Jack ) wrote:
I cannot comment on the administrative background to the present
airport chaos, but I throw in this little story.

Just before Christmas 1979, the weather pattern was almost identical to
that at present with widespread fog. I was an airline Fleet Manager
based at Gatwick at the time. Auto land was a rarity in those days so
the level of chaos was considerable but for different reasons. Our
aircraft finished up at Manston, Kent, where the ground handling
facilities were minimal. The aircrew did a wonderful job keeping the
passengers informed, arranging surface transport, etc.

Some time later, I was talking about this with some "job's worth"
in the [name of government organisation deleted]. He "pointed out"
that aircrew were not supposed to get involved in these matters and
they were the sole responsibility of the ground handling company at
Manston. That company was of course completely overstretched and was
not just dealing with our airline.

Put it this way, had the crews in our airline NOT done all they could
to help (and none of them had to be asked) they would have been in my
office later and asked to explain.

Jack


Jack,

I remember that year well. We were supposed to be flying to Nairobi
that night from Heathrow but the fog put paid to this. Faced with a
prospect of sleeping the night in the terminal (which was much less
crowded in those days) and going home our family took the latter -
despite the fact we had checked in and the protestations on the ground
handling staff.
I cannot tell you how disappointed a seven-year-old boy was that
instead of taking his first 747 long-haul flight - he was back home in
bed in Chadwell Heath.

I cannot remember what happened subsequently but I think we got up the
next morning and the flight left later that day. No mean feat in the
days before mobile phones, internet and even teletext!