And again.
Sorry to perpetuate my own thread, I'm sure that's runs against all internet good manners, however yesterday's approach into AGP around 1100Z just reiterated my original point so well, I had to share it with you.
Unusually AGP were landing on 31. Passing over Martin VOR at FL200 doing 300kts, we were told by Malaga approach turn left ten degrees cleared to establish on LLZ for 13 !
We were somewhat concerned as this reduced my track miles by around 50 and left me with quite a lot of energy to dissipate ! TCAS showed at least half a dozen other aircraft on the procedure for / taking vectors to the ILS 31, and all of my flying to date as been geared up to thinking of the runway as a one way street.
When I tried to confirm this, the controller eventually (very unconcerned) tells me that it was his mistake, and that 31 was in use. Did that heading still apply ? Is there a new cleared level ?
Eventually told to descend to 'crackle hiss whine mumble...thousand feet' downwind, it took three attempts for other pilot and I to get him to confirm that it was 6000ft.
A reasonable, but not strong wind from the west was blowing each aircraft through the 31 localiser and they each had to improvise a heading to re-establish from the right. Each of the three preceeding aircraft did this and told the controller, yet the vectors were the same for us.
We suggested that he might like to amend his vectors for the following company aircraft, but....he was vectored through too !
I don't want this to degenerate into a Spanish bashing thread, some of their controllers are very good. Just not that one !
I'd be interested to hear from anyone who was at AGP yesterday morning and recognises this. A Thompson crew ahead of me had similar problems too.
Cheers,
MoT