Italian ATC the absolute pits
My commercial flying experience is I have to say largely limited to Europe and I dare say there are some atrocious third world experiences to be relayed.......however...........
Am I alone in observing that much of Italian ATC seems to be made up on the spot and often bears little resemblance to internationaly accepted procedures or indeed published charts.....?
Every time I go there, there always seems to be some new treat in store.
Just some recent examples from Milan, Verona and Pisa.
Clearance to a point not on any published STAR. Apparently those who go there regularly know it......
"You are cleared to the approach"...........(No approach specified,no closing heading, no runway stipulation)
After cocking up his vectoring and taking us through the loc............ATC"Are you visual? (cloud base 300 feet ) NO? "OK so you position for another approach".............Us"Are you clearing us to the procedure?" .............ATC"Affirm"...........Us "confirm that you want us to self position for a procedural aproach to RWY....." ATC "affirm"...........Subsequently Luigi gave us a succession of vectors to establish on the reciprocal runway ILS!!!
Given instructions to take up the hold for absolutely no clear reason and no help given with any clue as to an approach time. It subsequently transpired that a routine runway inspection was taking place with a delay of no more than five minutes.....Urgent fuel and div calculations thereby rendered totally unnecessary. No sooner in the hold than "you are cleared to the approach......."
Apron taxi instructions at Pisa given by a succession of completely unrecognisable hand signals and, to take the biscuit, signal to indicate ground equipment and chocks clear............hands in pockets and a shrug of the shoulders coupled with some rapid gum chewing. In the end,the stand off finished when tower rang this ape on his mobile phone and told him why I was not moving.
Generally, delivery of instructions and clearances are made rapidly, in poor english coupled with a "couldn't give a damn if you dont understand" attitude..............
I hate flying in Italy...........Anyone else agree?