FISOs - what are they for?
So.....
We flew down to a farm strip in most rural Shropshire today, me, the Red Chippy, and and a guest pilot in the back seat. Throttled right back, flap set and power down low, we wove between the farms and hamlets so as not to upset the nimbys, skimmed the right edge of the wood, straightend at 30 feet on short final, and set down like a feather on the close-mown grass.
We shut down the idling Gipsy in this idylic spot, and enjoyed the glorious scenery and the silence, broken only by delightful birdsong.
And no RT.
The return: right turn as soon as we are airborn out over the edge of the strip, and a weaving climb out for the same reason as our carefull arrival. Lovely sight-seeing trip over Shropshire free of radio chatter. Minimal, sensible, short exchanges with Manch on 119.4 in the Low Level Route (not even neccessary, but a joy to participate in because they are so well conducted and so concise).
Change to our home field fequency at Thelwall.
Chatter, chatter, chatter, chatter non stop chatter on the RT. AB do this, BA do that, CB report here, BC this, DE that.
*Why*, for heaven's sake??
Non stop RT all the way into the overhead, round the circuit, and onto the runway - and beyond. As we taxied in for fuel my back seat guest, quite unpromted by any comment from me (I had made none), intoned "Sierra Lima breath in. Sierra Lima breath out, Sierra Lima breath in. Sierra Lima breath out".
What in heck is going on??? Why does this small grass field need non-stop micro-controlling by FISOS?
The fact is - IT DOESN'T.
Let's get a sense of proportion back into GA. Let's let pilots do what they do well - make descisions for themselves. Let's just just let them *get-on-with-it*.
SSD