Please remember that those blips who don't do as they're told are not errant insects, they're living breathing machines flown by human beings. They're heavy, light, Boeing, Airbus, fully-loaded, lightly-loaded, flap this, config that, parking here, or parking there.
We do everything we can do comply with your requests, but every approach is not the same everyday, we don't simply drop the clutch, stand on the brake pedal and shift down a gear. In one day last week I flew a 321 at Flap 3 with a Vref of 147 knots and a 15kt headwind = 162 target Vapp, followed by a 319 in Flap Full with a Vapp of 117. I've flown lightly loaded 757's with a grounspeed of 90kts on short final. You just can't chastise pilots for doing their best.
And secondly, where do I get the time to discuss with you my approach strategy? I can barely get a word in edgewise to call established, let alone request permission to use the glideslope - that quaint old English custom.
What worries me is that no-one is looking at the flashing yellow '
Heathrow Full' caption. We just keep on packing them in and blaming each other. Everyday we're all just a little luckier than yesterday.
Management? Save your breath, tell them to BACK OFF! and lets take commercial pressure right out of the operation.
