With radio frequencies becoming more and more congested why do I have to spend all day listening to people clogging up busy airwaves with 10 words of drivel when 3 will do? For example;

• “TODAY we are requesting FL370”

Can we not assume that any request you make is for today and not any other day?

• “London IT'S THE ****, FL200 heading 250”

Why?

• “**** request”

Why not just pass your request?

• “You're on Guard”

I know and so are you!

The list goes on.

**** insert generic callsign

....is whatever interrupts me from reading the newspaper.

Foxy

How about...."Departure **** climbing through 110 for 150 requesting higher" Really?

Or a big on in the US the legendary blanket broadcast by a pilot of "BLOCKED". How about pay attention or just say nothing, we often are working multi-freqs.

CZHU

If it's long winded it is good airmanship to let the cotroller know before you launch into a whole spiel, especially if it's busy.

One I hate to hear controllers say, usually when they've made a mistake.

"Fastjet123, stop your climb INITIALLY FL120"

It's a dynamic situation; things change requiring different solutions.

If it's busy why make the request, wait for the next sector. Asking the Dep Controller for FL360 is probably not generating any response that you will see except

And don't I know it. You usually only hear the "INITIALLY" when a cock up has been realised.

Otherwise it's the correct phraseology, "stop climb FL120".

That's not necessarily true... I will clear you "initially" to FL 310 when I know your requested is further up but I cannot "now" because of traffic. I use the "Initially" to inform you that you can expect further climb within my sector.

If in an occasion you were cleared to a certain level but then had to be stopped for many possible reasons, some being; not giving the expected rate to get above traffic we've been monitoring you against or a change in situation where the opposite descending going down faster than expected and that the crossing will be more efficient at different levels, *cough* a cock-up *cough*, you will be told to stop climb "initially" so that you know you can expect further climb.

That "initially" most of the times gets rid of the "climbing FL310, however our requested today is"

some use it others don't, but those that do don't necessarily do it on mistakes.

Apologies, I should have mentioned that I was talking about a TMA environment where the word "initially" is an utter waste of breath.
Honestly, if you stop a 747-400 going to Los Angeles at FL90, is he going to think he's staying there for the rest of the flight?

Worst waste of breath and frequency time: "Who was that for?" Especially when I'm working multiple frequencies and the aircraft the transmission was intended for has already answered!

Note to pilots: I ignore this one. Completely.

Now, if you key up and say, "Bugsmasher 111, was that for us?" I'll give you a polite yes or no, and a repeat if you need it.

It works both ways...Some fellow controllers have 3 airplanes on the frequency and it sounds like they have 25. The smooth guys say as little as possible and never seem to be too busy.

Scuzi,
Third attempt to get your view across - I think thats what we're talking about!
Get all the PERTINENT information in on the first call(or post)!

Happy xmas

I must be one of those guys that sounds like there's 20 aircraft on frequency when there's realy only 3.

Merry xmas.

Lon More, that's the best icon I've ever seen and I am in tears just now.

Sometimes those three can make you a lot busier than 20 all streamed and seperated.

What annoys me is (usually as you are about to turn the three for an intercept heading) someone who just launches in with their life story.....and the three sail through!

OR.......the little hellos and private messages some guys think it is ok to pass to each other.Really bl**dy annoying!.

In that case why do controllers ask "...XXX123, say your requested level"?

Is it not annotated on the flight-plan strip?

Is it not 'Airmanship' to advise an ATC sector as soon as practicable if you request a level differant from the one originally filed for?

And LATCC controllers please note, as drivers we see many differant standards of 'controlling' just as you probably see differing levels of compliance to instructions therefore some 'newie' crews entering the UK FIR for the first time may have differant expectations of the provided ATC services.

A Controller simply saying "Contact **** on ***.** leaves the system open to mis-use.
I think the practice of 'Contact **** on ***.** with heading & speed only', or "Contact Director Callsign only" are excellant proven phrases that could be incorporated more into R/T discipline to reduce frequency congestion...

....as well as FIR boundary-direct-to-FIR boundary given as a matter of course instead of having to tie up the frequency by grovelling....(I jest!)

Yeah, but that's the level filed by the ops folk and not your requested level. And what if they filed a really low level for you due to slot restrictions, but the ATCO can get you higher? That's why he is asking. Just to help you get a smoother flight, or is it because he doesn't want you in his airspace? Can't remember which.

How come? Don't we have standard RT Procedures to cover this?

Shouldn`t say "on" anyway....it`s not "on" anything.

Should be "Contact agency, frequency"

If we are at a level because of flow restrictions, how do you know that your giving a higher level is not going to cause a problem 30 minutes or 1 hour further down the line? Do you check which regulation is restricting us before removing the restriction?

We get a copy of the FPL (it is a requirement) and so we have the exact same level info as ATC do as well as ops. If the level is going to be changed at the planning stage then there are things we have to considder such as new fuel requirement, new flow restrictions at that level etc.

Regards,

DFC

Pilots and controllers wasting words, never, apart from all of the preceeding