Originally Posted by
itsnotthatbloodyhard
Probably ought to know better than to demand 180 kts down to 1200’ then, don’t you think?
What’s the ultimate aim here? Is it for pilots to prove themselves worthy by rising to the special challenge posed by NY controllers? Or for ATC to facilitate the safe and efficient arrival of aircraft? Because if it’s the latter, I’m not sure that high-speed, often non-standard transmissions (with a bit of attitude thrown in for good measure) really help.
Agreed that BA should’ve spared them the lecture, but I can kind of sympathise.
Every place around the world has it's own "special challenges" that need adapting-to whether it be procedural or communications or lack of infrastructure, whatever. Any pilot not knowing this hasn't traveled much or been paying attention (for instance, when flying in the UK I always pack a big Oxford dictionary in my flight bag in case I need to look up another word like "deconfliction"). Yet there seems to be an expectation from a certain cadre of pilots who can't handle the fact that flying into NY or other points in the U.S. isn't just like "home" and become indignant about having to adapt, and prefer to instead begin banging-on the supposedly "inferior" ATC handling.
If the aim is the efficient and safe movement of aircraft, then answering a simple question by ATC when asked instead of immediately being triggered into Pompous Mode and avoiding it would serve as a start.