Shanwick Oceanic Control Centre

9-11 Turnback

Following the 9-11 attack on the USA the USA’s airspace was closed presenting a considerable operational challenge to the controllers in Canada and at Shanwick OACC.

The Guild of Air Traffic Controller Officers awarded the Hunt Trophy to the duty watch at Shanwick in recognition of their performance. The dedication is shown below.

hunt trophy

Scottish & Oceanic ACCs 1980 Brochure

SW1

Atlantic House Outside from E corner (note breaks in wall ready for new extension

SW2

ScATCC Oceanic control room Atlantic House

left to right (rear) Bill Rogers ATCO II, Eric Sleight ATCO I (D Watch supervisor), Nigel Foulkes (Chairman CAA), Frank Tolson (Centre Superintendent) Vic Oldcorn (Assistant Centre Superintendent)

left to right (front) Alistair Finlayson ATCO II, Peter Manson (ATCO II)

SW3

AFTN room General view from North End

SW4

OAC ops room from North End

SW5

Positions 23 and 25 (similar 22 and 24) which contain EDD and Modular data input keyboards for use with Apollo in a first limited step towards full ADP for OAC

SW6

OAC ops rom from South end

SW7

AFTN room from South end

SW8

SW9

AFTN Room August 1973

GA oceanic FPL

SW9a an example of an Oceanic flight plan but in this case for a general aviation aircraft D-EJVO on a ferry flight. It was provided by Colin McKeeman who says “This example is dated 19^th July 1969 and covers a Beech Musketeer on delivery from Gander to Germany via Greenland.”

SW10

Working at the ADP assisted positions. Note re-positioned EDDs since photo 3 was taken

SW11

SW12

SW13

SW14

SW15 1980

SW16

Sandy Dalton, Clearance Delivery Officer 1978

Pete Clarke has sent in a document listing Bloopers in CDO/Aircrew communications (not that Sandy would ever feature in such a document). cdo exchanges

SW17

next 6 photos dated 1989

The first of the “6 photos dated 1989” is of the Oceanic training facility, but the people at the consoles are, in fact, the SSGO Test Team. From left to right, they are Stuart Lonie, Eric Payne, Dave Bell and Bill Mitchell. I can’t make out the face of the person furthest away from the camera. Bob McPike

SW18

SW19

SW20

SW21

SW22

system control

Closure of ScOACC flight progress strip operations and move to FDPS

a set of 15 photos from Pete Clarke reproduced here as a slide show

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

next three are1990

SW23

SW24

SW25

Clearance Delivery Officer is Sue Dutthorn

SW26

SW26 – shows a standard Oceanic controller sector associated with the FDPS that went live in 1987. It certainly facilitated the implementation of data link, but was in use in this form long before data link. Each sector consisted of three devices, two ‘green boxes’ and a printer. The left hand green box was the EDD (electronic data display) possibly the very first operational electronic flight strip display, and the other was the IUD, an acronym that always caused a little embarrassment, but which actually stood for interactive update device. What fun we had with oddball keyboards and coping with system failures…. Dave Lacey

statue fdp award

SW26a This small trophy was presented by Pete Berry, ATC FDPS team manager, to the members of the team on completion of the training and handover of the system for operational use. (Pete Clarke)

SW27

The image at SW27 shows the aerial feeds at Urlanmore, the transmitter site for Ballygirreen. Shannon Aeradio, north of Shannon Airport, Co. Clare. Colin McKeeman

SW27a

SW27b

two photographs Colin took at Shannon Aeradio during the mid-1960’s. Whilst Shannon Aeradio at Ballygirreen is in the Irish Republic, it did and still does play a major role in NAT communications (it is after all the “Shan” in Shanwick with the “wick” donated by Prestwick).

SW28

might SW28 be “At the control console of Apollo, August 1973 “?

SW28 is me, as ATE2 at Apollo console 1973. Steve Roberts, Engineering Watch Manager ScOATCC, Retired!

SW29

above and below the PABX – Bob McPike (more details on SCATCC posting)

SW30

SW31

SW32

SW33

SW34

SW34 to SW36 show the planning charts for the Oceanic flight tracks – a twice daily calculation for day (west bound) then night (east bound) tracks. Steve Roberts
SW35