SeaTac Tower: Nobody Home

In our local tower they pee in the sink (or so they say). I'm not sure what
they do when they have other needs, but I didn't really want to know.

In our local tower they pee in the sink (or so they say). I'm not sure what they do when they have other needs, but I didn't really want to know.

The *real* reason for having a sink in the tower cab : )

When I worked in ops at a regional airport the AM controller opening
the tower didn't get a bathroom break until the next controller came
on. On a few occasions I watched the radios for him while he answered
nature's call.

In article ,
"Gary Drescher" wrote:

What happens when the lone controller needs a bathroom break?

You think us pilots are the only ones that need to practice holding
procedures to stay current?

"Roy Smith" wrote in message
...
In article ,
"Gary Drescher" wrote:

What happens when the lone controller needs a bathroom break?

You think us pilots are the only ones that need to practice holding
procedures to stay current?

But at least we pilots often have the option of landing and taking an
unscheduled break if needed (though not always, of course).

--Gary

Gary Drescher wrote:

But at least we pilots often have the option of landing and taking an
unscheduled break if needed (though not always, of course).

Amateur. :-) 64 oz Tropicanna orange juice containers work very well and
permit the distraction to be momentary at best.

--
Peter

"Gary Drescher" wrote in message
...

What happens when the lone controller needs a bathroom break? Are the
stalls equipped with speakers and microphones?


"Lone controller on duty" may mean lone controller in the tower. There may
be others in the facility. Facilities that regularly operate with one
controller actually on duty tend to be small so the bathroom is not far
away.

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Philip S. wrote:

Anybody else hear of this? I'm guessing that it couldn't have been during a
busy time, as that would have caused utter chaos. I'm also guessing that
this sort of thing isn't unprecedented.

Clips of it and when Tower come back are at the forums at
http://www.liveatc.net. you will need to sign up/log in (free) to get
to the clips. There's one in particular where EVA31 comes in looking
for landing clearance, find no-one, and go missed.

BL.
- --
Brad Littlejohn | Email:
Unix Systems Administrator, |
Web + NewsMaster, BOFH.. Smeghead! | http://www.wizard.com/~tyketto
PGP: 1024D/E319F0BF 6980 AAD6 7329 E9E6 D569 F620 C819 199A E319 F0BF

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"Philip S." wrote in message
...
Sorry if this has been mentioned before, but I just saw a story on my
local
news (in the Pacific Northwest) about an incident at SeaTac airport on
April
11th, and this is the first I've heard of it.

Apparently, there was a period of about 30 minutes on that day (no mention
as to what time of day) when no incoming flights could get a response from
the tower. The security guard at the tower was eventually asked to
investigate, and it seems that the lone controller on duty had fallen
asleep. The story ended by noting that the FAA now required two
controllers
on duty in the SeaTac tower at all times.

Anybody else hear of this? I'm guessing that it couldn't have been during
a
busy time, as that would have caused utter chaos. I'm also guessing that
this sort of thing isn't unprecedented.

Well what about this one then!

http://icwales.icnetwork.co.uk/0100n...name_page.html

A PILOT told holidaymakers he could not land at Cardiff International
Airport because an air traffic controller was on a tea break.

Bemused and frustrated passengers on board the flight from Tenerife spent
almost half-an- hour circling the airport until the plane was finally
allowed to land.

The captain of the flight, which landed at 12.40am on Saturday, reportedly
told his passengers that he had "never encountered anything like it" in all
the years he had been flying.............................

"Greg Farris" wrote in message
...
In article , says...



The captain of the flight, which landed at 12.40am on Saturday, reportedly
told his passengers that he had "never encountered anything like it" in
all
the years he had been flying.............................



Well, apparently he was not used to flying into Milan, Italy where ATC
staff
received work suspensions two years ago when it was found that the entire
staff
was outside playing soccer, leaving the Linate tower unattended!

In Milan football is serious stuff.

Also remember the mid-air in Switzerland a couple of years ago where the
controller took a break in the middle of the night.

Mike Schumann

"Chris" wrote in message
...

"Philip S." wrote in message
...
Sorry if this has been mentioned before, but I just saw a story on my
local
news (in the Pacific Northwest) about an incident at SeaTac airport on
April
11th, and this is the first I've heard of it.

Apparently, there was a period of about 30 minutes on that day (no
mention
as to what time of day) when no incoming flights could get a response
from
the tower. The security guard at the tower was eventually asked to
investigate, and it seems that the lone controller on duty had fallen
asleep. The story ended by noting that the FAA now required two
controllers
on duty in the SeaTac tower at all times.

Anybody else hear of this? I'm guessing that it couldn't have been during
a
busy time, as that would have caused utter chaos. I'm also guessing that
this sort of thing isn't unprecedented.

Well what about this one then!

http://icwales.icnetwork.co.uk/0100n...name_page.html

A PILOT told holidaymakers he could not land at Cardiff International
Airport because an air traffic controller was on a tea break.

Bemused and frustrated passengers on board the flight from Tenerife spent
almost half-an- hour circling the airport until the plane was finally
allowed to land.

The captain of the flight, which landed at 12.40am on Saturday, reportedly
told his passengers that he had "never encountered anything like it" in
all the years he had been flying.............................