10W. Thank you for your valuable contributions to this debate. I was beginning to think that nobody understood the situation I found myself in. You obviously do. This situation is happening all over Spain every day and it seems pilots have given up trying to sort it. That cannot be allowed to happen.
You also touched on the subject of `providing a service to customers`.
On my last flight from Spain, CAT was forecast for the whole route. Not particularly unusual, but on that day it was continuous moderate to severe at most cruising levels - which is quite rare. Lots of requests for ride reports / level changes etc. Too many replies from Spanish controllers of the usual - `station calling say again `
We checked in with London Control at the FIR boundary and his first reply was - `expect mod/severe turbulence 20 miles ahead - do you wish to climb?`
Now that, my Spanish friends, is what I consider to be part of an ATC service. In one transmission he demonstrated he KNEW the problems we were facing, he ANTICIPATED what we would want, he PROVIDED an EXCELLENT solution and he was being HELPFUL! He did not need to do this - but his professional training and pride in the job produced this result.
Put simply - he provided a service to his customers.
Do you think you do?