Why would clearance delivery use a colloquial phrase like lap and land to a 45 tonne jet filed to go to Athens? What a stupid thing to say. One pilot was Dutch, one was English (by the sound of it). I am English and have never heard anyone say lap and land in my life. What they said affirm to was probably the circuit and ignored the stupid lap and land bit.
Why are any professional pilots on here implying they could see and avoid obstacles VFR. Commercially flown jets in EASA land can’t do that - can they in FAA land? It doesn’t matter because the aircraft has to follow its operators manual which won’t allow it.
At that weight the Global could only just be clean and it would be perilously close to the low speed threshold and not sensible to fly around VFR. That’s why I said earlier that it would be a good idea to stay slats out and 190ish to give a good manoeuvre margin and be as slow as possible.
I don’t know why they didn’t clear to the north pending a clearance into the class B and the airways - it’s what I would have done and I have on quite a few occasions in various places all over the world - but maybe the discussion with the ground controller gave them the impression that they would be able to stay in the VFR pattern and get their clearance. They sounded surprised to me when the controller expected them to be landing. When given headings by a controller, even suggested headings, most pilots just fly them rather than say “thanks for the suggestion but I think I will stick at 200 and clear the Bravo shelf and do my own thing”. That might be a better plan for the armchair pilot but sitting in the seat having discussed plan A you could be forgiven that the tower controller was executing Plan A.
There are faults on both sides but it’s definitely wrong that so many pilots on here are chucking all the stones at the crew. Next time I hear an American pilot fumbling their way through a deconfliction service around the Heathrow TMA I do hope they point them at Luton and say “sqwark 7000 frequency change enroute goodbye”.
Aren’t controllers there to coordinate and help make things work? Is anyone that has responded so far a controller or just blame happy pilots who never fly outside the continental US..