Anotherflapoperator:
The benefit to Tower of you doing 160 to 4 even if it's quiet is that it's standard, and Tower knows you'll be coming down at 160 to 4. Thus he doesn't have to co-ordinate either 'standard' speeds or 'own' speeds for every inbound individually. It helps to know in case he gets one departure he might be able to squeeze away. Far easier to judge when he knows what speeds you'll be flying down the approach.
Dunhovrin:
Also: When we exit why don't Tower tell us to take A or B taxiway*? At least we can keep rolling that way and clear the runway proper like.
Because there is no way Arrivals could co-ordinate every single inbound with GMC. When it's going ape, even GMC doesn't know which way you'll be going until he's on the R/T to you. Yes, we try and sort it out if it's a possible go-around, or if there'll be a gridlock if you come off at one particular exit, but Arrivals just doesn't have the picture of what's going on in GMC to decide. And personally, as GMC, I'd look unkindly on someone deciding where my a/c were going for me. If you can't get in on the R/T, move fully off the runway onto A, but then stop and keep your options open. I was stitched up big time the other day by an A319 coming off short from 27R, turning left on A without talking to me, abeam a company push from stand 101. What he hadn't seen was a Cathay 747 being towed towards him. I had to get the 747 to reverse back. Lucky he was being towed!
