Fighter Controllers - Know Your Place!
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Thanks Gorilla - always willing to shed the warm light of rationalism on to the turbulent shadows of debate.
As for BEags... yikes! I've never seen the old chap so bothered about something! FCs seem to have done him an appalling injustice at some point, maybe he could enlighten us?
Though, as an FC (SURVEILLANCE!!!!) somewhat biased, I can see the merits to both sides of this somewhat stormy debate. Nonetheless, I remain resolutely loyal to my branch which, after all, provides a better service than NORAD, that much-lauded defence system in North America. Why don't we get the appreciation from the public that Yanks and Canucks enjoy??????
Oh, by the way..... Navs: Know your place!!!
As for BEags... yikes! I've never seen the old chap so bothered about something! FCs seem to have done him an appalling injustice at some point, maybe he could enlighten us?
Though, as an FC (SURVEILLANCE!!!!) somewhat biased, I can see the merits to both sides of this somewhat stormy debate. Nonetheless, I remain resolutely loyal to my branch which, after all, provides a better service than NORAD, that much-lauded defence system in North America. Why don't we get the appreciation from the public that Yanks and Canucks enjoy??????
Oh, by the way..... Navs: Know your place!!!
Join Date: May 2004
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As for BEags... yikes! I've never seen the old chap so bothered about something! FCs seem to have done him an appalling injustice at some point, maybe he could enlighten us?
There always was friction between the linkies and the operators, but this was not surprising when many different operators are competing for limited network resources. When it went t!ts up, the linkies blame dthe aircrew and the aircrew blamed the linkies!
I was witness to a scenario when a gaggle of F3s tried to join the L16 net and failed to synch, so decided (in flagrant breach of CAA frequency regulations) to switch their system time forwards in order to establish their own net. Naughty boys, but the link monitors (contractors, not the ancient kit) decided to switch their system time in predictable increments until the miscreants were found. The airborne warriors then started using more random time changes. Such ingenuity!
25 years of being messed around by (mainly) Neatishead during my time in first AD, then AAR.......
"You're approaching the edge of your area........"
Still, when I was at Biggin Hill after the pre-Vulcan Buccaneer lead-in course, a ready supply of chopped FC ladies was of much entertainment to the aircrew reselectees. For that I was at least thankful.....
The levels of general RT bull$hit spouted on busy AAR frequencies by (OK then - CRCs) has got worse over the years. Why must they:
1. Ask "What are your intentions on leaving" to a C-130 just about to start 3 hours of jousting...?
2. Say "Continue with the Tanker" after the receiver calls visual?
3......and tell the receiver to "Call visual with the tanker"?
4. Try to turn a tanker/tanker pair busily jousting to accommodate some civilian Jetstream or similar which is off-airways in Class G tying to save a thimble full of fuel.
5. Ask "What will be your tanking level" on initial check-in long before the tanker has arrived on the AARA and has had a chance to check out the weather?
When we first had L16 in the VC10 we all thought "Great - we can see what's going on and won't have to suffer all that yak from FCs any more!" A picture (especially one with PPLIs) being worth a thousand words.
Mind you, I do agree that the L16 SOPs used by that cowboy F3 team were pretty clueless. I guess the CAA still don't accept that L16 stacked nets are no actual problem to their precious DMEs?
"You're approaching the edge of your area........"
Still, when I was at Biggin Hill after the pre-Vulcan Buccaneer lead-in course, a ready supply of chopped FC ladies was of much entertainment to the aircrew reselectees. For that I was at least thankful.....
The levels of general RT bull$hit spouted on busy AAR frequencies by (OK then - CRCs) has got worse over the years. Why must they:
1. Ask "What are your intentions on leaving" to a C-130 just about to start 3 hours of jousting...?
2. Say "Continue with the Tanker" after the receiver calls visual?
3......and tell the receiver to "Call visual with the tanker"?
4. Try to turn a tanker/tanker pair busily jousting to accommodate some civilian Jetstream or similar which is off-airways in Class G tying to save a thimble full of fuel.
5. Ask "What will be your tanking level" on initial check-in long before the tanker has arrived on the AARA and has had a chance to check out the weather?
When we first had L16 in the VC10 we all thought "Great - we can see what's going on and won't have to suffer all that yak from FCs any more!" A picture (especially one with PPLIs) being worth a thousand words.
Mind you, I do agree that the L16 SOPs used by that cowboy F3 team were pretty clueless. I guess the CAA still don't accept that L16 stacked nets are no actual problem to their precious DMEs?
TAC Int Bloke
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What an old grump! Probably didn't like 'call switches safe' either - interfered with his God-like concentration - Some questions have to be asked whether they make sense to you or not! - That’s quite an ego there BEags – remember just because you have been told you were the best-of-the-best didn’t automatically make you right under all circumstances
I remember several F-4 pilots disregarding FC 'advice' on sorties during your ‘golden days’ because they knew better. They'd then screw-up the stern conversion or lose contact and go ‘gadget bent’ only for the fault to recover itself later or blame the coms. Doesn’t make all aircrew numpties but seemed at the time that some pilot egos were getting in the way of proper PIs and also causing flight safety problems- ask Air UK/Air Anglia what they thought of F-4 drivers!
BTW not FC myself, just had to ptovide the Polos.....
I remember several F-4 pilots disregarding FC 'advice' on sorties during your ‘golden days’ because they knew better. They'd then screw-up the stern conversion or lose contact and go ‘gadget bent’ only for the fault to recover itself later or blame the coms. Doesn’t make all aircrew numpties but seemed at the time that some pilot egos were getting in the way of proper PIs and also causing flight safety problems- ask Air UK/Air Anglia what they thought of F-4 drivers!
BTW not FC myself, just had to ptovide the Polos.....
Last edited by Maple 01; 3rd Jul 2005 at 07:25.
Cool Mod
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Sorry, but the sole purpose of this thread seems to be slagging each other off - not by name but by job. Someone called it a debate - its not - it is just one snipe after another. Its all so depressing. 
really.
really.
