KMSP Approach and Center Controllers

C

Claskers

Well-Known Member
I have done a little bit of flying around different Class B airports, most recently KMSP, and they are by far the most helpful when it comes to requests.

So if any of you MSP guys are on here, thanks for being so helpful!
 
One of the class b airports or that way needs to work on their communication with other sectors. Trying to get in there is like being in a giant slinky with airplanes. "Speed up. Okay, slow down down. Okay now speed up again. Now slow down again. Now 250 to the final fix. You're catching the guy in front of you, slowest practical speed, contact tower." Sometimes, I just feel like they get bored, and want to watch the hilarity.
 
There are a few fields Juuuuuuuust inside the ORD Bravo West of Dupage that I photograph. The approach guys will work with you but you better show them you know what you're doing. It was even more fun after the fire at FAA facility in Aurora. Luckily I called before I launched and they gave me a 30 minute window to be where I needed to be.
 
ozziecat35 said:
There are a few fields Juuuuuuuust inside the ORD Bravo West of Dupage that I photograph. The approach guys will work with you but you better show them you know what you're doing. It was even more fun after the fire at FAA facility in Aurora. Luckily I called before I launched and they gave me a 30 minute window to be where I needed to be.
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I have made numerous trips to ARR and PWK and every time its something different. Doesn't ever seem to be consistent on the arrival or departure. Whether you know what you are doing or not...

I made a trip from northern MN to OH, filed over KELSI intersection to avoid the Class B all together. Over MSN they rerouted me right over JOT because the controller didn't seem to know where KELSI was. That was fine, it was shorter for me, but then as I got closer made me descent to stay below the departures from ORD .

I know there are a lot of variables for the controllers, but seems like most other places I fly you can anticipate what they are going to do with you. Maybe I just haven't made enough trips to figure it out yet.
 
JordanD said:
Good, I'm looking forward to annoying the crap out of them a couple thousand feet above the Bravo for a few hours at a time :p
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Photo work guy? ;-)

We had a crap of picture takers today today. One guy wanted to take pictures right in the finals for 12s..weee
 
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Claskers said:
I have done a little bit of flying around different Class B airports, most recently KMSP, and they are by far the most helpful when it comes to requests.

So if any of you MSP guys are on here, thanks for being so helpful!
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Thanks, that is nice to hear. My thought on working with dudes is I will go out of my way to accommodate any request (workload dependant). We have a decent percentage of controllers here that think this way. But there are others that don't want to be bothered to do their jobs.
 
mshunter said:
One of the class b airports or that way needs to work on their communication with other sectors. Trying to get in there is like being in a giant slinky with airplanes. "Speed up. Okay, slow down down. Okay now speed up again. Now slow down again. Now 250 to the final fix. You're catching the guy in front of you, slowest practical speed, contact tower." Sometimes, I just feel like they get bored, and want to watch the hilarity.
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I admit I'm guilty of this. I'm training on the finals right now and I think it is something most new to approach controllers might do. I've slowed guys to early before trying to learn how things play out, then I figure out it was done to early and I'll ask to increase back up 20 knots. But when I do I'll usually say "Inscrease speed to 190, sorry I slowed you down just a little soon" and most people won't have attitude in their voice when I do that.
One guy training said "reduce speed 10 knots" his trainer ran down the control room and back and yelled "10 KNOTS, I CAN F$%^ing RUN 10 Knots!!" ahahah
 
Ozelot said:
Thanks, that is nice to hear. My thought on working with dudes is I will go out of my way to accommodate any request (workload dependant). We have a decent percentage of controllers here that think this way. But there are others that don't want to be bothered to do their jobs.
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Final controller: "Airport is 10 o'clock, 10 miles, call it in sight."
Regional scum: "We're IMC."
Final controller: "Traffic is for the parallel, 3 o'clock, call him in sight."
Regional scum: "We're IMC."
Final controller: "Airport is 10 o'clock, 9 miles, call it in sight."
Regional scum: "We're IMC."
Final controller: "Slow to approach speed, you're gaining on traffic 3 miles ahead on the visual, call them in sight."
Regional scum: "We're slowing, in IMC and need the ILS."

Though I'll admit I didn't have that discussion with MSP approach, I'm pretty sure that happens everywhere every once in a while.
 
Ozelot said:
I admit I'm guilty of this. I'm training on the finals right now and I think it is something most new to approach controllers might do. I've slowed guys to early before trying to learn how things play out, then I figure out it was done to early and I'll ask to increase back up 20 knots. But when I do I'll usually say "Inscrease speed to 190, sorry I slowed you down just a little soon" and most people won't have attitude in their voice when I do that.
One guy training said "reduce speed 10 knots" his trainer ran down the control room and back and yelled "10 KNOTS, I CAN F$%^ing RUN 10 Knots!!" ahahah
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Just FYI, there's one problem when you ask for the speed increase once we've already been slowed down; max flap speeds. Once the flaps come down on approach, they're not going back up, and there comes a limit with how fast we can go. At that point you get what you get, but those speeds are different for every aircraft.
 
jtrain609 said:
Just FYI, there's one problem when you ask for the speed increase once we've already been slowed down; max flap speeds. Once the flaps come down on approach, they're not going back up, and there comes a limit with how fast we can go. At that point you get what you get, but those speeds are different for every aircraft.
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I understand that, My trainer has told me about this. 99% of the time its usually an increase from 170 to 190 so Im not sure how much of a configuration change that is for yous guys, but nobody's ever really said boo about it. I appreciate the input for sure.
 
flyeagle111 said:
Just curious...do you guys get any fresh news hires at minny approach?
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We just picked up 15 people if I remember correctly. We all have prior ATC experience, so technically not new hires. We have three departure trainees, a satellite trainee, and me who is training on the finals and feeder. The rest trickle in over the next year or two. I'm not included in that number, I scored a swap about 13 months ago.
 
Mmmm feeders. Is there any particular method to when you guys use 124.7 and 121.2 to feed into STP? Seems like sometimes I get one, sometimes I get the other.
 
Hey, if this is a MSP love thread ya'll put on a great NATCA convention this past year. Wonderful city (minus the winter) and Hell's Kitchen has about the best gimmick going to make a sucker pay 2 bucks for a can of Red Dog.
 
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