Homer, you're gonna hate me for this - but here goes anyway.
As an ATCO I can offer you a number of options to your "classic" event at Liverpool.
1) Consider how many PA31 aircraft ATC deal with during their daily function- how many fly at 170kt to 1 mile?
Although YOU can do this, how many others DON'T!
How wide was your circuit? From experience, I've seen PA31 turn downwind inside 1mile of the airfield and final inside half a mile. But other have flown 4 miles north of the airfield for a four mile final even when they are number one.
Knowledge of aircraft performance IS a big factor when deciding IF that VFR PA31 can get in Number 1 or not compared to other types BUT at the end of the day it sounds like you were made NUMBER 2 for some reason - not number 4 or 5. AND your safety and the safety of others was not compromised.
2)Situational awareness. Were you totally aware of the surroundings (I appreciate I wasn't there at the time) and other types of approaches being made by the other traffic? You describe how you were made to position behind a number of different aircraft at different airfields then catch them up. Why must you maintain 170knots? Can you slow down, fit in the sequence and make life a bit easier for all?
3)Although you believe you were hard done by, try appreciating what the ATCO has to do. One man in ADC with Tower, a cross-coupled UHF vehicle channel, intercoms, phonelines, co-ordination and an attention demanding area from the end of his nose to 8 mile final in a 360 degree arc!!!!
It can take upto 5 phone calls/intercom calls via 3 or 4 people to depart ONE IFR aircraft from Liverpool due to the complexity of the airspace(nearly 120 departures some days). You probably don't know this and won't hear this on the RTF, but the ATCO can be busy with only a handful of aircraft.
4)We can't make everybody number 1!!
ATC make the decision and somebody has to be number 2. on this day it was you, another day it may be the ATP.
5)Your home airfield will be alot more familiar with you as a pilot than the airfields you visit. Away from the home base every visitor is treated with more care as quite often they are not be familiar with their surroundings.
Perhaps in this case the crew of the ATP were familiar to ATC and their actions could be second guessed as they fly in and out every day, yet you weren't so were given more time in case you were not familiar with the airfield?
6)Do I detect a hint of commercial pressure here? Were you late already for reasons out of your control on the ground?
We all know it happens and how frustrating it is.
Basically, I'm sure you are a very capable, experienced pilot who does well for your company. Yet although you fly your aircraft in the manner that you do, others fly theirs in a different manner. We must be flexible yet cautious.
ATC Provide the safe, expeditious and orderly flow of traffic based upon what's presented to them at the time and positive control must be applied by the ATCO to prevent collisions and give a landing order.
We all need to work together to achieve the best results. Possibly a bit more communication with ATC in what you CAN do would lead to an easier life for all.
