Nominations for best Controllers

PhotoPilot

PhotoPilot

New Member
After flying in a number of different regions of the country, I've had some great experiences with ATC and some not so great experiences. It's really surprising to me how a controller having a good day can really improve the overall quality of a flight while a grumpy, unhappy controller can put a cloud over your plane (figuratively, of course). And then there are the very few cases where someone gives you instructions that compromise the safety of flight - but thankfully those are very rare and usually isolated incidents.

So, anyway, the point is that I think we should throw out some nominations for our favorite controlling facilities. Though our 'tower dwellers' here in Battle Creek are good at their jobs and the approach controllers in Kalamazoo are usually upbeat and accomodating, I think the best controllers I've flown with are the folks at Fresno Yosemite. I'll always remember a long clearance being sung to me during an IFR cross country, the 30 seconds of a stuck mic in the cab followed by the controller shouting "Oooooo! Shiny!", and the guy with the Boston accent laughing so hard that he could barely speak thanks to some mystery event in the tower. Not to mention the dozens and dozens of times that they shared great and helpful tips and tricks for making both their and our lives easier.

So, Controllers in Fresno, here's my vote for you. And, if anyone else has flown in your airspace, I bet they'll vote for you, too! /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif Bring it on, folks!
 
The folks at the Seymour Johnson RAPCON are awesome!!

They've got my vote, as do the TRACON guys in Nashville.

How about a worst controller?? I've got that vote too.... /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/mad.gif
 
There's a controller at Chicago Center that works northern Wisconsin. Can't remember his name right off, but anyone that flies up there regularly knows him. Always very friendly, has some funny pet phrases that he uses a lot. I think he's within a few months of retirement. Golly, wish I could remember his name....
 
"Buzz" Rules!

(Hotlanta pilots will know who I'm talking about.) He's the guy that can work 213 airplanes, give or take a few, and tell each and every one of them "You, SIR, have a GREAT day!".

FFFI
 
The guys here just want to get me out of their hair. They're dealing with far more traffic than they want to due to the ADIZ. When I fly at night, they are so much more calm and less stressed than during the day and on weekends.

You can tell, too. Even the guys who are PITAs on the weekends turn cool when you're flying on a Wednesday night!
 
"Buzz" in ATL rocks.

"Have a great day SAAH!"

Fast, efficient, keeps you interested and everyone listens up so there's no repeats!

Other notables are the "ya'll have a nice rest of the day" lady in Jacksonville and the "A-D ohh's (adios)" guy at ABQ center.

My Uncle (on Kristie's side) was a senior Miami center controller but the guy was as dry as white toast on the radio. They retire at 53 or something like that.
 
I thought you were going to say something like Major Danby at Kirkuk Air Base!
 
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I thought you were going to say something like Major Danby at Kirkuk Air Base!

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Actually, we had some damn good PAR final controllers at both Kirkuk as well as Balad. These guys would be talking you down in a monotone voice, in the worst of weather, and were spot-on. I'd get stuff like this:

"On course, slightly below glidepath, 2 miles from the runway."

"On course, slightly below and coming up, 1 mile from the runway"

"On course, on glidepath, approaching airfield boundary."

"Still on course and glidepath, crossing the perimeter fence, approaching DH, call runway in sight."

And he/she can truly tell exactly what you're flying over, which just helps with the SA of what you're expecting to see on breakout...or not.
 
Hah... the Jacksonville lady. I was on her freq two days ago. In general on the flights from Craig down to Stuart I found that JAX App/Center were genrally pretty good. Daytona App was awsome, Orlando couldn't care less if you were headed into a level 5 and Miami center was usually helpful but their rader never seemed to have the range to help with weather.

Ethan
 
Another vote for Buzz. I'd be surprised if there is a contoller that more people are familiar with than Buzz.
 
Is Buzz the guy who sounds like Billy Bob Thornton in Slingblade?

I heard about this guy!
 
Don't know his name but he works So. Utah and No. AZ with LA Center. My other favorite is SLC in Central Utah. Least favorite is Albuquerque which leads ya into PHX approach
 
I always thought Socal had good controllers... nothing too special about them, but they were always competent and cordial. As far as towers... I was always amazed at how willing Minneapolis/St. Paul International was to make room for a 172 inbound for landing, even at busy times.

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Least favorite is Albuquerque which leads ya into PHX approach

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I'll agree with that!

My least favorite tower is Laughlin/Bullhead City. Every time I fly in there I get yelled at for not reporting my position at some place or other... which would be fine if they had asked me to report a position! It's like I'm supposed to read their minds...
 
All the controllers at GFK (that I've seen) are really awesome. Anybody who can handle that many planes (many of them students who dont quite know what's goin on yet) and not start spouting off profanities into the mic is ok in my book. Always do a great job giving us VFR traffic advisories even though they dont have to.
 
I've never flown into any class B airports for my training but i'll bite. Personally, I've found the Erie, Pa TRSA controllers to be very helpful and accommodating. On the flipside, the Cleveland Approach controllers can be jerks, i've been dropped from my flight following without any prior warning several times and sometimes for no apparent reason. But I also want to give props to my boys at CGF, they're always in the mood for a little sports chat whenever there is a downtime /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/cool.gif.
 
From my personal (and limited geographical) experience, I like the guys at GRR Apph. They always seem to make sure everything is going well. My least favorite so far is Saginaw all around. It just blew my mind that they had time to make smart remarks to all 3 aircraft they were handling while I was there!
 
My worst tower experience is down at phx at deer valley bonanza can you slow down you have a cessna 150 on short final were at slow flight with the stall horn going off I think we did a go around and he was pissed. My near death mid air experience is also with deer valley tower in the same bonanza with a mooney. Funnest tower is North town vegas if you suck he'll gladly tell you and everyone else on freq.
 
I like the controllers with the fans that flow fresh air to my hands on my Xbox. Doh, wrong controller discussion. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif
 
FlyChicaga might be able to back me up on this, but (usually) late at night in TOL there's a lady who always responds with "cool" instead of copy or rodger or whatnot. Makes it interesting when you're flying late.
 
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