Had an "interesting" conversation with a visiting E145 FO the other day, who accused ATCOs at my unit of filling-in the empty gaps in the RTF with what he termed "un-necessary info" on aircraft which he deemed to be of no relevance to him.
For example:
1. helos hovering on the grass areas to one side of the RWY
2. aircraft postioning visually behind his a/c, from the downwind position in the visual cct
3. potential TCAS traffic which was 1000 feet separated from him but opposite direction
We routinely pass this info in order to:
a) pre-empt pilots asking what the traffic is and where it is
b) to cover our backsides if the circuit traffic or helos do something stupid
c) prevent silly TCAS reports and unwelcome AIRPROXES caused by pilots sighting the other traffic ands thinking it's closer than it really is (has happened at least three times now)
d) assisting the situational awareness of pilots
e) trying to cover as many unplannedl eventualities as poss (ATCOs v.good at this, pilots???) such as the late go-round, busy flight-deck tryin to sort-out a problem and then the aircraft flies off the centreline, to one side of the runway.
One question for the pilot brigade: when you know you're # 2 on the ILS and you have one ahead (which presemably you can see on TCAS), why do some of you delight in trying to close the gap and eroding the vortex wake/radar spacing)? Bloody-mindedness or do you expect us to impose speed control to 4 miles every time? Just a thought....