ATC

J

JJOB757

New Member
Hello everyone. I am CFII working out of St Pete/Clearwater Intl airport. One thing that has been on my mind for a while is the lack of recognition ATC seems to get in the aviation community. I would like to take this oppurtunity to thank all of the controllers and FSS briefers out there that keep it safe for us day(and night)in, and day(and night) out. I think we all know that our safe flying could not be done without them. Any controllers or briefers out there on JC reading this, THANKS FOR EVERYTHING.

JO
 
I agree with you on that. ATC have the most important job in the business. I'm amazed just at how the controllers at airports such as EWR, JFK, LGW, and other large airports such as ORD and DFW can perform their job and remain calm. I have not been in class B airspace yet. I'm not worried about flying through the airspace, but I would be worried about landing on the field.
 
You know, last Friday morning, I was flying between KMGM and KMQY. There was a nasty cold front moving across the region, with quite a few embedded cells in and around the Birmingham area. I swear that there were 40 aircraft in the sector, and every single one of us was deviating one way or another for weather. The controllers were busy, and everybody seemed to get what they were asking for. I'm still not sure how they did it, but I would like to thank the guys at KBHM Approach for all of the help. You guys are great....everywhere!!!!

Except...ummm, Memphis center. Has anyone dealt with them? They don't have much patience, and they can be rather rude....
mad.gif
 
ATC is wonderful. I've never heard of an airport with bad Air Traffic Control, so I give them many kudos for being consistent, generous, and (for the most part) accomodating.
 
UHH... I have dealt with Memphis Center, and they have had a tendency to drop flight following on VFR flights. I think its one of the lady controlers, that seems to be a little snappy at times. But thier not too bad.
 
Yep,
I have had the problem to while travelling enroute to Aheville, NC. Its the woman that souds like a robot, strange agent. There usually all right though....
 
[ QUOTE ]
ATC have the most important job in the business.

[/ QUOTE ]

stdntpilot86
I have to disagree with you, I have the most important job. While we are in this thing together, it is like the chicken and the pig invited for breakfast, the chicken providing the eggs committs , but the pig providing the bacon is committed. If ATC makes a mistake they still go home at the end of thier shift, I make a mistake and I may not. When you begin to fly in Class B airspace or ANY airspace keep your situaltional awareness about you, any one can make a mistake including ATC. Remember they are down there for you, you are not up there for them. I would say in the past few years ATC has become much more professional in their customer service aspect.
 
In 100% agreement!

ATC should stand for Air Traffic coordinator! Some of them let that controller title go to their head.

I shocked a business partner/pilot flying with me the other day by saying "unable" when Orlando ATC tried to turn me left in to a thunderstorm. He said, "You have oncoming traffic!" I said, "I'd rather take my chances with him than a level 6 thunderstorm." Next thing I hear is, "Connections xxx turn left heading 150." I almost blew up at that! He wants to vector me into a thunderstorm instead of moving some Comair puke out of the way who's doing practice approaches?????

I held my tongue.
 
You've got to depend on ATC for the big picture, but I also keep in retrospect that they're sitting downstairs in an airconditioned comfortable chair.

A few years ago, there was some nasty convective activity along the AR routes from FL towards the northeast. The absolute only way to traverse the weather was about a 15 mile offset to the east.

Lots of radio calls like this throughout the flight.

"JAX Center, XYZ needs 20 right for weather"

"Unable"

"JAX Center XYZ squawking 7700, turning 20 right for weather, anticipate on course in 30 miles"

"Roger"
 
A few weeks ago, they were trying to get us to fly 210 knots to the marker in SLC. I wasn't comfortable giving them anything more than 180 because we got vectored in way high and were only about two miles from the MM.

The captain said "unable", approach came back with the "well we've got a lifeguard flight behind you.

Meanwhile there are three semi-parallel runways in SLC.

We land the aircraft on 34R, and as we're taxiing towards the ramp, I finally see the lifeguard flight on short final for 35 -- the lifeguard flight was probably 10 miles behind us on the visual but ATC wanted to keep us "hot", high and destabilized.
 
Man owe man! Thats a bunch of **** SLC_APP was pulling you. I once flew a GA a/c into DFW, biggest mistkae i ever made in my aeronautics experiance. ATC pretty much refuses to work with you if you VFR...
 
Hmmm...dont know I guess every airport is different with different ATC. I am not a big fan of them just because of the landing fee, for that 'd rather just flying into Addison Field or into Arlington Arlington Municipal.
 
DFW is a wacky airport!

The joke is:

"Regional approach, regional approach, United 321 is declaring an emergency, we need an immediate approach to landing!"

"United calling approach, standby, American 123 your transmission was blocked, say again, are you parking on the east side or west?"
 
I've got mixed feelings about ATC - especially here in Tampa.

They once tried to turn me INTO a storm (pre-instrument rating) and got pretty pissy when I told them that I was getting out from underneath the thing as I was not instrument rated yet and was in a freakin' C150.

At DAB, I got repremanded for a brain fart when I was a Private student on my solo x/c and didn't squawk correctly. But, that one I understand.

I realize that they have a HIGHLY stressful job to do and 98% of the time (in my experience) they're a non-factor - it's when they become a factor that bothers me.

Final example:

I'm practicing approaches at LAL and I'm under the hood. We are get:

ATC: Warrior 45C, turn to XX to join final, cleared for the option, runway 9."

Me: Turning to XX, cleared for option, Runway 9, 45C"

Not TWO seconds later:

ATC: Cessna 1234, turn to XX to join final, cleared for landing runway 9"

Me: Tampa Approach, did you just clear ANOTHER plane for final for RWY 9 at LAL??

Silence

Me: Repeated the above.

ATC: (frantic) WARRIOR 45C TURN RIGHT, CESSNA 1234 TURN LEFT for vectors!!!

My instructor says "take off the foggles, look below you to your left" and about 100 ft below us is a C172 turning left as we are turning right.

That's the kind of stuff I'm talking about. Usually doesn't happen, but when it does.....

Well, you know the rest.
 
Or my favorite.

ATC wanted us to slow to final approach speed 45 miles out from DAB. I guess he didn't understand that flying a jet 45 miles at 138 knots burns a monstrous amount of gas.

We negotiated a wide pattern at normal arrival/approach speeds.
 
Hahaha you gotta love how a nice simple 'thanks ATC' thread turns into a free for all on how bad they can be
laugh.gif
crazy.gif


Anyways during private training at SNA I was turning base and was cleared to land... started my turn and looked to my left.... plane was RIGHT there;

my instructor is like 'DO YOU KNOW THERE'S A PLANE HERE'

ATC: [silence], realizes he's lost control of his airspace.... then 'Cessna ... uuhhh.... standby'

Gotta love the cure all ATC phrase 'standby'!

So anyways my instructor starts asking the name of the tower guy... to which their answer was 'unable'.

We park and the first thing my instructor does is call the tower... the most he could get was 'we'll review the tapes for you'... ha yeah right...

That's another thing. Pilots can get the number any time but when was the last time you gave ATC a number and they actually called...
 
A friend of mine was in the cockpit of a BA 744 going into LAX and a controller asked them to fly at a speed they just could not do. He was a lucky chap - over the 405 they had to go around so he got a good ride.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top