An interesting situation I run into with U90 where I'm at, but not with all controllers there. The situation is the same in terms of time of day (middle of night) and the background is the same, but different controllers handle it differently and I'm curious as to why. Its two separate situations:
1. When departing from the airport, either of the primary surface area airports TUS or DMA (helicopter), am only 500-700 AGL. Leaving the surface area at 3000-3500 MSL, and still well underneath the outer shelf (bottom of 4200 MSL), I'll usually tell tower that Im clear to the north/south/etc. Some tower controllers ask if i want to talk to radar (99% of the time no need to), and others give me a formal handoff to radar to contact them.
2. If i do get handed off to radar, I'll generally contact them and in my initial contact, let them also know that Im clear to the north/south/etc, again expecting to be released and told to change tactical, etc. some controllers do this, but others say "i need you to stay with me for the next X miles before i can release you."
If Ive left the surface area, and below 4200 MSL, Im outside RAPCONs airspace. Why would they want to talk to me when theres no other traffic around anyway at 0200, and how/why do they want to hang onto me when Im not in their airspace anymore anyway (am below the shelf and outside the surface area).
Sometimes, from these same few controllers, ill need to orbit an area working with ground units near an intersection or neighborhood, again outside the surface area and well under the shelf, and ill attempt to terminate with radar, but the controller will insist on keeping me and me needing to advise him how long ill be there, etc. Again, im outside his airspace and would prefer to terminate and change freqs so as not to have to monitor approach freq (especially in daytime busy time) and be able to work the tactical situation at hand with fewer distractions, while of course still maintaining see and avoid. Some controllers are cool with terminating, others insist on keeping me, again, even when im not in their airspace anymore.
Any particular reason for the differences of operation here? Ive always been under the impression that once outside their airspace responsibilties, ATC is more than happy to be rid of you.
1. When departing from the airport, either of the primary surface area airports TUS or DMA (helicopter), am only 500-700 AGL. Leaving the surface area at 3000-3500 MSL, and still well underneath the outer shelf (bottom of 4200 MSL), I'll usually tell tower that Im clear to the north/south/etc. Some tower controllers ask if i want to talk to radar (99% of the time no need to), and others give me a formal handoff to radar to contact them.
2. If i do get handed off to radar, I'll generally contact them and in my initial contact, let them also know that Im clear to the north/south/etc, again expecting to be released and told to change tactical, etc. some controllers do this, but others say "i need you to stay with me for the next X miles before i can release you."
If Ive left the surface area, and below 4200 MSL, Im outside RAPCONs airspace. Why would they want to talk to me when theres no other traffic around anyway at 0200, and how/why do they want to hang onto me when Im not in their airspace anymore anyway (am below the shelf and outside the surface area).
Sometimes, from these same few controllers, ill need to orbit an area working with ground units near an intersection or neighborhood, again outside the surface area and well under the shelf, and ill attempt to terminate with radar, but the controller will insist on keeping me and me needing to advise him how long ill be there, etc. Again, im outside his airspace and would prefer to terminate and change freqs so as not to have to monitor approach freq (especially in daytime busy time) and be able to work the tactical situation at hand with fewer distractions, while of course still maintaining see and avoid. Some controllers are cool with terminating, others insist on keeping me, again, even when im not in their airspace anymore.
Any particular reason for the differences of operation here? Ive always been under the impression that once outside their airspace responsibilties, ATC is more than happy to be rid of you.
