I know there are many people who read PPRuNe who have lateral thinking minds and would like to copy the best from around the world if it was to save the lives of themselves and their passengers.
What happens is the same old posters come on with their fixed views saying there is no way we can actually improve the service we give here.
I have received a number of private messages asking why I don’t get an American air traffic controller to come on and explain how it works there. The reason is simple. A number of years ago an American air traffic controller – the manager of Juneau Tower, Steve Turner – came on under the name ATCNORTH to explain how a US Class D tower works. In three or four posts these same Aussie ATCs came on and said he clearly wasn’t a controller as they didn’t accept his views.
In fact, Steve is not only an experienced professional air traffic controller, but he had been to Australia and stayed here with the President of the Australian Civil Air union. In the end, Steve naturally said it was a waste of time posting and explaining how international air traffic control works, because these people had their minds so closed they would never, ever listen.
As I stated previously, there are new young controllers coming along, and I notice from the phone calls and emails I receive that they have more of an open mind. I can see in the years to come that we will be able to move forward to more modern and safer air traffic control procedures.
For Ferris to claim that a pilot, when called and told that he was below the legal lowest safe altitude in cloud, would call back and say, “Yes, yes, I know, as advised, I’m on descent,” just shows the complete lack of understanding of how a pilot in IMC in a mountainous area in bad weather would react to such a call.