Hi DFC, thanks for a very useful perspective provided by your post.
ATC are required to issue a reason for refusing a clearance.
I am sympathetic with their situation to an extent, but to the ears of a PPL who on several occasions has tried to contact Solent to request crossing a section of their airspace, they stand out as distinctly more reluctant to communicate with than comparable nearby units (e.g. Bournemouth) and this has led to a perception by many of us that they are actively discouraging VFR/GA from making contact.
Let me give a recent example: whilst tracking direct Benson -> Portsmouth Harbour at 4000' last weekend around lunch time, I wanted to request crossing Solent's western stub which lay across my track at that level because, given the large number of microlights at lower levels heading for the fly-in at Sandown, I just felt it might provide a safer and more straightforward route for me and my passenger. So this was not a "must have" but a "nice to have" clearance if I could get it.
So I called Solent "Solent Radar, G-FA, request" shortly after passing Farnborough and got the reply "G-FA standby - we are very busy; we will call you back". Nothing further heard, so I descended below the stub and continued "seeing and avoiding" (which is fine as that's what we do!). I continued monitoring Solent just for a bit of situational awareness. One or two others were also told to "standby, don't call us we'll call you" (to paraphrase) and I heard one inbound commercial jet, and one IFR being coordinated into the airways. Didn't hear much besides, but appreciate they may be on other freqs, coordinating on landlines, handing over to relief controller, etc.
I stayed on the freq for 20 / 30 minutes or so as we tracked around the island and under the 2000' section near Yarmouth - I was not called back, and I don't think the other chaps were either. I declined to re-call them as I don't want to add to their problems if they really are very busy (didn't seem so, but appreciate I can't tell from where I sit).
While I don't want to go casting aspersions, you can understand how the above situation (which is a common occurence in my weekend flying experience) leads people to wonder whether, perhaps, the chaps at Solent may have a policy of cynically telling passing GA traffic to "standby" without a real intention of calling them back, thus avoiding actually refusing a clearance request and the obligations that go with such requests as you have outlined?
Just a thought...
Andy
