Air Traffic, ILS & Navigation Aids

[Dave 1959]

Still laugh to myself about the story when a British Airways Concorde landed long on runway 32 only just stopping before the end of the runway-apparently it was still going at some speed when it turned into the 14 loop-all Stan said was that he knew the name of a good dry cleaners in Horsforth.There was no reply from the Concorde!!

 

[lbaspotter]

Still laugh to myself about the story when a British Airways Concorde landed long on runway 32 only just stopping before the end of the runway-apparently it was still going at some speed when it turned into the 14 loop-all Stan said was that he knew the name of a good dry cleaners in Horsforth.There was no reply from the Concorde!!

Yeap that was in fact this very landing.

 

[Dave 1959]

Yeap that was in fact this very landing.

Thanks for that lbaspotter I thought I had seen it somewhere,should have known it would be on YouTube

 

[G-AZNZ(2)]

I remember that picture - in fact, I've most likely still got my copy of the magazine. I remember Jerry was very laid back and Stan had one of those voices and manners that let you know he was in charge. Very reassuring if something went wrong. Stan continued in LBA ATC part-time for about another three years. I met him a few times - a gentleman.

Always remember being mesmerised listening to Stan Haddock conducting SRA's when the airport had the old Plessey ACR430 radar.
Talkdown to within 1/2 mile from touchdown.
He really was the king as far as I was concerned!
It was an honour to meet him when he showed me around the tower back in 1981 and great to sit in the "cupboard" and watch him vector a Dan Air HS748 onto the ILS.
I was awestruck, it was like meeting Elvis!
Such a gentleman - I was sad to hear he passed away a few years ago.

 

[Len Fish]

When I lived with my Mum we lived on the 10th floor of a block of flats on Becketts Park and the aircraft landing at LBA used to fly directly overhead. I used to listen in to ATC on my VHF radio and well remember the dulcet, unflappable tones of the controller “talking down” an aircraft and the courtesy extended by ATC to the aircraft crew and vice versa after a safe landing. This would have been around the early seventies so would this have been one of the ATC gentlemen mentioned?

 

[White Heather]

When I lived with my Mum we lived on the 10th floor of a block of flats on Becketts Park and the aircraft landing at LBA used to fly directly overhead. I used to listen in to ATC on my VHF radio and well remember the dulcet, unflappable tones of the controller “talking down” an aircraft and the courtesy extended by ATC to the aircraft crew and vice versa after a safe landing. This would have been around the early seventies so would this have been one of the ATC gentlemen mentioned?

Almost certainly. I used to do the same on the 80s. The ATC used to ask pilots even in good weather if he could talk them down with height checks all the way as a means of keeping them in practice for when low vis or a broken ILS meant it was necessary. Fascinating to listen to.

 

[oldendays]

The old guard of LBA ATCOs whom were trained and/or employed there from the early 1960s onwards are all retired. Stan came up from either Gatwick or Heathrow in 1967, Denville and Jerry were trained in-house, among several others. The staff complement was remarkably stable from about 1977 to the late 1980s when one or two controllers moved on and others began to arrive, notably from Blackpool.

 

[Peter Barber]

I remember in the early days when the airport used to shut down around 10pm, the ATC would sometimes sign off by saying “goodnight to all our listeners”. They were a class act.

Also the 10pm close time gave my brother just enough time to get down to the New Inn for last orders.

 

[oldendays]

Bob Nash, SATCO for many years, often closed up the shop that way.

 

[Heff0927]

The old guard of LBA ATCOs whom were trained and/or employed there from the early 1960s onwards are all retired. Stan came up from either Gatwick or Heathrow in 1967, Denville and Jerry were trained in-house, among several others. The staff complement was remarkably stable from about 1977 to the late 1980s when one or two controllers moved on and others began to arrive, notably from Blackpool.

As one of the ‘old guard’ I commenced my training at LBA in 1977 and am definitely not retired yet!
We were all trained to perform 1/2 mile SRAs to all runways, especially runway15 before the days of ILS and in all weathers.
We did say goodnight to all our listeners on the r/t as we signed off on the tapes!

 

[oldendays]

My apologies Heff. I should have said 'retired or no longer working at Leeds Bradford'. I assume the latter applies to your good self?

 

[Heff0927]

The latter, still controlling elsewhere

 

[oldendays]

Heff0927, I have sent you a private message/conversation.

 

[Aviador]

I remember his voice. It was so distinctive. Like the Brian Johnstone of the Airport world. He took no prisoners either when doing ATC. I remember one pilot not doing as he was told within LBA airspace and when he landed he was told in no uncertain terms to 'see me' before going home.

Yes I believe I may have heard the same conversation, that unless there were many. He was an incredibly polite gentleman with it though.

 

[Dave 1959]

I remember in the early days when the airport used to shut down around 10pm, the ATC would sometimes sign off by saying “goodnight to all our listeners”. They were a class act.

Also the 10pm close time gave my brother just enough time to get down to the New Inn for last orders.

Yes I remember that too and I'm sure we used to get a Happy Christmas/New Year as well.

 

[Dave 1959]

Yes I believe I may have heard the same conversation, that unless there were many. He was an incredibly polite gentleman with it though.

I seem to recall another controller at that time ,Graham Bedford, also had quite a distinctive deep voice.

 

[oldendays]

This thread is turning into quite a 'who's who' of LBA past. I too remember Graham, another LBA graduate who spent his whole career there. I used to see him in Morrison's quite a lot but not recently. Nice chap and another great controller.

Bob Nash was often on duty late Christmas Eve (as I remember) so the Xmas greeting could well have come from him.

 

[Dave 1959]

The old guard of LBA ATCOs whom were trained and/or employed there from the early 1960s onwards are all retired. Stan came up from either Gatwick or Heathrow in 1967, Denville and Jerry were trained in-house, among several others. The staff complement was remarkably stable from about 1977 to the late 1980s when one or two controllers moved on and others began to arrive, notably from Blackpool.

I'm sure I have seen somewhere Stan spent part of his early career at Heathrow.
I'm also sure I have seen that the CAA regularly seconded some of their trainee ATCO's to LBA on a fee paying basis such was the quality of the in-house training.

 

[oldendays]

You're right on both counts Dave. Stan certainly came from either Heathrow or Gatwick. I wonder what the attraction of LBA was ?

 

[G-AZNZ(2)]

Back in around 1985 Iberia A300's operated a weekly Sunday service from/to Palma for Thomson.
On one occasion Stan announced to spotters via the tower frequency that the Airbus was delayed by a couple of hours - class!
Happy days!!