ANSA Whist I see your point about calls prior to ORSAR omitted or in an incorrect format this is largely a result of unfamiliarity with local procedures. The only indication that we pilots have of the requirement to call UAE 10 minutes prior to ORSAR is a small ill defined box of text on the Jeppesen area chart which is hidden amongst a volume of other information. EK mainline pilots generally know about it through training and familiarity, you know about it because it is your patch but what about the other 100+ carriers who use the airspace. These guys manage to operate quite adequately into LHR, JFK, SYD etc. It is most definitely a limitation of the of the navigation publication but is also quite abnormal for someone who regularly operates in 1st world airspace. I can only imagine the London area controller’s reaction to some guy popping up on frequency just to say he is on his way and will be there in 10 minutes whilst still with Maastricht.
Every airport and every FIR has its own local procedures but one cannot expect all crew to know all of them unless condensed into some form of route briefing or NOTAM. The limitations of the published navigation aids such as Jeppesen in this case are quite apparent. Ask someone who is unfamiliar with the airspace to show you where the published holds at DESDI and BUBIN are depicted. You are looking at a 10 minute exercise if indeed they are found at all which is why you probably get so many queries when you instruct aircraft to hold there.
Whilst I am sure that the majority of pilots do there best to conform you may well have to cut them a bit of slack if they are not regulars.
On the broad topic of quality of RT there can be no excuse. Tired, bored, demotivated, whatever we are all professionals who hold a qualification to that effect and owe it to safety and our profession to maintain the highest standards at all times no matter how poorly we feel we are being treated.
Does anyone know if there a publication readily available of correct terminology and required read backs etc?