LATCC West Drayton

The LATCC Brochure (Civil and Military ATS) LATCC West Drayton Brochure

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the view from Porters Way (Malcolm Hemmings)

now five new photos from Les Tranter

LWD0a  June 2nd 1970

LWD0b  27 August 1970

LWD0c  south face towards Porter’s Way  28 January 1971

LWD0d Civil en-route Ops Room 9th February 1971

LWD0e  Clacton Sector  Suite 28 January 1971.

“Note the vertical ‘Shrimp Boat’ dispenser between the two gents on the left! The shrimp boats were small pointed pieces of perspex on which one wrote the callsign in chinagraph, and then pushed them alongside the primary target in the absence of SSR (à la Battle of Britain). One pulled out a tiny drawer to dispense them. One problem with the shrimp boats was that some of the early conference tubes were slightly domed, and the shrimp boats would sail away towards the ashtrays. Despite widespread use in the US they didn’t last long at all in Mediator…!

I note that this photo was taken before ‘O’ date, the nightshift commencing 1945 on 31 Jan 71, an interesting evening…” – Malcolm Hemming

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Here we have the LATCC stage half with the ATCO II ‘D-Men’ (and women..) and the ATCO IV/ATCA II strip-bashers. FPRS is over by the window on the left, AO/DO in the middle, and the FIR tucked in the corner. South Bank A- and D-sides on the left, North Bank D- and A-sides on the right. Looks like Pete Wyre on the Desk. Radar and Procedural were combined into the Mediator Stage 1 Ops Room at the start of the nightshift  (1945hrs) on the evening of 31 January 1971. A few radar controllers remained at SATCC ‘North Side’ just in case, and watched with interest, but only until ‘last orders’ in the Peggy Bedford.

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LWD10a Gordon Smethurst on a Pole Hill sector radar position 1990. John Gilbert on the right?

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DTY Sector with Willie(?) Griffiths sitting on right John A Baker

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Bob Rowland-Rouse Snr (R-cubed)  John Collier
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LWD23a a further selection of sector photographs from John Douglas

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above and below

the ‘spare suite’. Because radar is set up for Irish Sea/strip designators show SFD Sector/strips are test strips – callsign is XXXTWS1 – ‘XXX then initials of person initiating test’ – John A Baker
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FIR

Showing both FIR South (E&W) and separate FIR North. These pictures are after the FIR moved into the area behind the CLN sector. John A Baker

LWD27a and here  is another photo of FIR E&W courtesy of John Douglas

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Flow Control

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TMA

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LWD30a at last some more TMS sectors. Nigel Draper tells us that “the close up photo is my dad Leo Draper. Photos via John Douglas who also provided the following three items

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LWD30c TMA inbound routes

LWD30d TMA “other airfields”

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This is the SFD Sector radar position John A Baker

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the three 1 million photos below from Paul Funnell and others

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LWD33b (from Paul Funnell) the clocks awards to the duty team

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the CLN (rhandside) printer. John A Baker

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Data Extraction Cell

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Flight Progress Strips

Essential Support tasks in the Background

LATCC Simulation Services

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Training section (in North building). Standing John Newman, sitting to his left is Paul Stroud. “I recognise the green/blue/red shirt !!”  – John A Baker)

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Instructor is Clint Gurry (standing) John A Baker

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Standing is Dermot ??  John A Baker

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Enroute Charges

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System Control

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LWD52a and LWD 52b system control photo and LATCC radars map (Scillies Radar?) from John Douglas

Telephone Exchange

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This is Ted Gardner with Terry Thomas from LATCC (standing). Possibly  Ted was the first ATSA who qualified as a FISO to do FIR – confirmation awaited. It looks like an FIR position. Is this the award of a FISO certificate/licence? Is this the first FISO at LATCC or even anywhere. Answers please via the comments link at the top of this post.

Final Photos of LATCC ops room  Alastair Meikle

All taken during ‘A’ watch’s last shift before moving to NERC (a night shift)

LWD 58    Flight Plan Supervisor (Tony Dann)

LWD 59 Ops room view from military supervisors position (right hand of supervisors desk)

LWD60  London FIR (Chris ‘Sid’ Addison & Sheila Bristow)

LWD61   General view of the ops room from above BRS_CAR_23

LWD62  BRS_CAR_23 sector (note new NERC sector numbers above the sectors

LWD63  BRS_CAR_23 morning rush (0545) (Paul Swift is the ATSA, Michelle ? controller on left)

LWD64   Radar display Sector 23

LWD65   The (former) Ops room entrance

LWD66  the LATCC(Mil) MASOR about two hours after it finally closed on 28 Jan 2008 via David Phillips

D Watch Farewell to LATCC last night

LWD 67 Sent in by Chris Morewood who was hoping to get a better quality copy. With his help and that of Alastair Miekle and Bill Hoskins we think it was taken by the late Paul Jennings on the occasion of D Watch’s last watch at West Drayton.