Originally Posted by
le Pingouin
As an en route controller (I work Melbourne arrivals) it means absolutely nothing from a controlling perspective and I'll do exactly nothing with the information aside from thinking "why did you tell me that?". Not sure how the towers would handle it but I doubt it would be any differently. If the purpose is avcharges related then indicating it in the flight plan would be more effective.
If I were a controller, I would ensure that I gave the aircraft the safest and most direct route, knowing that there is likely a sick passenger on board who has just finished a bout of chemotherapy or something equally bad. I would assist the pilot by being clear and concise with radio calls as they may be unfamiliar with the area. I would also look to be accommodating towards issuing a clearance, especially if the plan wasn’t in or had been delayed. If I was in the tower, I’d expedite the circuit join and give priority over a circuit basher if at all possible along with a friendly hello, knowing that the pilot is giving away their time and aircraft for free and helping those in need.