Originally Posted by Fuji Abound
I have, but it didnt change my perception.
Be interesting to know where.
On the whole I think ATCO do a terrific job - BUT the perception remains their priority is commercial trafic.
Airport employs ATCO's, airlines pay airport, airport pays wages. If you don't provide the airlines with what they want they go elsewhere.
It seems to me absolutely clear from this thread most GA pilots would struggle to find a single occasion when AT is really trying to accomodate their needs.
That's total b*ll*cks and I prove that every day I go to work.
Zone transits are given only if it provides NO interference with commercial users,
Not true - transits can, and are given with equal priority being given to both aircraft.
RIS outside CAS is only given if the workload is low,
That's called prioritising - the first priority is often to the sequence you've got on the approach. Are you trying to tell me you would, in whatever your job is, walk away from the main priority in order to deal with something that isn't as pressing? If you do I suggest you wouldn't last long in your employment.
overhead transits at the larger airports are never given,
Again, total rot - the safest place for a transit is often straight through the overhead, and where I work they get approved more often than not.
zone transits are only approved after the envitable "remain outside of controlled airspace, I will call you".
What's wrong with that? The transit hasn't been refused, you're just being told to wait for your clearance. It's become necessary because of the number of people who train in the US, who think that US rules apply, insofar that once you've established two way comms with an ATC unit you can transit with no formal clearance.
If this thread has shown anything it has proved that the vast majority of PPL's who scream and bellow about how unfairly they are treated by ATC have no conception about many of the factors that affect just how traffic is handled in the terminal environment.
I'm sorry if someone's been held in the circuit. It's not my fault that Brussels has just changed the slot on a departure and I've got to get them away in the next 90 seconds otherwise they wait another hour and a half.
I'm sorry if you get held at the holding point because you want to save on taxying, but I can't get you away because you need 3 minutes separation from the previous departure and the queue at the hold who I can shoot off 1 or 2 minutes apart isn't going to allow that.
I'm sorry you can't get a RIS because the military have gone home for the weekend, and you want a RIS on a CAVOK day when every man and his dog wants to call at the same time as Joe Public want to go on their summer hols, or come back from them.
Get the picture?