As I am sure any pilot will tell you, LCY is one of the more demanding airports to operate in/out of. The controllers are generally very good and helpful but I have been asked if 'I really needed to use all the runway' !! Also 'could I maintain 160kts to 4 miles' !!! Both of these scenarios show a fundamental lack of understanding of what is required from an aircraft performance point of view to operate at LCY particularly at max landing/takeoff weight. Maybe other aircraft types can achieve 160 to 4 but we cannot. If we are doing a max weight departure we are not going to go blasting off down the runway to backtrack for a split-arse turn at the end primarily because if we do have to reject the takeoff then you may well be recovering what is left of us from the dock. It all comes down to brake energy. There have been scenarios of crews that have rejected a takeoff, gone back for another go before the brake holdover time is achieved, had to reject again and disappeared of the end of runways far less restrictive than LCY. Landing at heathrow neither of those requests would be a problem. As I said in my experience of operating to LCY the controllers have been good, but a little mutual understanding from crews of what ATC are trying to achieve and form ATC of what the crews are trying to achieve I think would help all.
