With regard to substantiating the whole thing - I don't feel the need to do that. I didn't find it in a paper or on the internet, I have it direct from a spanish controller
Not a problem, this is a
rumour site after all. Facts need not apply. One controllers mutterings obviously means it's company or union policy as far as you are concerned despite other professionals on here stating that they are still getting direct routeings.
As for the other coments, it's strange/convenient that all your derisory comments towards Spanish controllers etc are in response to postings that have been deleted. (That's apart from the slights in your original post,obviously and even though your second post which talks about failed pilots is s obviously in direct answer to 1985's post above it).
As far as I am concerned, if pilot uses RT time to question why a controller does not grant him a direct routeing, it infers that the pilot believes it is his right, otherwise they would accept first answer...
As for
Oh yes and "ex RAF aircrew are we?" says enough about you
probably a fair assumption on your part... I've not always been a civvy, and not always been on this side of the mic, so I have experience of the attitude that some 'professional aviators' have to other trades; fortunately I never had that trait myself.
Radar707 - to be fair, if it wasn't for aircraft you wouldn't need to control vehicles!! But it might be worth reminding act700 that fully automated aircraft already exist - it's a very long way off for ATCOs.
(though I'd rather not fly in a pilotless aircraft to be honest, regardless of the technology available right now)
Even if the OP was correct, I can see the story now:
Spanish controllers work to rule
Controllers doing their job as laid down shocker
Spanish controllers were last night accused of not giving pilots more direct routeings when asked. These direct routes take aircraft off the filed flight plans upon which the European ATC management system is based.
Critics say that flights are deliberately being made to fly the recognised routes which have been designed with safety and capacity in mind.
One Spanish controller admitted he was following the rules and doing his job. As yet, we have not been able to verify this from any other sources...
