Inbound to KPHL (primary class B airspace) today behind an FAA "Flightcheck" King Air performing navaid checks. He gave approach his missed approach hold request. You could tell from approach's inflection and looking at TCAS or ADSB, it was NOT going to work, though he said he would coordinate.
Switch tower, hear Flightcheck on the go and getting treated like the subject at BFI. Having shot hundreds of instructional approaches at a busy class C airports (military, based there) I have long had a beef with ATC.
Cleared the approach means you are also cleared the missed. However, Tower effectively owns only the outer marker to the threshold, touched down and rolled out. Go missed, tower must coord, and if there is a change or new conflict, separation and pacing are too often too dramatic.
I know at a glance, if the info is displayed or I have an accurate mental model- what to expect and what will likely work. Why? I'm not awesime, I just prepare a cushion against the worst case, and am pleased and padded if any better occurs.
ATC is also weak coordinating opposite direction needs at airports near a dominating Class C or B aiespace airport. There are letters of agreements between control facilities yielding flow direction to the larger airport. That sounds to be the actual problem at BFI. Assume the worst answer to requests if you don't know the local agreements.
Last edited by moosepileit; 12th Jul 2019 at 02:23.