yakyak

[Bigmouth]

Why is it that so many controllers (and a fair number of drivers) feel the need to say ¨maintain¨. Wether I´m on the localizer or reported a FL, what else would I do? ¨Uh, London, ABC123 at FL330, but I plan on checking out 335 in a little bit.¨ or ¨I´m on the approach but I think I´ll go around in a moment just for the heck of it¨.
Is this written in a procedures book somewhere that I don´t know about, or do some guys get paid by the word?
Like I said, some pilots do the same thing, feeling the need to inform ATC every time they take a sip of their coffee.
So what´s up with that?

[atco-matic]

Yes those bloody controllers they are awful aren't they!!!

Just as bad as those pilots who always request descent into London at the same point as all the other 40 or 50 planes you have descended so far on the same afternoon shift at the same point!!!

But it's even worse when they request descent before the released for descent poiint, you fone the French/Dutch/Irish to get permission, and then they don't descend until after the released for descent point!

:mad:

[niknak]

:rolleyes: :rolleyes: :mad: :rolleyes: :rolleyes:

[fourthreethree]

Atco-matic

Along with your "request descent" gripe, I would also add the following R/T extract, which happens to me on a regular basis...

a/c: "Request descent"
atc: "Call you in one minute, opposite traffic one thousand feet below"
a/c: "Yes we have the traffic on TCAS"


:mad: :mad: D'OH!! :mad: :mad:

[Goldfish Watcher]

I think it's something to do with some of the more verbose ATCOs not being satisfied with simply saying "roger". I do agree that there are a lot of unncessary calls made.

However: Many a time pilots call on frequency and do not report their current flight level. The good book (MATS part1) says that in this instance, the flight level must be confirmed by ATC and an acknowledgement received (or something along those lines).

In my opinion;
"ABC123, maintain FL330"
"Maintain FL330, ABC123"
satisfies this requirement.

There are a whole load of other reasons for saying "maintain" on first contact. Not least to make sure that there is absolutely no ambiguity when pilots check in with;

"London, ABC123 FL330 - Can we expect to be FLxxx by xxx today?"

Believe it or not, some pilots take the response "affirm" to mean "you are so cleared".

Sorry to hear that you are so annoyed by idle R/T chatter. Puts you off your G&T does it ?