1. Descents - if you sneak up on EGPF/H or D from the south have to start your descent a fuel wasting 100 miles or so before you want to. And then, when close in you are kept above an ideal profile.
100 miles before you want to ? So when you are cleared to cross MARGO at FL260, you would rather be crossing FL260 100 miles further on ?? Which is overhead destination. Mmmm, interesting descent profile you must have there. Are you flying a C130 and looking to do a tactical 'Kai San' approach perchance ?
You are cleared down to FL260 to clear you out of the way of crossing traffic coming across from NATEB and freeing up capacity for that traffic in the sector which overlies MARGO. As Rolaand says, there are others in the sky, here's a hankie
I've even seen quite a few aircraft being given unrestricted descents via MARGO who then cross MARGO below FL260 ... how does that work then if the profile is wrong by 100 miles ?
can you tell me why Scottish are so different to the rest of the UK/Europe?
Of course, absolutely no level restrictions in London airspace, or Manchester, Amsterdam, or Maastricht. The ones I comply with must be someone having a laugh with me ?
The same applies, I'm told because of Scottish, when you go to EGNT and EGNV. The Germans do it as well, but they have a bit more traffic.
By reading my Manual and controlling at ScACC, I'm know that there are no such restrictions. There might be some coming from the South or Southeast, but then that's not our airspace (as a look at the AIP will tell you). Best have a rant at Manchester or London Mil for those, once you have your geography and procedures sussed.
2. What do I do with the information of "threshold elevation" and how do I apply it? If somebody rushed out and changed it fifty feet or so overnight, I probably wouldn't notice.
How many times have Scottish given you this ? I ask because we wouldn't have a clue what you were talking about if you requested it from us.
4. When departing and going south, why can't we go direct, outside controlled airpsace with one of these new fangled Deconfliction Services?
From where are you departing ? Most folks will be happy to clear you to leave CAS below FL195 and dump you to London or Scottish Info for a Basic Service
Above FL195 outside the published route structure, you're not our priority, which is traffic inside the ATS routes. With the military and other users operating in the off route Class C autonomously (pseudo Class G at times), why would we give a service to you which might impact on the service we give to our core users ? If workload and the traffic situation permits, then we will do what we can, but the problem also arises of what happens to you when you reach the edge of our area of responsibility. Manchester or London will not normally give you a service outside 'CAS', and unless you have agreed a service with the military beforehand, the mil are most likely not going to touch you with a barge pole either. You can't continue in the Class C without an ATC agency so you're going to cause us workload whilst we try and plead with someone to work you, or clear you back down to below FL195 and dump you to the Info guys and gals. Again, much of this is in the AIP so you should be aware of the options and choosing them appropriately.
5. And thank you to the lovely lady who gave us direct to EGPD from the middle of the North Sea- I'll not say when less I get her into trouble.
Why would you get her in to trouble ?
It's the normal operation for most controllers in Scottish to offer directs where traffic, airspace, military activity, and workload permit. It happens often, as Mad Jock alludes to, particularly above FL245.
It's good that pilots come and ask questions about our airspace and procedures, which we can then explain. But if you're going to have a rant, at least come armed with having done a bit of research first
