Why Were We Kept So Stupidly High?
Today when returning to our base at the Midlands from the north, we were told of the plan to be vectored to runway xxx left hand (long way round) by ATC.
No one else around, just us.
ATC kept us FL070 to cross over the extended centerline after which one expects descent to 2500' in order to be level hopefully downwind and start to slow up for base.
We kept the speed up so when descent comes, we would achieve a good ROD.
ATC had to be prompted for descent mid downwind. No real reason just ignorance??? Quiet freq.
Finally cleared to 2500', speedbrake out, 320Kts only to be told to start to slow down.
This kind of thing happens too often.
The point of this posting is this:
Are ATC guys who do this, not switched on enough to know how an airplane descends???
Do they know what the pilot is trying to achieve in an already unhelpful situation?
How he's doing that? Why is the high speed?
I think not. They DO NOT!
I thing ATC should be MADE to fly with crews regularly, if only to be shown approaches which are like the one above. Let them see/hear the crew remarking on a situation 5 miles before it happens. The very remarks he doesn't hear normally. Let them know you CAN'T DESCEND AND SLOW DOWN AT THE SAME TIME!!!!
GIVE US DESCENT IN GOOD TIME TRAFFIC/TERRAIN PERMITTING.
Remarks please, any one else feeling similar?
[This message has been edited by moist (edited 03 September 1999).]