Comments on: AirServices Australia go uncontrolled http://www.crikey.com.au/2008/12/01/airservices-australia-go-uncontrolled/ now with extra source Sat, 11 Feb 2012 22:41:28 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 By: bill http://www.crikey.com.au/2008/12/01/airservices-australia-go-uncontrolled/#comment-6794 bill Thu, 01 Jan 1970 10:00:00 +0000 #comment-6794 Now ain't that the truth! I was due to leave Sydney on VB (DJ866) to Melbourne at 5.15pm. last Friday. Arriving at Sydney airport at 5.05 I thought I had missed my flight. Not so. <br />We boarded and the 1st came on the air and told us about thunderstorms which "had closed down all traffic". We eventually got airborne at 6.15. I heard no thunder, saw no lightning and whilst the climb out of Sydney was bumpy, I saw ans felt nothing unusual. I expect that VB aircrew would hardly instill confidence if they had told the truth. But then their senior cabin man didn't know what the time was (twice) So thanks again Ben for your excellent coverage. Now ain’t that the truth! I was due to leave Sydney on VB (DJ866) to Melbourne at 5.15pm. last Friday. Arriving at Sydney airport at 5.05 I thought I had missed my flight. Not so.
We boarded and the 1st came on the air and told us about thunderstorms which “had closed down all traffic”. We eventually got airborne at 6.15. I heard no thunder, saw no lightning and whilst the climb out of Sydney was bumpy, I saw ans felt nothing unusual. I expect that VB aircrew would hardly instill confidence if they had told the truth. But then their senior cabin man didn’t know what the time was (twice) So thanks again Ben for your excellent coverage.

]]> By: Greg http://www.crikey.com.au/2008/12/01/airservices-australia-go-uncontrolled/#comment-6795 Greg Thu, 01 Jan 1970 10:00:00 +0000 #comment-6795 Amazing isn't it! Planes and lots of lives could all be in grave danger because of deficiencies in the air traffic control system, and good old Gav wants to focus on pc semantics. Good on ya mate. Nice to see your priorities are nice and straight. <br /><br /><br /> Amazing isn’t it! Planes and lots of lives could all be in grave danger because of deficiencies in the air traffic control system, and good old Gav wants to focus on pc semantics. Good on ya mate. Nice to see your priorities are nice and straight.

]]> By: Greg http://www.crikey.com.au/2008/12/01/airservices-australia-go-uncontrolled/#comment-6796 Greg Thu, 01 Jan 1970 10:00:00 +0000 #comment-6796 On a more closely related note, I bounced Ben S's story off an air traffic controller acquaintance, and got back the following:<br /><br />Begins:<br /><br />Interesting story/article. No surprise really. Saturday afternoon and<br />evening was even worse with regards to airspace closures and bad weather<br />around Sydney and Canberra, but there isn't the number of flights affected<br />on Saturdays. <br /><br />Unfortunately, until the travelling public have their plans thrown into<br />chaos, nobody really cares. Things are only going to get more and more<br />interesting as Christmas approaches.<br /><br />Ends<br /><br />Greg On a more closely related note, I bounced Ben S’s story off an air traffic controller acquaintance, and got back the following:

Begins:

Interesting story/article. No surprise really. Saturday afternoon and
evening was even worse with regards to airspace closures and bad weather
around Sydney and Canberra, but there isn’t the number of flights affected
on Saturdays.

Unfortunately, until the travelling public have their plans thrown into
chaos, nobody really cares. Things are only going to get more and more
interesting as Christmas approaches.

Ends

Greg

]]> By: David Stephens http://www.crikey.com.au/2008/12/01/airservices-australia-go-uncontrolled/#comment-6797 David Stephens Thu, 01 Jan 1970 10:00:00 +0000 #comment-6797 I was on QF 779 SYD-CBR delayed 20 minutes last Friday because of lack of controllers in Canberra. This news from the captain provoked only a slight guffaw from the packed-in passengers. Perhaps some appreciated the irony - Qantas able to blame someone else for a delay. Though it is true that there seems to be a routine Friday delay out of Sydney to do with "traffic in the Sydney area". Have they all stopped trying, knowing that passengers' expectations are falling anyway? Only a matter of time before an excuse used in Malaysia shows up here: "cows on runway". I was on QF 779 SYD-CBR delayed 20 minutes last Friday because of lack of controllers in Canberra. This news from the captain provoked only a slight guffaw from the packed-in passengers. Perhaps some appreciated the irony - Qantas able to blame someone else for a delay. Though it is true that there seems to be a routine Friday delay out of Sydney to do with “traffic in the Sydney area”. Have they all stopped trying, knowing that passengers’ expectations are falling anyway? Only a matter of time before an excuse used in Malaysia shows up here: “cows on runway”.

]]> By: Catherine http://www.crikey.com.au/2008/12/01/airservices-australia-go-uncontrolled/#comment-6798 Catherine Thu, 01 Jan 1970 10:00:00 +0000 #comment-6798 Great article Ben. Completely ignores the people at the centre of the 'ransome' claim - the Air Traffic Controllers. In the middle of publicly documented collective negociations, its clear ATC are using this kind of public sentiment to put the pressure the Government/management of Airservices Australia to give them what they want. Like a pay rise of some 67% with increments of 4% each year and unlimited sick leave. And the risk of them heading offshore is pretty slim when you consider the paypackets in Germany or the Middle East don't come with all the bells and whistles these public servants enjoy in Australia. Can I suggest that instead of using your articles to work for the very people who are holding both passengers and Governments and ultimatley tax payers to ransome that you actually tell the whole story and maybe encourage people with grievances to send those to the Union responsible for condoning this kind of covert sick leave. This is Australia's new waterfront dispute - where a rouge element of the unions are asking the Australian taxpayers to give them an enormous payrise and using those very taxpayers and travellers as their bargaining chips. That is disgraceful. Much worse than not taking a phone call or apologising on behalf of workforce that takes this kind of action. Great article Ben. Completely ignores the people at the centre of the ‘ransome’ claim - the Air Traffic Controllers. In the middle of publicly documented collective negociations, its clear ATC are using this kind of public sentiment to put the pressure the Government/management of Airservices Australia to give them what they want. Like a pay rise of some 67% with increments of 4% each year and unlimited sick leave. And the risk of them heading offshore is pretty slim when you consider the paypackets in Germany or the Middle East don’t come with all the bells and whistles these public servants enjoy in Australia. Can I suggest that instead of using your articles to work for the very people who are holding both passengers and Governments and ultimatley tax payers to ransome that you actually tell the whole story and maybe encourage people with grievances to send those to the Union responsible for condoning this kind of covert sick leave. This is Australia’s new waterfront dispute - where a rouge element of the unions are asking the Australian taxpayers to give them an enormous payrise and using those very taxpayers and travellers as their bargaining chips. That is disgraceful. Much worse than not taking a phone call or apologising on behalf of workforce that takes this kind of action.

]]> By: Gavin Moodie http://www.crikey.com.au/2008/12/01/airservices-australia-go-uncontrolled/#comment-6799 Gavin Moodie Thu, 01 Jan 1970 10:00:00 +0000 #comment-6799 Maybe all air traffic controllers are blokes, but nevertheless labour force issues should be referred to as 'staffing' not the sexist 'manning'. Maybe all air traffic controllers are blokes, but nevertheless labour force issues should be referred to as ‘staffing’ not the sexist ‘manning’.

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