Having just done a FCO flight, I was held at the holding point of R/W 25 for some 15 mins to allow 5 Italian registered aircraft to go in front of us. After the first incident I asked ATC what number we were. I was informed we were number 2, however it turned out we were number 5. It is good to see nationalism is alive and well in Italy, maybe we should try the same here inthe UK?
Happens frequently at FCO. Also at Paris CDG with Air France, although not to the same extent as the Italians... Do it here in the UK? But Sir, we would be branded racists and crooks and everything else!
Is it not a free World? So everyone can do as he like it? Democracy has a price.... Buerocracy as well. What is the better one? Choose one out of three options: Tolerate it, ignore it, hate it. Make your day.
And even with all that "help" they still bleed money. Imagine the balance sheet without it And you wonder why F1 fans complain about the "cosy" relationship between Ferrari and the
F errari I nternational A ssist, thats how they do business folks, Oh and don't ask the French about the World Cup
If you try and question it, you'll be faced with shrugged shoulders.
That's if you're lucky. More than likely, though, you'll get into what you think is your crew transportation one evening - only to find that it's actually "Rocco" and "Vinnie" taking you for a "long ride".
I have had it in FCO before, They also line them up further back at an intersection. I have been quite firm/aggressive with ATC and got my departure away! Don't just sit there, be annoying, just like they are!!!
Even more annoying in FCO was when you called for start up and at the instant you released TX switch someone jumped in asking the same in Italian (or Italian accent merely on a good day). After a few doses of this, the solution found to be - speak loudly ,s l o w l y ,and for a long time in English, put callsign at beginning and end of TX and finish TX with an exortation to everyone else to listen before speaking and to speak English. It makes you horribly unpopular and results in a few comments I could only partially translate, but at least you get the start up sometime in the next 10min. Only worst offenders, and in the air, are Air Nostrum if operating in Spanish airspace. Solution is the same, come straight back as soon as they release the TX but speak more slowly the 2nd time with callsign at beginning as well as end. Even the Spanish controllers usually saw the funny side of that one. It is a common ploy in many countries, lets pretend we don't understand what the English speaking aircraft said and butt-in speaking the local lingo as we know the controller will take the easy option and get our request out the way first before having to "think English". Sometimes it works, but not if there is an awkward Brit ready to play just as dirty
in fact, as an Air France pilot, i also experience regularly the same at LHR. We taxi to the holding point and there we can see a few BA aircraft being cleared to line up. This happens every time i go there. the same a FCO. to be honest i don't see such things in Spain
I regularly experience the same problems in FCO... Who knows, maybe for their controllers giving a higher priority to italian aircraft is the same as for others driving cars with big tires
CDG is the same, with the exception that there the controllers big picture about what's happening on the apron is just as poor as the whole airport layout... no offence though
I operated from LHR from 87-2000 and always found them scrupulously fair, strangely enough, same for CDG except when Concorde was leaving.
Given it's fuel consumption and the fact I was gaining a ring-side seat for the noise and majesty of that great machine taking off I was always happy to make way for that Air France departure. Somehow an Allie MD80 doesn't command the same respect, even if it is nearly as noisy
Now be honest, there'd be something worrying if the Latin controllers and pilots started playing scrupulously fair....not in their character really. (And before I get jumped on, I love their countries and their way of life; vive la difference) Next thing, you'd be expecting them to field a test cricket team. Imagine!
What have the Romans done for us? " running water" Yeah all right then apart from that ? " less crime on the streets" Yeah yeah apart from running water less crime etc etc ( with due apologies to Michael Palin ) How times change, BTW nobody mentioned the orgies
That's odd, last time I was at LHR, I saw 4 British registered a/c go past our KLM aircraft!
Blackball, and all others who think like him/her, I think you're just totally paranoid. Go visit the tower at any busy airport and you will find that all sorts of considerations affect departure sequences. And, since the large local carriers generally dominate the majority of movements, the ratio will be naturally higher in their favour.
A good trick at FCO is to sit at the junction where the taxiway for the full length of 25 (Twy B?) splits in two and wait until there's a space at the front.
Somehow an Allie MD80 doesn't command the same respect, even if it is nearly as noisy 
That's odd, last time I was at LHR, I saw 4 British registered a/c go past our KLM aircraft!
