Hello
I as well visited the tower together with Ivan(lucky me
) Wherefore special thanks by the way , and I can tell you , It WAS a fantastic day. Only a little pity of the weather , but anyway , that couldn't stop the joy!
About the question wetter the BRU APP/DEP was in the CANAC control center. Well The most of the departing planes got SOME information and instructions from the controller . (In this case Stijn...(wich is a great guy):D) But Only special instructions concerning request on taxi and departure...
Approaches only on final it seemed. But since it wasn't so busy I can't confirm that. But it seemed they only started to contact the planes for landing when they where on final ((long final)...about 7-10NM from the airport). The navigation TO Brussels airport from the Belgian Borders may as well be done by CANAC. But again...I Can't confirm that right now.
It certainly was very interesting. Now I've not only heard the ATC talking planes in/out but I've actually seen it. And I was in the first place surprised about the fact there weren't so many people in the tower (but it wasn't so busy), and (it only seemed) the limited equipment. It was totally a all-in system. Only few different screens.
-Aerospace radar for Approaching and Departing airplanes and for Overflights (different ones) ;,
-a ground radar for all movements on the ground, really everything what moves (separately from movements given by the other radar).
-A screen wich shows the next coming expected start-ups/Departures/Arrivals within a certain time and all the needed info.
-A keypad for frequency switchings and to contact CANAC , and other agencies etc...
-A screen wich displays a certain camera view around the airport.
(controlled by another keypad and a stick)
-and some screens with other info like meteo , ATIS ARR/DEP etc...(mainly on the main desk in the center of the tower).
There where 5 quarter circular desks if I remember(could be one more or less) and one all round desk in the middle of the room.
All 5 similar desks had the same equipment with additionally sperate screen for each a specified target.
So I guess almost never all five desks will be manned together because you can do almost everything from 2 or 3 desks. Even if all desks are manned ( room for one (like we saw) chair or possible two) you can count on a maximum of about 12 people in the tower.(?) But I would guess most of the time the max is about 8.
Around the desks you can take a walk from the outside. And have a nice view. There is also a narrow terrace around that floor , wich we have been told would not be assessable even for the controllers (except maybe if they would ever need to fire a flare
).
The construction downunder was also quite impressive. Totally out of glass and alloy(or aluminum) round bars, all connected in a triangular form (is stronger).There was a black shiny marble floor. And few nice smooth wooden desks. For the rest there was very little inside. It even looks that for the rest there WHERE NO DESKS. It was really weird , it looked like a banned , ghost city.
And of course above you had a marvelous view on , the Wall , the airport , on all sides , you could see the cool-towers of the nuclear factory something further , the Cathedral of Mechelen , the Atomium , Cathedral of Koekelberg , the Watercastle
and much more
Maybe it looks uninteresting for a lot of you but I'm only describing how it looks for someone who WOULD be interested.Anyway , enough about that.
Since I've also been to Ivan's uncle so where were already closer to the tower. (Right next to the Approach route of RWY25R , Right of it , planes alt between 1500-1000ft altitude I would guess).So I couldn't really log all planes. So it will only be a short log and some planes we saw from the Tower.
LOG: BRU 21/01/2006
ARR= Arrival
DEP= Departure
OVS= Overshoot
TAG= Touch And Go
13:01---ARR---25L--SAS Scandinavian----Dash 8-400Q---LN-RDL
13:04---ARR---25L--Turkish airlines-------B737-800-------TC-JFE
13:08---DEP---25R--Aerofreight Tupolev--TU-204F--------RA.......
13:08---ARR---25L--Eurowings------------BAe 146-200---D-AEWD
13:09---ARR---25L--SN Brussels----------Avro RJ85------OO-DJN
13:11---ARR---25L--Swiss airlines--------Avro RJ100-----HB-IXG
13:13---ARR---25L--SN Brussels----------Avro RJ85------OO-DJL
13:27---TAG---25R---VLM airlines--------Fokker 50-------OO-VLR (n/c)
13:28---ARR---25R---Air Atlanta Cargo---B747-200F-----TF-AMC (white)
13:31---TAG---25R---VLM airlines--------Fokker 50-------OO-VLR (n/c)
13:33---ARR---25L---SN Brussels---------BAe 146-200---OO-DJH
13:34---ARR---25R---Belgian Defence---EMB-RJ145LR---CE-.....
