A letter to ATC [rant]

TFaudree_ERAU

TFaudree_ERAU

Mashin' dem buttons
Dear ATC,

I refuse to fly through purple radar returns, regardless of how many aircraft went through ahead of me and only reported moderate rain and a smooth ride. I am responsible for the safety of my own ass, as well as the guy sitting next to me and the people in the back. I can't guarantee that to any of us by flying through purple radar returns. I don't care if you don't have any airspace to work me around the weather. That's what landlines, A-Sides and/or supervisors are for. Someone get on the horn and call the other sector and work out something. I bet the effort involved in that would be a helluva lot less than the paperwork you'd have to fill out if I became a smoking hole in the ground.

Maybe a lesson in the unpredictability of a thunderstorm would be prudent.

Sincerely,

Wuss E. Pilot
 
I like the guys that refuse to fly thru level 1 or 2 returns. If they'd aim the RADAR where it was supposed to be they wouldn't be deviating causing all these delays for everyone else and freaking out about them. Also I'm finding the controllers just vector your around weather no matter if you want to go around it or not, or they shut the field down for showers. It's like they are holding our hands more and more.

Note: not a slant on the OP; I've seen controllers try to put you thru a bad storm just as often.
 
wheelsup said:
I like the guys that refuse to fly thru level 1 or 2 returns. If they'd aim the RADAR where it was supposed to be they wouldn't be deviating causing all these delays for everyone else and freaking out about them. Also I'm finding the controllers just vector your around weather no matter if you want to go around it or not, or they shut the field down for showers. It's like they are holding our hands more and more.

Note: not a slant on the OP; I've seen controllers try to put you thru a bad storm just as often.
Click to expand...

B-b-b-b-but...it's all about makin' money!
 
TFaudree_ERAU said:
Dear ATC,

I refuse to fly through purple radar returns, regardless of how many aircraft went through ahead of me and only reported moderate rain and a smooth ride. I am responsible for the safety of my own ass, as well as the guy sitting next to me and the people in the back. I can't guarantee that to any of us by flying through purple radar returns. I don't care if you don't have any airspace to work me around the weather. That's what landlines, A-Sides and/or supervisors are for. Someone get on the horn and call the other sector and work out something. I bet the effort involved in that would be a helluva lot less than the paperwork you'd have to fill out if I became a smoking hole in the ground.

Maybe a lesson in the unpredictability of a thunderstorm would be prudent.

Sincerely,

Wuss E. Pilot
Click to expand...

You trying to get 20 left to avoid DC bud???? ;)
 
A question for CRJ pilots. What is maxi tailwind component for CRJ200?

Few days ago, I watched few CRJ go around at PHL because of tailwind. The wind was 100 @11. After that, good ole ATC spent 30 to 45 minutes try to turn PHL into East ops. sweet. ;)

To original OP, I trust my "Mark II" eyeballs better than radar. :p
 
adreamer said:
A question for CRJ pilots. What is maxi tailwind component for CRJ200?

Few days ago, I watched few CRJ go around at PHL because of tailwind. The wind was 100 @11. After that, good ole ATC spent 30 to 45 minutes try to turn PHL into East ops. sweet. ;)

To original OP, I trust my "Mark II" eyeballs better than radar. :p
Click to expand...

Max tailwind for CRJ200's is 10 knots. AND, remember, PHL controllers aren't the savviest tools in the ATC shed.
 
adreamer said:
A question for CRJ pilots. What is maxi tailwind component for CRJ200?
Click to expand...

10 knots, but it could have been something where the wind at altitude (even 100 feet) was way more than 10 knots so they elected to go around. I've come down the River Visual in DC with a 60 knot tailwind until about 50 feet where it died off to calm. Somehow we made it down where as the two Airbii behind me couldn't get down fast enough and went around. It happens.
 
adreamer said:
To original OP, I trust my "Mark II" eyeballs better than radar. :p
Click to expand...

As do I. When virga, roll clouds, and a beautiful anvil with shades of green under it are what I see, I'm not flying through it.

We were inbound to IAD yesterday around 4:15, flying the BARIN1. Just north of the Potomac near TRING was the thunderstorm with purple returns...and A LOT of purple. There was more purple than red. When we checked in with the final controller, he told us we were going to fly through weather, but that pilots that had gone through it before us had reported moderate rain and a smooth ride. We told him we weren't going to do it. That being said, I would think he had more than enough time to evaluate the big picture and start coordinating with adjacent sectors to figure something out. Instead, he waited for ANOTHER airplane to go through it, requested a PIREP from them, and then tried to convince us for the third time to go through it. Problem is, everyone that was going through it was arriving from the north and only skirting the west side of the cell. We would have had to fly right through the center of it on the downwind and then again on final. Finally, he figured out that he could have us slow back to our final approach speed and he could turn our base over the Potomac.

All is well that ends well, but there is no way in hell I was flying through that stuff.
 
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