It's easy enough to criticise ATC in frustration about not getting a transit service, or being otherwise inconvenienced, but many has been the time I have listened to the workload of the ATCO (and had a good idea what else was going on, behind the scenes / off air) and was glad I've only got one aircraft to worry about.
Plans A & B - yes, from experience its a very good idea.
For example, transitting the Luton zone through the overhead without a delay may well be possible, 8 or 9 times out of ten. On my regular run, this saves me about 3 miles distance, actually less than two minutes flying; however, the law of sod determines that the one time I really want this I won't get it, or will get held. One rate one orbit will take two minutes and causes my pax to worry about his meeting, so I would have been better off not asking for such a crossing in those circumstances.
I therefore plan to go via a route that is more likely to be available and call that 'plan A'. Plan B is the shortcut, if available. By listening out for a short while before making my initial call I try to get a mental picture of which might be the best request.
I also have plan C, which involves not actually having to talk to ATC at all and hopefully will not cause ATC any concern if I can't actually get a word in. I transit 'round and under' and make sure I'm clear of the airspace base by at least a couple of hundred of feet, rather than just on the base.
Mandatory transponders, IMHO, for aircraft able to carry them, are a good idea. In my case it means I have a better chance of becoming aware of a possible confliction with other traffic before it becomes critical because I can often do something about it myself, using the TCAS / TAS fitted to my aircraft, in the absence of a full service from ATC. If transponders have to be updated to mode S, so be it. Having said that, I might feel slightly different (but only slightly different), if I had to pay for it myself.
Last edited by ShyTorque; 23rd May 2007 at 08:41.