Author Topic: Training Gus  (Read 21658 times)

drfinal

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Training Gus
« on: October 03, 2008, 02:49:44 PM »
Thought you guys might like this one...

Training Gus


In the low mono-tone I've become accustomed to Gus states,‭ "‬Northwest17‭ ‬climb and maintain one-seven thousand.‭"

I'm going out of my mind.‭ ‬My new trainee has one speed...slow.‭ ‬And I can't keep my eyes open or my mind on the operation while we train.‭ ‬That's bad because at any moment it can turn from calm to chaos.

Right now we have three airplanes and I'm sitting back with my feet up.

Gus is mumbling to himself trying to figure out how to get Northwest up and on his way.‭ ‬He kind of sounds like the Rain Man.‭ ‬I fully expect to see him start counting with his fingers.

‭"‬Let's see,‭ " ‬he says,‭ ‬pursing his lips.‭ "‬I've got‭ ‬17‭ ‬northbound,‭ ‬he's going northbound,‭ ‬heading‭ ‬360,‭ ‬climbing,‭ ‬um‭ ‬,‭ ‬climbing to‭ ‬17.‭"

My head falls to the side and I let out a mock snore.

‭"‬Ahh,‭ ‬no one in his way,‭ ‬aimed,‭ ‬um through the gate,‭ ‬ah,‭ ‬through the gate,‭ ‬everyone goes through the gate,‭ ‬the gate.‭"

I roll my eyes and take another look.‭ ‬There's a primary target cutting westbound in front of Northwest.‭ ‬It's moving too fast to be anything we usually see down low.

Gus tells Northwest to change frequencies.

The primary disappears then blinks back with a secondary target and an altitude readout:‭ ‬125.‭ ‬That's twelve thousand five hundred!

I glance at Northwest.‭ ‬His altitude is‭ ‬11,000‭ ‬climbing well.‭ ‬The unknown aircraft is‭ 4 ‬miles in front of him...

I key the mic,‭ "‬Northwest17‭ ‬negative.‭ ‬Stop climb,‭ ‬maintain‭ ‬1-2‭ ‬thousand turn right heading‭ ‬0-2-0.‭ ‬Traffic alert,‭ ‬traffic twelve o'clock four miles westbound‭ ‬1-2‭ ‬thousand five hundred unverified.‭"

The unknown target starts to blink rapidly.‭ ‬The pilot has triggered the‭ “‬ident‭” ‬feature on his transponder.‭ ‬He sees Northwest and wants to make sure we see him.

Northwest breaks‭ ‬1-2‭ ‬thousand but stops and descends back down and he squeaks just behind the unknown.

Gus turns around and says,‭ "‬Oh my.‭ ‬I didn't even see that.‭"

'No shit,‭' ‬I think.

Time to change my underwear.
« Last Edit: October 03, 2008, 02:52:45 PM by drFinal »



Offline Steel_Anxiety

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Re: Training Gus
« Reply #1 on: October 05, 2008, 04:50:19 AM »
Damn,
Hopefully he learned from his mistake, otherwise he sure as hell isn't gonna cut it as a controller.

drfinal

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Re: Training Gus
« Reply #2 on: October 05, 2008, 07:46:41 AM »
actually this guy was a controller for quite a few years came to N90 and washed out, certified in another facility, came back and washed out again and then certified somewhere else and eventually retired.

Offline RV1

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Re: Training Gus
« Reply #3 on: October 24, 2008, 12:27:56 AM »
                            Another one you might like:

   Lance was sharp, really sharp. His tour of duty as a military controller and his

work ethic made it a pleasure to train him. I was his secondary trainer: I would be

doing the majority of his tracon training. Pete was his primary trainer in the tower:

Let's just say that it was a good thing that Lance came with prior tower

experience! There are those who can't control their way out of a wet paper bag,

that was Pete (don't ask WHY Pete was allowed to train anyone).

     It was a busy day and Lance was in good form. As the approach controller, I

was allowing pilots to execute approaches to runways that were NOT advertised

on the ATIS, and Lance was accommodating them all. When an Aircarrier requested

RY36 and tower had touch-n-goes on 21, and ILS Ry 3, and a VOR to RY 18 with a

touch and go, Lance came up with a plan and said "approved". He would give the

VOR aircraft right traffic for RY21 and fit him in with the T-n-G. Unbeknownest to me,

it was at this time that he need to take a leak and asked Pete to watch his

position while he did so. After explaining the picture to Pete, who was not

monitoring the position, Lance left, only to return a minute later to hear Pete say

to the IFR VOR aircraft, "RY 18, cleared for touch-n-go, after T-n-G, fly runway

heading". Into the face of the carrier who was seven southeast on a right base to

final. Lance grabbed a strip, scribbled on it what the VOR a/c was doing and threw

it down the tube. When I saw the strip, it took me a millisecond to say "Aircarrier

XYZ, turn left heading 240 immediately, November123, turn left heading 060

immediately"

    When Pete got off position, he appeared in the tracon to apologize for letting

it get out of hand for Lance, and how he should have stepped in a little sooner!

           Frankly, I think the wrong person was getting OJT premium that day...