Pilot -"Request any directs"
To be quite honest, I can get a bit irritated with those requests. The decision to give a direct is a decision made by the controller and only by the controller. I can have tons of reasons for not giving a direct:
- If the Spanish controller is right and AENA has forbidden the use of directs, I would also think twice...rather not lose my job over something as stupid as a dct. (How much does it actually save? 30 sec, 2 min if you get a very good one? And how much airborne delay do you get when arriving at the destination, where they have to reduce you and vector you around 'cause you're right in the middle of a bunch wich you could have avoided when not flying dct)
- Workload, the controller is the one that has an overview of the current traffic situation. And in most cases sending anyone direct will directly increase the workload. (Much more conflicts when sending anyone direct)
Therefore it is his (or her) decision to send you, keeping in mind traffic that you might not even hear on the frequency, traffic that is coming on freq. in a few minutes or for instance crossing of other airspace than the ones you filed in. (That controller doesn't know you, so there could be up to 6 phonecalls to be made before you can cut let's say 3 miles off of you original route.)
- Military activity, I can only give you direct when I have it available!
This is not to defend what is going on in Spain, 'cause I haven't got a clue, I don't fly there. But it is just to let you see that giving a direct is not just at the controllers whim, and when it is, it's also (most of the time) thought through.
Saw a post from someone a while ago, went something like this:
Every flight is a possible mayday, and maydays equal a lot of paperwork. I don't like paperwork, so the sooner you leave my airspace the sooner you are someone else's possible mayday. Therefore I always try to minimise your time in my bit of airspace, so if I can...you WILL get the direct. So please stop 'requesting' directs.
Last edited by Surferboy; 25th Jul 2010 at 09:00.