P-dubby via telephone..
The problem that arises now is every time I need to go into Brisbane I call up via telephone to organise a slot time, and told it's not required for helo's. Weather looks like it could go either way at this stage, therefore pilot is told that a slot time will not be given.
It's one of those circular things, you can't get in without a slot time (in bad weather), but you aren't given a slot time because at the time of the phone call the weather looks OK, but then it turns to custard and you have no slot time even though you have tried to do everything you can in the right fashion.
In the particular instance that I mentioned earlier fortunately we were able to transfer the pax to archerfield by road and pick them up there. But I can see it posing a problem in the future with a similar scenario if weather comes in. ie back of the line as you don't have a slot time, even though you endeavoured to get one 'just in case'.
** I'd like to add, I'm not having a go at the controllers they're obviously doing their best with a crappy situation. I'm just passing along what can/does occur from a IFR helo operator level.