13:36---ARR---25L---Virgin Express------B737-300wgl---OO-VEX
13:38---ARR---25L---Syrian Air-----------A320-200-------YK-AKB
13:40---ARR---25L---SN Brussels---------Avro RJ100----OO-DWG
13:40---TAG---25R---VLM airlines---------Fokker 50------OO-VLR (n/c)
13:48---ARR---25L---RAM Royal Maroc--B737-700-------CN-RNV
13:49---ARR---25L---SN Brussels---------Avro RJ85------OO-DJY
13:50---ARR---25L---KLM Cityhopper----Fokker 50-------PH-LXP
13:50---TAG---25R---VLM airlines--------Fokker 50-------OO-VLR (n/c)
13:51---ARR---25L---SN Brussels--------Avro RJ85-------OO-DJV
13:52---ARR---25L---SN Brussels--------BAe 146-200----OO-MJE
13:52---ARR---25L---SN Brussels--------Avro RJ85-------OO-DJR
13:54---ARR---25L---BMI British Midl.---EMB-RJ145------G-RJXB (n/c)
13:55---OVS---25R---VLM airlines-------Fokker 50-------OO-VLR (n/c)
14:02---ARR---25L---SN Brussels--------Avro RJ100------OO-DWB
14:02---ARR---25L---Thomas Cook-----A320-214-------OO-TCM
14:04---TAG---25R---VLM airlines-------Fokker 50--------OO-VLR (n/c)
14:10---ARR---25L---Thomas Cook-----A320-214-------OO-TCI 'Santa'
14:11---TAG---25R---VLM airlines-------Fokker 50--------OO-VLR (n/c)
14:13---ARR---25L---Royal Jet----------Gulfstr. G-300(IV)--A6-RJA
14:13---ARR---25R---Singapore Cargo--B747-400F-------9V-SFF
14:16---ARR---25L---Private(Untitled)--Hawker RTH-80XP--N228TM
14:20---TAG---25R---VLM airlines-------Fokker 50---------OO-VLR (n/c)
14:36---ARR---25R---Asiana Cargo-----B747-400F--------HL7436
Than I stopped logging , we got picked up by Ivan's uncle.
The VLM Fokker 50 kept training until about 1500/1530LT(?)
Seen from the tower:(not necessarily in the correct order)
Landings:
Alitalia MD82 (25L)
Lufthansa B735 (25L)
Air France ERJ3 (25L)
DHL (EAT) B75F (n/c) (25R)
Virgin Express B734 (25R)
Virgin Express B734 (25L)
Virgin Express B733 (25R)
SNBA AR1 (25R)
SNBA AR8 (25L)
SNBA AR8 (25R)
Iberia A320 (25R)
SAS Scandinavian MD87 (25L)
TUI Airlines Belgium F100 (25L)
TUI Airlines Belgium B734 (25L)
And some others.
Departures:
Iberia A320 (25R)
Singapore Cargo (25R)
Asiana Cargo (25R)
SNBA AR1 (25R)
SNBA AR1 (25R)
SNBA AR1 (25R)
SNBA AR8 (25R)
Virgin Express B733 (25R)
Virgin Express B734 (25R)
Jetairfly B738 (25R via W4) YEAH!!:P
And many more (impossible too have eyes on your back
)
RAM B737-700 CN-RNV declared a delay.
About 17:00LT Loftleidir Icelandic (full colors) B767-300ER TF-FIB
(special request...the controllers sended him via W4 wich I think can be confirmed is highly unusual for a empty ferry flight?
:D haha (too bad the sole spotter still spotting on the soundwall already left by than)
by the way , is there someone who dear to tell me that it was him?
It was someone with a black coat , stood there for sure around 1600LT.
Some info about the Loftleidir.
The plane flew replacement flights to the Carribean who used to be flewn by the Bankrupt Sobelair...when Loftleidir first came to BRU it was with TF-FIB , it was a completly white B767-300ER. After a pretty long time flying they decided to title the plane with the title ' Loftleidir'.
Complete white:
http://www.airliners.net/open.file/605076/M/
With Titles:
http://www.airliners.net/open.file/712672/M/
After it's services at BRU it returned and was repainted in Icelandair Colors.
http://www.airliners.net/open.file/901297/M/
Now it came in to BRU for a repainting (actually just new stickers on tail and fuselage). So the tail has now the Loftleidir logo and titles.
The runway situation right before we entered the tower.
Wind 300°
7kts
Visibility 10km and more
Clouds approaching 1600ft
Temperature 7° (C)
2.4
QNH 1024 (hPa)
NOSIG
Virtualiser Oscar on close contact
Brussels National for Arrival Oscar
1419
Expectances for ILS approach
Runway 25L for Arrival Left
Runway 25R for Departure
Transition Level 50
When we left some things already changed.
Wind 330° ...kts
Visibility 10Km and more
Clouds breaking at 2400ft
Temperature 9° (weird , felt culder
)
QNH 1025
TURTURE(????)
.....
Brussels National for Arrival Juliet
...etc..etc...
After we left BRU I heard that the runway use was:
RWY 02 for Arrival
RWY 07L , RWY 07R and RWY 02 for Departure
The current runway use 22/01/2006 19:00LT is
RWY 02 for Arrival
RWY 07R for Departure.
I hope I haven't been :censored: around to much. But I just try to be as complete as possible for WHO are interested , just to let let them enjoy a little with us maybe by telling HOW it looks.
I LIKE TO THANK FOLLOWING PEOPLE WHO MADE THE VISIT POSSIBLE
- JEAN PIERRE FOSTERS...who is working his last days at BRU Tower
-Stijn (ATC controller BRU) for the info and the opportunity he gave us by sending the planes via W4. (too bad the SQ 74Y protested against it
)
-The other ATC controllers who gave some further information about getting a ATC controller etc...
-Ivan's Uncle Chris who picked us up when it was rainy.
-Ivan's Mother who brought me (once again) to Mechelen Station
-Ivan self for choosing me for the visit. THANKS M8
And ALL THE OTHERS who made this possible.
THANKS EVERYONE!!
Best regards: Yannick
