Hey Fly Through, the problem we have (especially with one crew) is that you try and organise the order in the hold and have it all set up and then the plan gets changed to 30 NM blanket. So we usually stack them up and then as you guys can take them, whether 10 apart or 20 or whatever, we bring them in. I think generally it works ok if there is an open line of communication, my big gripe is when you call Dubai COORD and ask if you can shortcut the guy overhead MUSAP and the COORD responds with "Who??". Surely the COORD should be on a big range and have the sequence sorted well before they get in this close. I just get the distinct impression a lot of the guys see COORD as a position where you pass on COORD and if you get a chance you look at the sequence. From our point of view, the COORD is the guy we are looking to for a bit of guidance as to what you want or need.
Granny Smith, I had tongue firmly in the cheek, when I commented on us doing everything. When working with a good crew, Dubai APP and UAE Centre cooperates and helps each other out a lot, but when there is a bad crew either side of the fence, its the pilots that suffer.
BTW I know Big Brother is watching this thread, so be careful about letting on who you are, as criticism is not appreciated I hear.
Fly Through, again the lowest common denominator thing, we can't trust most of these pilots to make a left hand holding pattern (the right hand pattern at DESDI, scares the crap out of those RANBI departures), so how do you expect us to trust these guys with a time to arrive instruction. We have to get in and do it ourselves, which means wicked vectors all over the sky sometimes. I mean the amount of times aircraft fail to meet Vertical requirements here is scary, and thats after checking twice to make sure they will meet it. In a perfect world (Australia I hear you all saying
) you can trust the pilots will do the right thing, sorry here, due to a really bad minority, all techniques have to be dumbed down.