Originally Posted by
Dick Smith
Fixa24 you state:
I’m sure you realise the significance of what you have said. That is, those pilots perceive that there will be a problem if they try to get a clearance through your Class D airspace (or presumably Class C if they are flying a bit higher).
Why do pilots have that perception? I can assure you it is because of practical experience. While I am delighted that you have never refused a clearance to VFR aircraft, I can assure you that VFR aircraft are often extensively delayed or diverted because of our procedural separation standards – which probably come from the 1930s.
Anyway, why don’t you get Airservices to communicate to pilots (the ones that are skirting around the airspace) that if they call up they will get a friendly direct clearance? That would be a move in the right direction.
Dick... i have no idea why this perception exists here or any other tower. Already there has been numerous controllers respond here saying they have never refused a clearance. So you saying that they skirt CTA due to past experience just doesn't add up. I believe it's more of a case of pilots too scared to talk on the radio. I have witnessed many times aircraft transitting MBZ's (when they existed) not saying a single word on the radio. Whether this is by mistake or on purpose its severely poor airmanship. This wasn't a quiet MBZ either. I believe you are familiar with YBPN.
I believe it's now become a culture thing with pilots. I have spoken to pilots who have done all their training at regional airports with a tower and they are still afraid to speak on the radio for saying the wrong thing. The pilots that train at GAAP airports are the worst... But this thread isn't about that.
Procedural standards? Crikey... not as restrictive in a tower environment as you would have everyone believe Dick. Most of the time, we just pass traffic to the IFR about the VFR... OMG...
yes. we do do it. The biggest standard we use here is the 10nm same track longitudinal standard. Or there is the 12nm CEP with GPSRNAV.. but don't often use that. Most of the time it's the 5 DME inside 15NM for arriving aircraft. And of course, we have Visual separation, which allows us to run things a hell of a lot tighter than your class c friends can.. Procedural standards can be much smaller than radar ones.....
