FCO,where does one begin.....
Arrival :
1. Be prepared to sort of use the arrival and at times to be vectored to final to intercept at around 40 miles....
2. Watch the “speed control ” in descent or you will end up bumping the APU of one in front. Watch for crossing traffic on v long finals - for parallel runways.
3. Careful on the radio as everyone seems to want to talk at the same time...
4. Check Jepps for procedures such as “standard one”
Taxi /Parking:
5. Quickfire round of taxi instructions
6. Careful of ground traffic, especially at night. It seems to operate as it pleases.
Turnaround:
7. Widely variable, yet is sometimes surprisingly v good. The norm is somewhat different and anything deviating from standard or in fact - even standard sometimes seems to grind things to a halt, then involving all flavour of supervisors and managers, none of which able or indeed willing to take any responsibility. This of course assuming you have a handling agent in the first place.
8. Will agree with “good coffee” in terminal
. Although getting in and out is amusing sometimes...
Departure:
9. Busy..? The fun begins
... as every aircraft in FCO attempts to contact one delivery frequency at the same time for a clearance, each blocking each other several times, talking over read backs and so on.
10. Once getting a clearance, now you have to be able to taxi to use it. See point 3 and then 5, this is IF you can get on the radio.
11. Once taxing - see point 3,5 and 6. If busy could be 30 min taxi or more. Was even more fun when there were works on the taxi ways was and intersection departures from RWY 25.
All in all can be an interesting experience or one that tests the patience ... suppose it depends on how much you can be bothered to get worked up
