OVC002
Your post is as ignorant as it is offensive. pistongone had already corrected his original statement.
Dear Indignant of PPRuNe, I think you doth protest too much. PPRuNe has always been about robust debate and comment. Sometimes you win, sometimes you lose.
pistongone corrected twice, adding a bit more each time. Important issues were aired and points made on both sides.
We declared that level was going to be a push and were told to continue
To a controller this implies that the level will probably be made, but only just. It is not the same as saying 'unable' which leaves no leeway for interpretation.
but we did advise we couldnt make the level, hence the offer to orbit. We kept the controller informed of our flight status, and were told to continue even though we said we wouldnt reach the assigned level.
That is a totally different circumstance, and the controller can then amend a clearance based upon it. So which was it ??
Notice that
pistongone never retracted the fact that Mode C was switched off (deliberately) to hide a possible non compliance with a clearance, which has been the main thing most people raised their eyebrows at.
Looking back on it i admit it was a stupid thing to do
Lesson learned and good to see
pistongone understands why there was concern. I give him/her great credit for that statement and for bringing up the discussion point. On that basis I have absolutely no beef with
pistongone. We all make mistakes in aviation. We all learn and move on, as better pilots hopefully.
Contrary to your advice I shall continue to fly, and follow my clearance, to the best of my ability. I will also continue to make comments here based upon all of the facts, and not twist them by selectively ignoring previously clarified statements.
Glad to hear it
GA needs all the people it can muster to help support it. All I would say on the above is that following your clearance to the best of your ability is laudable, but if the best of your ability means that you can't comply with it (for whatever reason), then you need to shout up and let ATC know so we can come up with a safe alternative. Switching off Mode C and 'blagging it' is hopefully now fully recognised as not being a safe alternative
Final 3 Greens
You're out of line.
I like being out of line
... especially when it comes to things like railing against Mode S which the CAA want to impose. Although if it allows monitoring compliance to clearances by GA guys to be easier, maybe I should move across to the dark side and embrace it ??
The WHOLE episode, as told, was stupid and all involved come out of it badly, including the controller.
In what way does the controller come out badly ?? From what was said, they gave a clearance which was initially safe, although possibly unachievable. But that's for the pilot to decide, not ATC, who would excpect compliance unless told otherwise.
pistongone told us subsequently that they told ATC it would be difficult to make, and an amended clearance to continue seems to have been issued.
Remember that pilots usually die in a middair, but the controller doesn't.
True as a general statement, but the family of controller Peter Nielsen might beg to differ.