Approach Services
When is an approach service not an approach service?
XXXX refers to themselves most of the time as XXXX approach. Informally they have been happy to provide an approach without pre booking in all conditions. They now consider an approach flown in VMC must be a training mission and therefore prebooked. Now I can understand the need to book a slot time at a busy commercial airport which XXXX is not; I can also just about, but only just about, understand the same commercial airport charging a premium for providing an approach service. However I struggle to understand how an airport can "advertise" itself as XXXX approach and then ask have you booked the service. I would add that in this instance the pilot is already instrument rated and whilst therefore the approach was flown to retain currency rather than out of necessity it was not for training in the usual sense.
I would hasten to add, incase any one guesses the airport concerned, the lads and lasses in ATC are great and I have no problem with them implementing a change in policy. The change however just got me thinking on the legality of the policy, aside from the ever creeping threat of commercialism.
Last edited by Fuji Abound; 5th November 2002 at 11:06.