Originally Posted by 6080ft
Where you not an idiot doing solo stuff one day?
Yip, at Taupo. That was a good few years back now though when the place was a little quiet backwater. I am not comparing Ardmore and Taupo. They are different but equally deserving of ATC for their different and special circumstances.
If you think having ATC at AR would reduce the number of go arounds you are sorely mistaken!!! I have been sent around by control many times at Hamilton due to aircraft vacating ahead of me, when I know perfectly well I will be able to get in.
When going for my CPL at Waikato, I was doing circuits in a 152 on the crossing grass runway and there was a 727 circuiting on runway 36. I did half a dozen with the 727 filling my side window every time and it was great! The problem with Hamilton isnt the controllers because you have the choice of spacing wider or slowing down to accomodate the A/C in front. If you are told to go around, its because you havent spaced yourself wide enough to allow the landing (and maybe just post solo) A/C in front to vacate. That is just situational awareness. At Ardmore, if you slow down. Someone on the ground will pull out to T/O, if you space out, someone will cut inside you so the only way to get continuity is for someone to deny people entry to the runway and to give landing clearances so pilots know their order.
OSOP