Now if only someone up there was actually listening to the radio instead of watching the guages ......
Today was the worst day ever in my career of having to say things twice (or more), or getting airline ops to get plonkers on ACARS, or company relays to come and join everyone else on the operational frequency, etc, etc, etc.
Closing speeds of up to 1200 Mph and some still want to look at that cheese board
A bit sad if this is what you think of some pilots and perhaps you would benefit from refamiliarizing yourself with the the world upstairs.
If you did you would quickly realize that it is endemic in parts of UK airspace that some controllers are so busy issuing multiple instructions and frequency changes that they do not leave any gaps for aircraft to report in. So much so that when they do 3 or 4 all jump in and squeal at once to no effect. Often an aircraft and a controller will talk at the same time and no one hears each other. The result controllers are saying things twice and so are pilots.
I sympathize that today was the worst day in your career for saying things twice. Every few months I feel a similar new record being set. It is becoming abysmal.
Calls on company frequencies should whenever possible be done in level cruise, but for one reason or another this is often not possible. Many of these calls are required and the pilots making them are not "plonkers" by virtue of the fact. There are 2 pilots and at least one should always be monitoring the ATC frequency. Sometimes calls are missed on both sides because of unwarrranted distractions and this is something to be guarded against, but the reasons may not always be why you think and I return again to the deteriorating state of ATC/ Aircraft communications in parts of UK airspace.
I have little doubt this is something that can only be remedied by increased discipline on both sides and by the always elusive requirement for more and better investment in the infrastructure. However any perception by anybody that it is a result of "plonkers" obsessed with their acars, company frequencies, or cheeseboards is inaccurate and unhelpful.
I am not sure this was a reply aimed at the spotters ?