The Menaces of the "Guard Police" 31.5.08
This is addressed to the idiots of the “Guard Police” who were active on the morning of 31.5.08.
I had departed from Halfpenny Green in a Cessna 152, with my passenger, an ex WW2 RAF Aircrew gentleman. We were heading for Project Propeller at Old Warden. In case you are not aware, this is the annual opportunity for these lovely veterans to fly in to a significant destination and catch up with their, sadly now ever dwindling numbers of, colleagues. The weather forecast was perfectly acceptable for such a trip as was the METAR for immediately prior to departure the only possible hiccup being the 4K visibility at Stansted but that was well away from where we were headed.
Nearing Wellesbourne the visibility, whilst remaining within my legal limits, became poor and patchy requiring careful negotiation of the murkier patches. Wellesbourne asked us (there were two of us from EGBO headed for EGTH) to route well south of them as they had the Vulcan stuck on the runway. Having checked my time and chart I was not where I should have been. I decided to call D&D (London Centre) for a position fix with a view to turning back. (I was in fact on track but not as far along it as I thought)The officer at D&D was most helpful and said he would route me well south of Wellesbourne. He and I exchanged relevant information and he provided me with vectors and updates eventually taking me almost to the overhead join at Old Warden something which was greatly appreciated by both myself and my passenger. During this time I was responsible, as always, for maintaining VFR which sometimes involved heading and height variations and conversation with D&D.
The problem with the “Guard Police” started almost the second I called D&D. “You’re on guard” was heard over and over and over again. All, sounded as if they were from the USA. A firm, polite call from D&D produced a short respite but the calls soon returned. They were a serious problem. At one point I was passing information to D&D regarding the weather around Cranfield and an irate, American voice shouted at me “you are talking on guard”. Of course I was! I needed to talk to D&D and they to me. At this point I finally lost my temper (I do not do so easily) and told the interferer that I was well aware that I was talking on 121.5, gave a reason why, then told him to shut up, go away and let D&D do their job of helping me. I make NO apology for doing so.
You self-appointed “Guard Police” are a menace and, if you carry on will eventually cause a fatal accident by your constant interfering and the stress you cause by doing so. You sit happily in your nice, comfy, super-equipped aircraft flying along in the beautiful blue sky above the clouds with not a care in the world except perhaps what you are going to have for your next meal, or what is in the day’s newspapers. I, and many like me, am restricted to flying beneath the cloud in conditions of which you are completely unaware. You seem incapable of understanding that in order to help someone it is necessary for the person requiring the help and D&D to speak to each other using 121.5. Do you have crystal balls to do this for you in the USA? We certainly don’t over here.
As pilots we ALL have a duty of care towards each other – your duty of care towards me that morning was totally absent.
There are two types of licence and two categories of pilot. Private Pilot’s Licence and Commercial (I include the ATPL in this), Professional and Unprofessional. PPL licence holders can be just as professional in their flying as the best CPL/ ATPL holders and some of the CPL/ ATPLs can be very unprofessional. You are the most unprofessional Commercial pilots it has ever been my misfortune to encounter. You appear to have a complete lack of care and commonsense and seem only to want to hear the sound of your own voices bleating on 121.5. As far as I am concerned your interference amounted to placing an aircraft and its passengers in danger. You are a menace to aviation as a whole and a thorough disgrace to your airlines. If I had access to the information which would enable me to identify you I would most certainly write to the airlines concerned. I shall, however, leave it to D&D London Centre to take any action they deem necessary.
To D&D at LATCC: Many thanks for your excellent service and help. I really do appreciate all you did as did my veteran passenger who is most impressed. “Such a lovely, warm, caring voice” he said, “you knew you could have confidence in him and he got us exactly where we needed to be. Wonderful.”
To the true, professional pilots who listened on 121.5, realised there was a problem and that D&D were trying to deal with it: Thank you, you are the real professionals and your watching silence was appreciated. My passenger had a wonderful day – his words and has spent the time since then boring (his description) his friends, family and work colleagues with the details of the event. He can’t wait for next year’s event!
In the meantime I am continuing with my IMC rating and have had a chat with the CFI about some revision I feel will be helpful in improving my skills.
Any comments you may wish to make should be posted on the other Guard Police thread.