Bookworm:
While keeping the pilot in the picture planning wise is a nice touch, it is certainly not top on the priority list for an ATCO. With all due respect why do you need to know our plan? If we had to explain our thinking to a pilot every time we gave an instruction the system would just grind to a halt.
I personally find little comments like 'where is our traffic' and 'what number are we' not only annoying but potentially distracting. Just because the frequency is quiet it doen not mean the ATCO is sitting there doing the crossword. It probably means he is talking or co-ordinating on one of his many telephone lines or intercoms. Having somebody wittering in your ear with superfluous and non-standard phraseology is a pain in the butt.
