and finally
My job for the Beeb yesterday, the Triathlon, went without a hitch, thanks very much. I'm sure that had nothing to do with this thread; it was what normally happens.
AlanM, I'm not at all cross; I was astounded to be engaged in a conversation by an ATCO about another aircraft (albeit with my Company callsign) which confirmed what I and many colleagues have experienced over the years. That is that SOME, not all, ATCOs have a bias against VFR. My original question was, indeed, about VFR and not NSF and used that incident to illustrate my point. I could equally have quoted the differences in treatment of VFR between neighbours East Anglia and Luton........any guesses from you guys which we like and which we loath, or the dreadful disdain of many (NOT ALL) military controllers for us?
In your responses and your arguements among yourselves you could not have shown better that my question was justified.
I am delighted that most of you recognise that those responses typified by Standard Noise (pm me SN and I'll tell you what patronising means) need to be challenged.
Thank you for the offer to visit you at work, I'll try to take you up on it (although I don't drink Latte!). Believe it or not I think I have a very good idea of your workload, I try to keep a mental picture of traffic around me based on listening out and being advised by ATC. What you understand but some of your colleages fail to realise is that our job frequently involves more that simply getting from A to B so if we fail to respond first time every time its because some film director (or sight seeing customer) is blocking you out; or if we don't spot the traffic one mile away its because we are now pionting away from it.
None of us has an easy job and its good to know that most of us, on both sides of the great divide, do our best to make the other guy's life easier.
Uncle Ian