Beagle
I entirly agree with you about standardisation, but wasn't this exactly what ATSORA was supposed to do?
H Peacock
Sorry, but, yes, you are being pedantic. You are not being
CLEARED. Read what I have written about the contract between pilot and ATCO re a RIS. I don't think I can write this any clearer. It disturbs me that as a pilot you STILL think you are being cleared
Other than the landing clearance ( a runway is sacrosanct to the runway controller), you are being given help to get you to your required point. All vectors and descent information will be with regard to
known traffic. Separation from other aircarft and the ground is still ALL your responsibility. If you are being given a RIS you are outside regulated airspace. That means that, the controller may not be aware of all the traffic in that airspace or, it's intentions. This is why you cannot be 'Cleared' to do anything. You would be asking far too much of ATCOs if you wanted cast iron clearances when they don't know
everything that may be out there, or you when you may be flying where radar cover has limitations.
Apart from the stated clearances wrt to runways. You can only be CLEARED to do a maneouvre in controlled airpsace or given a clearance to enter or cross it, at which time you will be receiving a RCS.
One of the reasons that ATSORA was introduced was that increased radar cover around the country, along with the fact that so many a/c were carrying transponders, meant that a better service could be achieved outside regulated airspace than a FIS. Before introduction, there were many incidents because, using the new coverage, controllers were being occasionally misunderstood when they passed information to pilots. Pilots were sometimes under the misaprehension that they were being 'controlled'. ATSORA was supposed to clarify the situation and encourage all pilots to use an Air Tarffic Service whenever possible, to give a safer flying environment all round. It seems that the importance of this, needs further highlighting.
Also sorry to be long winded. However, I am deeply concerned that pilots are once again misunderstaning the limtations of the service they are receiving. I urge you, once again, for your own safety and that of others to have a good, long read of ATSORA.
