Being an air traffic controller...

Chief Captain said:
VFR services are workload permitting right? Why not just tell them you're unable flight following if they're unable to use the radio properly? I'm sure they'd shape up really quickly.
Click to expand...

While in theory that is correct, in practice it's a bit more complicated than that. If BoonDr were to routinely turn down VFR services using the "workload permitting" exclusion, he'd better be able to back that up to a supervisor if he's called on it. And saying, "N12345 didn't use the radio correctly," simply isn't going to hack it, especially if the traffic is light and routine. There is, quite simply, no end to the second guessing a controller has to put up with for every little decision they make.
 
Hey CanadianATC, I'm working 106 tonight, but I have no idea if I'll be in the cockpit through your airspace so "Hola" in advance and God bless the Miami Dolphins!
 
I always like it when ground controllers assume that a King Air is automatically more important than a C172. Ok in most cases, they are, but I had this little gem yesterday: At our airport, we have four runways, 2 east/west and 2 north/south, each with a parallel taxiway. We were on the parallel for an east/west runway, holding short of the parallel for the main north/south runway. Taxiing from our ATC designated runup spot at that point to our runway would have us cross the 35L/17R parallel taxiway, and then that runway, and then a straight shot to our runway. As it happened, the King Air was doing its runup at the same time as us, at one of the 35L/17R exits, on the Apron side of the parallel taxiway. Their runup location was about 1/4 to 1/2 of a mile south (and further from the takeoff runway) than us. As it happened, we both completed our runups at the same time and advised ready to taxi at the same time. Ground's clearances went as follows: "King Air XXX taxi to 9L via G A B B2 Cross Runway 17R" followed immediately after by "Cessna XXX follow the king air cross 35L". So for about two minutes we sat there burning avgas while the king air moved on, even though, behind them, we took just as much time getting ourselves ready for takeoff as they took getting themselves ready for takeoff. Maybe its a takeoff order thing, but I don't see how them sitting behind us in line would be any more inefficient than us sitting behind them, and they sat behind Cessnas and Seminoles in the pattern anyway.

P.S. Both us and the King Air were training flights.
 
Actually big difference. If youre first the slow guy is first. Guess who gets the king air up his six? Would you put a civic in front of a ferrari and tell both divers to go as fast as they can and wonder why the ferrari rear ended the civic?
 
genot said:
Actually big difference. If youre first the slow guy is first. Guess who gets the king air up his six? Would you put a civic in front of a ferrari and tell both divers to go as fast as they can and wonder why the ferrari rear ended the civic?
Click to expand...

Safe, Orderly, Expeditious, in that order.
 
Doug Taylor said:
Hey CanadianATC, I'm working 106 tonight, but I have no idea if I'll be in the cockpit through your airspace so "Hola" in advance and God bless the Miami Dolphins!
Click to expand...
You'll find this shocking, but I'm on leave! :)

I'm actually off til the 18th waiting the arrival of my first born child!
 
Congrats! :)

Now I know how you've been spending all those days off that the other controllers talk about! :)
 
amorris311 said:
Where does a Saab fit into that order?
Click to expand...

They go after the Skyhawk because their so slow.:pirate: and they don't have GPS.


All kidding a side I haven't seen one of the "Restricted to 170 KIAS Saabs in a while (thankfully because IAD tower usually interprets that to mean "Put this aircraft first in the departure bank")
 
RDoug said:
While in theory that is correct, in practice it's a bit more complicated than that. If BoonDr were to routinely turn down VFR services using the "workload permitting" exclusion, he'd better be able to back that up to a supervisor if he's called on it. And saying, "N12345 didn't use the radio correctly," simply isn't going to hack it, especially if the traffic is light and routine. There is, quite simply, no end to the second guessing a controller has to put up with for every little decision they make.
Click to expand...

I really wish phraseology was a bigger deal on checkrides. I can't stand waiting to call up because some weekend warrior can't even remember his tail number, let alone what he was going to say.
 
TWP said:
I really wish phraseology was a bigger deal on checkrides. I can't stand waiting to call up because some weekend warrior can't even remember his tail number, let alone what he was going to say.
Click to expand...

+1

Nothing like having to tell a pilot who doesn't know how to use their radio to maintain radio silence only to get the reply, Roger N12345 maintaining radio silence.
 
boondr said:
They go after the Skyhawk because their so slow.:pirate: and they don't have GPS.


All kidding a side I haven't seen one of the "Restricted to 170 KIAS Saabs in a while (thankfully because IAD tower usually interprets that to mean "Put this aircraft first in the departure bank")
Click to expand...

Yea we have been pretty good about that lately. I'm sure as I write this we will have three aircraft in the next month that will have that restriction but it seems that we have improved on that.
 
Doug Taylor said:
Hey CanadianATC, I'm working 106 tonight, but I have no idea if I'll be in the cockpit through your airspace so "Hola" in advance and God bless the Miami Dolphins!
Click to expand...

FRA? You know, had I been on Delta instead of Airways, I'd have been on your flight. Company just sent me to FRA yesterday.
 
Here's a hint: A 1 mile final is not a 3 mile final. Don't report 3 miles only to have me see you out of the corner of my eye and be forced to make a diving right turn.
 
Autothrust Blue said:
Safe, Orderly, Expeditious, in that order.
Click to expand...

Today it was myself and a student in a seminole doing 160 KIAS with a cessna probably doing 100-110 kias both converging on a VFR reporting point, both under ATC radar contact and traffic advisories, both VFR. Usually, the approach controller has the faster aircraft go first. Guess who circled today.
 
gotWXdagain said:
Today it was myself and a student in a seminole doing 160 KIAS with a cessna probably doing 100-110 kias both converging on a VFR reporting point, both under ATC radar contact and traffic advisories, both VFR. Usually, the approach controller has the faster aircraft go first. Guess who circled today.
Click to expand...

Ask dasleben what we call that. Hint look at my avatar title
 
boondr said:
Ask dasleben what we call that. Hint look at my avatar title
Click to expand...

Why would we be getting penalty vectors? Usually our ATC tells the faster guy to go through first and the slower guy to follow the faster, but after 3 calls of "Cessna XXX report traffic in sight" "Seminole XXX report traffic in sight" and both of us acknowledging other traffic in sight, nothiing getting done and both of us converging, I asked them if they wanted us to circle.
 
You're VFR. Roll inverted, fly over the top of the Cessna, and let loose with any spare contents of the cockpit. Then proceed number one to the airport. Be sure to extend the gear and then attempt to retract it while inverted so we can answer that question too.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top