIR,—Your issue for June 18 contained a letter from an ex-RAF controller. Mr Brown, complaining of dis crimination by the Board of Trade in that military controllers are not awarded air traffic control licences. Mr Brown's argument, it seems, is based on the well known "we all do the same job, so why not" theory. Such an argument is fallacious. Military controllers do not provide the same type of control as their civilian counterparts. I stress "type of control" specifically since this is the root difference between military and civilian application. Whereas military control has an off-the-cuff quality, not to be denigrated as it calls for its own particular skill, civilian control is governed strictly by publicly notified separation standards. Military con trollers are not required to know these and they are considerably more detailed than any military air traffic control separation standards. Understandably, the BoT requires all prospective controllers to pass a written and oral examination on this subject, amongst others, before issuing a licence. There may be military and civilian controllers working together at Mintech airfields or at control positions providing an area radar service to aircraft engaged on weapons development, etc, but these establishments do not conform to the same ATC requirements as civil airports or BoT area control units handling, basically, passenger-carrying aircraft. Again, at "joint" area control radar units, apart from other considerations, civilian controllers must be able to provide immediate pro cedural separation between route-flying aircraft in the event of radar equipment failure. Military controllers have no such responsibility. Let me conclude by stating that I am a BoT-licensed controller who was, until 1%5. serving in the RAF as an ATCO. As such I can appreciate both military and civilian points of view although I would never have had the audacity to expect, whilst in the RAF, a civilian ATC licence without passing, at least, an examination requiring knowledge of civilian aviation legislation, procedures and standards. Belfast 5 D. s MCCULLOCH Not-so-unseen Airmisses Sm,—With reference to Capt Proctor's letter (June 18) on the subject of unseen airmisses, he quite rightly states that there must be several near mid-air collisions which nobody happens to see either because nobody is looking in the appropriate direction at the appropriate time or because they are in cloud. To back his statement up, I have twice come uncomfortably close to a mid-air collision, with a vertical separation of about 200ft in the first case, and on a clear day, and of about 150ft or less in broken cloud in the second instance. The difference is that 1 just happened to be looking out of the window in the appropriate direction at the appro priate time to witness such a spine-chilling event. The first incident occurred over France on a scheduled BOAC VC10 flight from Bahrain, and we had just started our descent for London when J casually glanced out of the window and noticed two Mirage jets in formation flash under the starboard wing, with a vertical separation of 200fl at the very most. LETTERS for these columns should be addressed to the Editor. "Flight," Dorset House, Stamford Street, London SEl, and must bear the sender's name and address, though the address will not be printed in full unless the nature of the letter requires it. A nom de plume is acceptable only in exceptional circumstances. Brief letters will stand a better chance of publication. 91 The second, and possibly the nearer, instance of my coming close to receiving my wings with a flying start occurred on a Continental Airlines Viscount flight in September 1967 from Colarado Springs to Denver. We were battling through a ferocious storm such as only the Rocky Mountains can brew up when we suddenly emerged through the cloud bank just in time to identify clearly a USAF Air Defence Command F-102 Delta Dagger as it appeared through a brief cloud break and streaked by at a heart-stopping 150ft or less below us on the port side. If these two cases of unreported airmisses can go casually unnoticed by ATC operators and are fairly typical of ATC procedure, ] do believe the undertakers are in for a real boom time when the new generation of wide-body jets gets into full swing. Heaven only knows how many times I've come close to eternity, but two certs is enough to make any level-headed person think twice about flying. Harrogate, Yorks B. M. SANDERSON Try a Tunnel? SIR,—I see that the boffins have finally discovered the one piece of free airspace along the whole of the south coast with no limits or Danger Areas, where one may cross to France at a safe altitude—St Catherine's to Cherbourg. I hope that all those with an authoritative voice in general aviation will make the strongest possible repre sentations against the plugging of this route. While NATCS are busy trying to re-route Amber 34 and encircle the Isle of Wight with Danger Areas, how about pushing up the ridiculously low level of Red I which, 15 miles out to sea from Hum, still has a base of 1,500ft? This bears absolutely no relation to the Flight Levels actually used by cross-Channel transport traffic. Bournemouth, Hants C. M. K. HARPER Schiphol Sponsorship SIR,—With reference to your report on the first Inter national Airport Construction and Equipment Exhibition and Conference held in Amsterdam from June 29 to July 4, I would like to draw your attention to the fact that the British section of the exhibition was sponsored by the London Chamber of Commerce jointly with the British Airport Construction and Equipment Association, and BACEA, in addition, was responsible for organising the conference. 1 would like to give credit where credit is due. Regarding the total figure of £3,300 million which is to be spent over the next ten years, this is the result of a random survey covering just under 300 airports in 20 countries. London WC2 DEREK D. DEMPSTER, Director, British Airport Construction and Equipment Association Liverpool Air Show. International air rallies at Perugia and Wassa, Italy. Air Line Pilots Association: annual air safety forum; Jack Tar Hotel, San Francisco, Calif. East of England Show and air rally; Sibson Airfield, Peterborough, Northants. US International Aerospace Exposition; Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Ulster Flying Club: international air rally; Newtownards, Ulster. Cross-country gyroplane race; Membury, nr Newbury, Berks. RAeS Isle of Wight Branch: air show and static exhibi tion; Bembridge Airport. (Flying starts 2.30 p.m.) "Air Day"; HMS Daedalus, Lee-on-Solent, Hants. Shuttleworth Collection: Military Air Pageant—60 Years of Service Aviation 1910-1970; Old Warden Aerodrome, Biggleswade, Beds. Gates open 11 a.m., flying starts 2 p.m. First World Festival of Aerobatics; RAF Hullavington, Wilts. DIARY Jul 16-18 Jul 19 Jul 20-22 Jul 21-23 Jul 23-26 Jul 24-26 Jul 25 Jul 25 Jul 25 Jul 26 Jul 26
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