Expedite....
A few things to take into account here.
Ive heard that at SOU the only flying club there is struggling to hold on as the airport is trying as hard as they can to rid itself of anyhtnig to do with GA,
Actually Solent Flight have moved already to Lee-on-Solent. Nothing to do with ATC, but all to to do with the airfield owner and operator, BAA. All down to availability of parking, which is severly limited at SOU.
The airfield itself is NOT anti GA, and nor is ATC. Read the recent experiences of Aerotech Flyer here :
http://forums.flyer.co.uk/viewtopic....r=asc&start=15
Class D airspace transits are refused for a genuine reason, not because the controller doesn't like you. Ring them up subsequently and ask why, and no doubt you'll be given the reason why. Better still, as Gonzo suggests, ask for a visit. It will clear up a lot of questions you might have.
I'm curious as to which routes you asked for a transit on? Was the request strictly neccessary through airspace known to be congested, and the avoidance of which adds perhaps a few minutes to the overall flight time?
The resident controllers at Bournemouth seem to be able to handle anything that is thrown at them! Quite a few are junior too!
How do you KNOW that there aren't any less experienced people at SOLENT? Just curious.
In my own humble experience SOLENT have been more than helpful, and certainly are no worse, or better than their counterparts at Bournemouth. Remember, SOLENT is not a LARS unit and have little or no interest in a/c outside CAS.(not their primary task)
One more thing to remember. How's your RT? Sound like a professional? Confident, concise and crisp? Or part of the err.... ummm...follwed by a life story, brigade? Guess who's more likely to get a transit through busy airspace?
As Gonzo says, go and visit them. They won't bite, and you will learn much to your advantage.
Best rgds
BEX
