Love to go on a study trip ....anywhere.
Since September 11, famil flights are so restrictive they're not worth the bother, and consequently not taken up. And as for study trips outside Oz. Forget it. 100 million reasons Airservices won't pay for that.
Props,
ATCs are taught that as a rule of thumb, jets wash off about 1 knot per second. Is that right?
I can only talk from a Brissie perspective, but if ATC vector to make good a set course time, we would like you to hold the speed that you had immediately prior to the vector. If we want a different speed we'll tell you.
If you are too high, just let us know. Sometimes the reason for the suddenly different tracking/speed instruction is because one of your comrades in another aircraft has had a problem/done something unexpected/unable to comply with an instruction.
In Brisbane, Approach north looks after the northern arrivals and departures, and of course App south does the southern. They use two different frequencies. Each controller fits his sequence of aircraft in around the other whcih is established by the Flow.
Hence you might have a radically different instruction because of something that happened on the other approach frequency. You won't, therefore, be aware of the reason. Sometimes the controllers get too busy to provide explanations.
I would also suggest that you visit an ATC centre like Brissie or Melbourne, get plugged in and watch and listen to how it all works.
All pilots are welcome to visit at any time.