Getting chewed out by a controller

alphaone

alphaone

Well-Known Member
So I'm listening to JFK tower right now and I heard a controller totally tore a Delta 767 crew a new one....When I was training I was chewed out once but it was a learning experience and the controller treated it as such. I didn't even do it though my CFI told me to do it...Anyway, I'm sure you guys have some good stories of ATC, lets hear them:)
 
Dont let em give you crap, They work for you dang it....lol I know it doesnt work that way but I live in a cloud high above.
 
Remember to ALWAYS stay professional and cool even if you get an a$$ chewing. IT IS BEING TAPED! If they come at you sorely, and they are seen as unprofessional you can bet that will be HIGHLY in your favor.

With that being said. The controllers out there do EXCELLENT work. They deserve a lot more credit.
 
True and one day you will get a chance to call a tower and chew out there supervisor cause one of there controllers gave you an oh crap moment. Ive already had my chance.
 
About a year ago I got chewed sooooo bad. I told him it was my mistake and I apologized for it. That was not good enough for him. He just kept ripping me a new one. Eventually he gave up on me but it was not a fun one.

At the same time, he is looking out for my life as well as everyone else's. I give them credit for what they do. Is it true that ATC has one of the highest rates of suicide due to occupation? I dont know where I heard that at...
 
SoFlo said:
About a year ago I got chewed sooooo bad. I told him it was my mistake and I apologized for it. That was not good enough for him. He just kept ripping me a new one. Eventually he gave up on me but it was not a fun one.

At the same time, he is looking out for my life as well as everyone else's. I give them credit for what they do. Is it true that ATC has one of the highest rates of suicide due to occupation? I dont know where I heard that at...
Click to expand...
"Pushing Tin" the movie...
 
SoFlo said:
Is it true that ATC has one of the highest rates of suicide due to occupation? I dont know where I heard that at...
Click to expand...
Completely not true... I'm not sure one job has more suicides than others from the studies I have seen. I would say that ATC does have stress, but so do other jobs like police officers or marketing managers. It's up to the person to handle it or get out and do something else.

A side not, I've talked to about a dozen Controllers and most say that they love their jobs and wouldn't want to do anything else. I asked them all about the stress that I hear from people on the outside that say stuff like what you have said. Most of the controllers say that it’s like any other job, but it also takes a unique individual. A common theme among all of them is that it is different for everyone.
 
CaptainMatt said:
Completely not true... I'm not sure one job has more suicides than others from the studies I have seen. I would say that ATC does have stress, but so do other jobs like police officers or marketing managers. It's up to the person to handle it or get out and do something else.

A side not, I've talked to about a dozen Controllers and most say that they love their jobs and wouldn't want to do anything else. I asked them all about the stress that I hear from people on the outside that say stuff like what you have said. Most of the controllers say that it’s like any other job, but it also takes a unique individual. A common theme among all of them is that it is different for everyone.
Click to expand...

There is the answer to my question, thanks CaptainMatt
 
Hey, if ATC chews you out, are they in violation of FAR 91.11?
FAR 91.11 said:
No person may assault, threaten, intimidate, or interfere with a
crewmember in the performance of the crewmember's duties aboard an
aircraft being operated."
Click to expand...

:)
 
Oh, I've been reprimanded by controllers before, for things that were or were not my fault. I take it, and move on - unless it was something completely uncalled for.

A couple of months ago, our AWOS at John Tune (JWN) was having alot of problems. It was barely understandable even on the surface, and once you were more than six or eight miles from the airport, it was completely garbled. Well, I was inbound one crappy evening, from the east and had just checked in with Nashville Approach. Usually, I can get the AWOS before I enter Nashville's sector, but I had nothing but static, and told the controller that on initial contact. He told me, in a slightly irritated voice, to advise him when I had the AWOS.

Well, about 10 or 12 miles later, his asks, "N***LB, you have the weather at JWN yet?". I responded and told him that I did not, and that the AWOS has been pretty bad for the last couple of weeks, and that I probably wouldn't be able to get it until I was alot closer to the airport, but that I had the WX at BNA". He snapped back, in a pretty bad tone, "Well, I've gotten other aircraft in there today, and you're the first person I've heard say anything about it, so get it as soon as you can". I couldn't resist, and told him, "Well, I've been flying there everyday for the last couple of weeks, and I can assure you that it's broken - come on over and have a listen for yourself if you like".

