[GonzoEGLL]

Didn't EFPS go live on TMA North yesterday...?

Mike, yes.

[Moli]

They are going to use them for everything.

Wow. That is some HMI to enable a busy LARS controller to work on electronic strips. Our electronic strips are great but we very rarely get freecalling traffic.

Agreed, at Swanwick Mil we (I shouldn’t really say we... officially left last month ) have been using electronic flight strips (EFS) for years and a significant portion of the traffic is freecalls. When ATCOs are under training the generation of EFS for freecalls (especially when its multiples of ac all leaving an MDA at the same time) saps quite a large part of their capacity. Hard work to get around it initially but once their HMI skills are up to speed the electronics functionality is very good and well worth the effort.

ATB
Moli

[Europaul383]

Didn't EFPS go live on TMA North yesterday...?

Mike, yes.

Hot off the press (Tenants/Operators' Meeting yesterday) EFPS goes live Jan/Feb 2018 for all Farnborough services, inc LARS.

[shuttle]

On a semi serious note though, I wonder what the percentage stats say about infringements at night, given that the LARS function is set up to stop people infringing. I would have thought 1) It's easier to get lost, but also 2) More people at night will be using moving map GPS systems.

Anyone got any stats?

From FASVIG Infringement Data Analysis effort
( http://docs.fasvig.info/Infringement/20160712-FASVIG-Infringements-Data-Analysis-Final-Report-Revision1.pdf )

Percentage of Infringements by Time of Day (no sunrise/sunset time data)

TimeOfDay
04:00 - 04:59 0.4%
05:00 - 05:59 0.0%
06:00 - 06:59 0.2%
07:00 - 07:59 0.4%
08:00 - 08:59 1.7%
09:00 - 09:59 5.1%
10:00 - 10:59 13.2%
11:00 - 11:59 12.8%
12:00 - 12:59 11.5%
13:00 - 13:59 12.1%
14:00 - 14:59 14%
15:00 - 15:59 14.3%
16:00 - 16:59 8.3%
17:00 - 17:59 3.8%
18:00 - 18:59 1.9%
20:00 - 20:59 0.4%
21:00 – 03:59 0.0%

[Europaul383]

...infringements at night...Anyone got any stats?

From FASVIG Infringement Data Analysis effort
( http://docs.fasvig.info/Infringement/20160712-FASVIG-Infringements-Data-Analysis-Final-Report-Revision1.pdf )

Percentage of Infringements by Time of Day (no sunrise/sunset time data)

<data>

Which looks, unsurprisingly, like this (below) with most infringements at peak flying times (allowing for a lunch break).

Interestingly, a minor spike very early AM - is this dawn patrollers thinking they can get under the radar before Infringopol wake up?

[chevvron]

Didn't EFPS go live on TMA North yesterday...?

Hot off the press (Tenants/Operators' Meeting yesterday) EFPS goes live Jan/Feb 2018 for all Farnborough services, inc LARS.

Are they going to keep paper strips on hand for when the system gets overwhelmed on the first sunny weekend day of the year?

[chevvron]

Agreed, at Swanwick Mil we (I shouldn’t really say we... officially left last month ) have been using electronic flight strips (EFS) for years and a significant portion of the traffic is freecalls. When ATCOs are under training the generation of EFS for freecalls (especially when its multiples of ac all leaving an MDA at the same time) saps quite a large part of their capacity. Hard work to get around it initially but once their HMI skills are up to speed the electronics functionality is very good and well worth the effort.

ATB
Moli

Yeah but Swanwick Mil control positions are limited in the number of tracks they are allowed to work (used to be 4 and when you get to 3 you call for another console to be opened-does that still happen? During the Olympics they had to hurriedly open extra ones.) and every console has an assistant working with the controller.

[Moli]

Chevron you are about a decade out mate
The artificial restriction of 3 gusting 4 went out when we went away from an allocator system utilising ATCOs and Assistants to the Tac and Planner System . Now when gusting 3 / 4 the Tac ATCOs are to call for a planner, believe me with the manning levels at Swanwick Mil, numbers worked are very much in excess of 3/4. It gets unbelievably busy and dynamic especially on the East side of the country.
The Olympics was a very high profile situation and was over- manned to ensure that it had the best opportunity to succeed.

ATB
Moli

[AlanM]

Chevron you are about a decade out mate

Chevvers - can I have £1 for every time you get that response!!!

[Europaul383]

Hot off the press (Tenants/Operators' Meeting yesterday) EFPS goes live Jan/Feb 2018 for all Farnborough services, inc LARS.

Are they going to keep paper strips on hand for when the system gets overwhelmed on the first sunny weekend day of the year?

I'll ask the new NATS ATC Manager

[chevvron]

Chevron you are about a decade out mate

Chevvers - can I have £1 for every time you get that response!!!

I did say 'used to be' and 'does it still happen'.
Looks like they still only normally work 4 tracks before calling for help though; just like at Lindholme when I would be working 16 in the upper airspace (admittedly on ATS routes) rather than just flying from TACAN to TACAN.

[chevvron]

The Olympics was a very high profile situation and was over- manned to ensure that it had the best opportunity to succeed.

ATB
Moli

True but I couldn't help noticing that the Farnborough North area, which I used to work on my own, had to be split because they found the workload too great.

[AlanM]

My Hero!

[Moli]

Gosh wouldn’t the UK ATC system be awesome if it were manned soley by Chrevronites

ATB
Moli

[chevvron]

Gosh wouldn’t the UK ATC system be awesome if it were manned soley by Chrevronites

ATB
Moli

Don't say that, you'll make talkdownman jealous