Ride Reports

Chief Captain

Chief Captain

Well-Known Member
How do en-route controllers feel about pilots asking for "ride reports" when we change frequencies? When every other pilot either gives or requests the information, and it seems like it would get annoying pretty quickly, especially on a busy day.

As you can guess, I don't do it, but I'm curious to see how you guys feel.
 
Soliciting and distributing PIREPs (including ride reports) is part of our additional duties. Obviously if the frequency is already congested with control instructions, it may not be a good time to ask, but it is our job and I don't know anyone who would call it annoying during appropriate circumstances. Today there were bad rides throughout my airspace, including a few reports of severe turbulance. In that case I am required to disseminate that information.
 
I noticed that most guys will just incorporate the ride into their check-in. But only if it is anything other than smooth.

Good evening Baaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaston Center, CommutAir 4848 level one three thousand, light chop.
 
Yeah, it helps to cut down on the verbiage by just saying it when you check on, but it's necessary information. When it was just me and the rubber dog doo I loved flying at night, but now that there are meatsicles in the back, a significant downside is the paucity of ride information, which means I have to at least try to keep them sitting down a lot of the time, which leads to cranky medicos.
 
It's not the general requesting of ride reports that gets annoying, or requesting on check-in. When I'm talking to 20 planes and giving ride reports every couple of transmissions (referencing a fix that almost everyone is flying over on their flight plan), then someone who's been on frequency for the last 5-10 minutes asks, I'm likely to start getting snappy. Usually, when the rides are bad, especially if there are only one or two good altitudes, my workload is pretty high. Everyone is cris-crossing each other, and they all want the same altitude. Meanwhile, everyone is asking about the rides as they check in, which takes time to give everyone the report. If the rides are bad, expecially if you hear me chattering seemingly nonstop, listen up! If I say moderate turbulence all altitudes between FL320 and FL380, that means ALL altitudes in there. The other problem with situations like this is spacing. One day last summer, the only good altitudes in my sector were FL260 and FL380. In addition to all of the requests for ride reports, everyone was at (or trying to get to) one of those two altitudes, and we were doing miles-in-trail spacing to numerous airports on crossing routes. The speeds quickly became a major issue, as I'm sure you can imagine, increasing my workload even further. Now, I'm not complaining, because I love my job. Dealing with this situation is part of what makes my job so much fun, but in the moment when I'm dealing with a situation like that, I'm so hyperfocused I can get snappy much quicker and easier than I normally would (and I've been told I am way too nice a controller).

That being said, when I'm riding in the back, I really want the pilots to get the smoothest ride possible, and I don't care so much about if they are annoying the controllers! I hate to admit it, but it's true. I try to remember this when I start to get upset with pilots, but sometimes, in the moment, I do forget.
 
Boris Badenov said:
Yeah, it helps to cut down on the verbiage by just saying it when you check on, but it's necessary information. When it was just me and the rubber dog doo I loved flying at night, but now that there are meatsicles in the back, a significant downside is the paucity of ride information, which means I have to at least try to keep them sitting down a lot of the time, which leads to cranky medicos.
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First ones out, last ones in!
 
So it seems from my informal poll that you guys don't really mind, except when it's bad and nobody listens. In that situation, I'd just grow a pair and ride it out.

Thanks.
 
"Hey Center, we've got some very occasional very light nuisance chop... what are your rides like from 6000 feet to FL600"
 
If the controller seems busy, please hold the turbulence requests/reports, we don't care honestly, if there's moderate or above, we will pass it on, we're required to, if it's light it's not important when you're busy.

Turbulence info to pilots gets more detailed the less busy you become, we don't mind being very helpful when its a slow sector, but if it's busy please spare the light chop report, it's not that we don't care about your ride condition, it's simply we have more pressing issues to attend to.

If it's not busy, I'll spend considerable time trying to find smooth conditions for flights, I know what it's like to be trying to enjoy a movie with some sweat hog drooling on your shoulder for 10 hours, but please don't forget we have a job to do too, and smooth air is pretty low on the list.


By the way, yes we are well aware certain airlines are more generous in their ride reports than others.
 
cmhumphr said:
I noticed that most guys will just incorporate the ride into their check-in. But only if it is anything other than smooth.

Good evening Baaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaston Center, CommutAir 4848 level one three thousand, light chop.
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Yeah I do that often and even if it is smooth.
 
Joshua Approach, good afternoon SKW#### 1-1 thousand.... getting spanked. Not that it matters though, because we're the only ones flying into IYK!
 
Eh, its part of my job. I find if the rides are • in the sector at most of the altitudes, I inform the pilots when they check in and 90% of the time they never ask again. It makes things run smoother.
 
Jet said:
Well after constantly getting asked for a ride report when it's smooth, I figured I'll start being proactive instead of reactive. It saves times.
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I always figured that if you don't say anything, the ride is tolerable.
 
s60 said:
It's not the general requesting of ride reports that gets annoying, or requesting on check-in. When I'm talking to 20 planes and giving ride reports every couple of transmissions (referencing a fix that almost everyone is flying over on their flight plan), then someone who's been on frequency for the last 5-10 minutes asks, I'm likely to start getting snappy.
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The first time I came across this exact scenario I was astounded at the professionalism of the controller. I was on frequency for about 4 hours with ABQ center. About every 5 minutes another carrier would cross the same fix at FL250, 270 or 290. Every one reported in with light chop and they all asked the same question, how's the ride ahead and is any one reporting better altitudes?

The controller told everyone the same thing - chop reported all altitudes, no reports of smooth air. Every 10 minutes pilots would request a altitude change to check out the other FLs. It was moderately hilarious, but I would've lost it if I was that controller. I understand that carriers might only be on frequency for 5 minutes before switching, but most of these rides took a half hour before handoff. I would have figured the PNF would have monitored the freq, for a second before checking in and would realize that everyone else gave the same information, but I guess I would be wrong...
 
moxiepilot said:
The first time I came across this exact scenario I was astounded at the professionalism of the controller. I was on frequency for about 4 hours with ABQ center. About every 5 minutes another carrier would cross the same fix at FL250, 270 or 290. Every one reported in with light chop and they all asked the same question, how's the ride ahead and is any one reporting better altitudes?

The controller told everyone the same thing - chop reported all altitudes, no reports of smooth air. Every 10 minutes pilots would request a altitude change to check out the other FLs. It was moderately hilarious, but I would've lost it if I was that controller. I understand that carriers might only be on frequency for 5 minutes before switching, but most of these rides took a half hour before handoff. I would have figured the PNF would have monitored the freq, for a second before checking in and would realize that everyone else gave the same information, but I guess I would be wrong...
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Considering pilots do this to us all day, every day that there's any amount of turbulence in the airspace, you almost become numb to it... doesn't mean the controllers true comments weren't veiled by releasing the transmit button.
 
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