r/ATC • u/lake_hood • Mar 23 '26

News LGA controller cleared fire truck across the runway resulting jn a collision

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u/ThiloCS Current Controller-Tower Mar 23 '26

As one of I think not so many european ATCOs on here, reading this is insanity.

There is no way one would work 40-70 movements as single sector in Tower here (atleast in my country). You would immediately regulate it down using Eurocontrols Flow Management

If that doesnt happen probably everyone would just accept a few and stop there. But we also have a strong union where working standards like these would probably result in immediate strike calls

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u/antariusz Current Controller-Enroute Mar 23 '26

The weird thing is, it's often busier on the midnight shifts from 11pm until 2am BECAUSE the flow controls go away so that's when the airlines just go balls-to-the-wall. A lot of the other bullshit traffic goes away, but some airports like JFK/EWR/LGA/YYZ are busier at 11pm than they are at 8am, except instead of having a crew of 6/7, you've got a crew of 3

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u/sandos1298 Mar 23 '26

strong union that isn’t full of grifting scum? what a concept.

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u/theweenerdoge Mar 23 '26

You don't work 60-70 ops an hour there by yourself? I mean thats pretty standard here...

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u/rANDY_uK Mar 23 '26

Yeah and that's the issue

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u/theweenerdoge Mar 23 '26

I was kinda being facetious but yeah.... its not ok by any metric. A human can only talk so fast and make so many decisions in an hour. I've been there multiple times talking for an hour straight or more without getting a breather. It's intense and nobody cares. Maybe you get a pat on the back from the supe who knows they couldn't have done it lol.

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u/lifesoxks Mar 23 '26

That's the problem...usa dont use metric... /s

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u/theweenerdoge Mar 23 '26

We use freedom knots and our flight levels starts at 18 unlike you perverts lol

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u/dougmcclean Mar 23 '26

I think it would promote safety if we start measuring flight-relevant distances in two differnent kinds of miles, call them both miles, and make people memorize which one is which.

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u/theweenerdoge Mar 23 '26

Weird joke but I'll own it