Jshutt64
Well-Known Member
Disclaimer: This rant is about a certain air traffic controller. I honestly love 99.9999% of controllers, so nobody take this the wrong way.
Sooo....
Last night I was taking a buddy flying for the first time. We cruised around LA for about an hour, saw all the sights, and decided to make it a day. We're about 10 miles or so north of the field, and I make my initial call.
"Long Beach Tower, Cessna 4203P, 10 miles to the north, 1,800, inbound to land 25R with Bravo."
"N4203P, Long Beach Tower, squawk 1234." (don't remember the code)
"Squawk 1234, 03P."
As soon as I heard the voice, I muttered an obscenity to myself. This controller is well known at LGB for his unpleasantness, and I was hoping that I could get on the ground with little to no conflict.
A minute or so pass by and he tells me to turn left to steer the 45 to the downwind of 25R. I acknowledge. In downwind, he tells me that he'll call my base. A little weird considering there is no traffic around, but whatever.
He calls my base on what will be 3 mile final. Not cleared to land, but I'm assuming it's coming. At about 1.5 mile final, I make a call.
"Tower, is 03P cleared to land?"
"N4203P, negative, runway 25R unable, turn base for runway 25L."
An f-bomb drops in the cockpit. No traffic around whatsoever, and now I'm going to have to taxi for straight days. I'll give him the benefit of the doubt and assume there was a legitimate reason, but the condescension in his voice just irked me to the extreme.
I turn base for 25L. About halfway there:
"N4203P, turn direct to the numbers"
I do it, my frustration mounting.
"Tower, is 03P cleared to land 25L?"
The controller, clearly annoyed:
"N4203P, yes, you are cleared to land runway 25L."
"Cleared to land, runway 25L, 03P."
"N4203P, YOU ARE CLEARED TO LAND RUNWAY 25L, NOT 25R."
I acknowledge, even though I'm sure that I said it right the first time.
25L is a little hard to see at night, as the REILs and the PAPI don't work, but I landed uneventfully. I asked my buddy to pull out a taxi diagram so I didn't get too lost on the epic trek back to my airplane's tie-down spot.
"N4203P, turn right at inactive 34L, contact ground."
I acknowledge, then start to look for 34L up ahead as I move.
"N4203P, HURRY UP AND GET OFF THE RUNWAY, exit 34L, contact ground."
I got clear of the runway, and it never felt so good to switch frequencies. I was met on ground with one of LGB's nicest controllers...which was such a huge breath of fresh air.
Now, there was very little traffic around when this controller made me do this whole roundabout. But, that's not why I'm upset, as he very well could have had a great reason I just wasn't aware of. It's because he has such a bad attitude, and it just seems to rub off. He's incredibly condescending and demeaning and treats all pilots like complete idiots, whether it's a relatively low time GA pilot like myself or a Jet Blue FO. It tainted a great flight on a beautiful night.
Whew. Rant over.
Sooo....
Last night I was taking a buddy flying for the first time. We cruised around LA for about an hour, saw all the sights, and decided to make it a day. We're about 10 miles or so north of the field, and I make my initial call.
"Long Beach Tower, Cessna 4203P, 10 miles to the north, 1,800, inbound to land 25R with Bravo."
"N4203P, Long Beach Tower, squawk 1234." (don't remember the code)
"Squawk 1234, 03P."
As soon as I heard the voice, I muttered an obscenity to myself. This controller is well known at LGB for his unpleasantness, and I was hoping that I could get on the ground with little to no conflict.
A minute or so pass by and he tells me to turn left to steer the 45 to the downwind of 25R. I acknowledge. In downwind, he tells me that he'll call my base. A little weird considering there is no traffic around, but whatever.
He calls my base on what will be 3 mile final. Not cleared to land, but I'm assuming it's coming. At about 1.5 mile final, I make a call.
"Tower, is 03P cleared to land?"
"N4203P, negative, runway 25R unable, turn base for runway 25L."
An f-bomb drops in the cockpit. No traffic around whatsoever, and now I'm going to have to taxi for straight days. I'll give him the benefit of the doubt and assume there was a legitimate reason, but the condescension in his voice just irked me to the extreme.
I turn base for 25L. About halfway there:
"N4203P, turn direct to the numbers"
I do it, my frustration mounting.
"Tower, is 03P cleared to land 25L?"
The controller, clearly annoyed:
"N4203P, yes, you are cleared to land runway 25L."
"Cleared to land, runway 25L, 03P."
"N4203P, YOU ARE CLEARED TO LAND RUNWAY 25L, NOT 25R."
I acknowledge, even though I'm sure that I said it right the first time.
25L is a little hard to see at night, as the REILs and the PAPI don't work, but I landed uneventfully. I asked my buddy to pull out a taxi diagram so I didn't get too lost on the epic trek back to my airplane's tie-down spot.
"N4203P, turn right at inactive 34L, contact ground."
I acknowledge, then start to look for 34L up ahead as I move.
"N4203P, HURRY UP AND GET OFF THE RUNWAY, exit 34L, contact ground."
I got clear of the runway, and it never felt so good to switch frequencies. I was met on ground with one of LGB's nicest controllers...which was such a huge breath of fresh air.
Now, there was very little traffic around when this controller made me do this whole roundabout. But, that's not why I'm upset, as he very well could have had a great reason I just wasn't aware of. It's because he has such a bad attitude, and it just seems to rub off. He's incredibly condescending and demeaning and treats all pilots like complete idiots, whether it's a relatively low time GA pilot like myself or a Jet Blue FO. It tainted a great flight on a beautiful night.
Whew. Rant over.
