Originally Posted by
MechEngr
This is New York. For them that is slow. You want drawl, go to EL Paso.
Who designed that rabbit warren of a taxiway system?
I realise you are joking, but I don't want 'drawl' I just want safe, clear instructions that I can understand and write down (in short-hand). But the speed of vocal delivery at JFK can prevent this, and is, I think, a safety issue; being at least twice the speed at LHR, AMS, even CDG !
Every time we flew into JFK, all three of the heavy crew were nervously ears-peeled to hopefully hear and understand the machine gun taxi instructions first time. Having to ask for a repeat was pointless, as the controller then got really pissed off and would speak even more quickly, as if s/he thought we were stupid.
By speaking so quickly, ATC cause
themselves problems and extra work. Slooooooow Dooooown a bit and give yourselves and everyone a break !
The taxiways are complex but not particularly worse than LHR or CDG, but the way ATC is set up leaves a lot to be desired - a separate ramp controller frequency doesn't help, (aircrews), with having to contact ramp on box 2 as you taxi in, to find out your stand to tell the controller. Can't the controller themselves just look over at the ramp screen - we have too much to do trying to understand the machine gun instructions and get them right without one of us going away to box 2.
Something needs to be done though. A better traffic system could be developed at JFK, such as SIDs linked to specific runways, as has been mentioned, and perhaps a standard 'one way' circulatory taxi system?