Originally Posted by
Mark__
Some controllers seem to get flustered anytime there is more than a couple of non RPT aircraft in their sector. They forget when denying clearances in the modern age we can now see all the same traffic (or more likely lack of) ADS-B returns on our iPads as they see when assessing the traffic load and deciding whether to fit a GA aircraft into the flow or not.
Melbourne is a shocker. They don’t care for giving you a clearance unless your aircraft has a blue tail on it. I’ve got ADSB in, with OZRunways and Avplan traffic too (arguably I can actually see and identity more traffic than they can) and I’ve recently been denied multiple clearances that would have been a non-event a few years back) when there has been visibly next to zero traffic in the whole Melbourne airspace sector.
When denied a clearance I usually reply and suggest that I can take any altitude of their choice including vectoring. The response usually includes a level of spite that subconsciously suggests how dare I ask again when I’ve already been told no.
I often don’t care if I have to go 30 miles or more out of the way if it means I can avoid some terrible turbulence and near scud-running at the legal minimum altitude over built-up areas.
Perhaps it would be good practice for these pilots flying as students of the blue tail to be denied a clearance on occasion so they can actually learn how to read a map and navigate around Melbourne and learn properly, rather than being guided and babied through airspace by ATC.
Edit: it has occurred to me that those IFR students are paying for the service and as a VFR I am not. I’ve often wondered if that is a factor in all this.