Out of interest (and risking a bit of thread-creep), how common is it for helicoptor procedures to not be as well-published as fixed-wing procedures?
I've only been flying out of Blackpool for a few months, but in that short period, there are several occassions where I've heard r/t exchanges such as:
"Helicoptor G-CD is 3 miles to the east"
"G-CD, are you familiar with H North?"
"Erm, er, ah, negative, G-CD"
"Ok, G-CD it's on the grass just to the west of the control tower"
"Oh yes, I see it"
"Ok, if you aim for there initially then" (Note the deliberate dropping of the call-sign at this point.)
Followed by:
"G-CD, I think you're aiming at the wrong place. H-North is actually just off to your left a little."
"Oops - yes, I see it now, thanks!"
In contrast, I can remember hearing only one r/t exchange with a fixed-wing pilot who had trouble locating the runway, and this was easily resolved by the pilot climbing to the overhead and then doing a standard overhead join. I've never heard a controller who felt it necessary to check with a fixed-wing pilot whether he was familiar with a particular runway, whereas I frequentyly hear controllers ask visiting helicoptor pilots if they are familiar with helicoptor aiming points.
This is in no way intended as a comment on the helicoptor pilots themselves, but instead on the way the helicoptor procedures are (or are not) published.
Comments?
FFF
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