He didn't ask me about the AWOS anymore after that, although you could tell that I had kinda ticked him off!!:p

I have no problem with controllers, and I completely respect the work that they do. I'm glad that they're there to help us. That being said, they're there to help us. I'm never sorry for expecting a controller to give me top-shelf ATC services. It's not a favor - it's their job.
 
yeah i think we have all been chewed out by ATC but i think we have all had our chance to yell at them too. ive seen some bad screw ups on their part that could have gotten me in a world of s*** but i was paying attention for once and caught their mistake. anyway like said always be professional and usually they will treat you the same
 
Awos-3

This is off topic, but since an AWOS was mentioned I’d like to share a little story:

Last week, I was providing approach control services for "N12345" into a small satellite airport equipped with AWOS-3. N12345 was operating on an IFR flight plan and was requesting a visual approach. I was kind of puzzled so I informed him that weather at the airport I was located at, 50 miles to the east, was calling an overcast ceiling at 500 feet and 3/4 miles visibility. He responded that the AWOS at his destination airport was calling clear below 12,000. What?!? I recently received PIREPs in his vicinity of a solid deck of clouds from 7/800 to 9,000. I descended N12345 to 4,000, my minimum vectoring altitude, and he reported that he was still in the weather.


Needless to say, he didn't get the visual approach he wanted. Has anyone else ever encountered a situation like this?
 
I've been chewed out by ATC before...and with a student too. But I've been on both sides of the mic (pilot and controller) and a lesson I've learned is that you don't always know what the big picture is. It's definitely given me a new perspective on things.

- Nate
 
Sometimes the pressure of the moment causes us to lash out at someone on frequency. It's not a professional thing to do and simply put, it's not nice. It's not personal... it just happens. Unfortunately there are a few controllers who do this more often then others, there are bad apples everywhere.

Right now we are under a lot of pressure, we are being harassed by FAA management like you would not believe, it is a full blown hostile work environment courtesy of the FAA. None of our leave is being approved, our summer leave has been taken away, our schedules are being tampered with, we are being forced to work shifts short. It is not good... morale is at an all time low.

I'm not making excuses, but as stated earlier, there is a lot more to the big picture.
 
[off-topic]

FoxXray, I'm glad you're sticking around and giving some input. It will be very helpful to get some more insight from the other side of the radio. I hope you continue to do so.

Maybe Doug wouldn't mind if you put a link to http://www.fairfaa.com/ in your signature line, just to help your cause a little, while at the same time you're here helping pilots understand what goes on in your world(?).

[/o-t]
 
Fox, I get the feeling that the pressure is no higher than for the folks working the ADIZ around DC.

One time I got snapped at by someone who was trying to get a hold of me but kept getting stepped on. When he finally told everyone to shut up, and listen for their call signs, he got me and said, I've been trying to get you for the past five minutes, are you listening? I said, well, yeah, but you keep on getting stepped on and he apologized. All was cool after that.
 
Don't get me started on BNA controllers. They seem to think that this airport is busy, but it's NOT. We call the airport in sight all the time, yet they'll still ask us "Do you have the field in sight?"

ORD controllers will offer a nice a## chewing once in awhile. A few days ago, an AA MD80 made the mistake of stopping on the taxiway. Ground tore him a new one (golden rule for ORD: never stop!). It's kinda funny when someone deserves it.
 
SteveC - I mostly lurk on these forums but when there is something I can add I will. For me it's very informative, since the demise of the FAM program I really have no outlet to hear what pilots and flight crews have to say.

tonyw- The ADIZ stuff is a pain in the *** ... there are so many agencies involved, FAA, TSA, homeland, etc. and no one shares information which causes so much confusion. The majority of the people and agencies involved with the ADIZ have no knowledge of aviation. A controller sees someone violate an ADIZ or TFR and we can usually figure out if it's just some lost pilot, these other people can't. I can't post details on a public forum but there are many eyes watching the sky. In the past a pilot would be told to call the facility, get spoken to and things would end there. Not anymore, you penetrate a TFR or ADIZ and the phone lines light up, the giant Gov't wheels are now in motion, as a controller it is out of our hands.

If anyone is flying around an ADIZ or TFR I highly recommend talking to ATC via flght following or file IFR. You'll have a beacon code, tracking, etc.

Good thread guys...
 
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