sm4 - yes point taken. I guess it is not easy, especially with say, a MEL-SYD a/c up high descending out of a 90TW at maybe FL390 to a 20HW at FL260 - not unusual - and therefore groundspeed changing quite markedly on the way, mixed in with other traffic, jumbos, saabs etc etc.
Personally, I am happy to get a high speed descent at almost any stage as it is not my VISA card being given to the refuelling truck and I often have a flight with a tight connection to catch home (another story
).
I guess another common gripe would be never landing into wind in Sydney
, but i guess that is a totally different can of worms. Before anyone accuses me of ATC-bashing on this one, I totally understand the powers-that-be have dictated this whole noise sharing bollocks and ATC is merely the ham in the sandwich. And yes, I often "require" a more-into-wind runway if i think the runway selection is taking the piss.
One more (again not ATC's fault) whinge - SODPROPS
- what the f&*king hell is with this sorry excuse for a way of doing things? Who the
came up with this bollocks?
Yes, let's have an aircraft taking off as another one is landing in the opposite direction - Real smart one people
. My best experience with this one: Coming in to Sydney from Auckland on a
slow sunday morning, not much traffic about. Wind, light and variable, CAVOK. 34L for arrivals, 16L for departures. Result for us - one holding pattern in the flight levels, overflew field at 6000 feet, vectored half way to wollongong before landing on 34L. Probably cost about a ton of gas (again care factor -20 as I don't pay for it). On the plus side it was a lovely day and I think the passengers loved the scenic!