I went into SYD recently for the first time in a while and was promptly reminded why I avoid the place as much as possible – (the airport, I mean, not the city). Tailwinds would have had us getting in ahead of the 6.00am curfew, so we delayed departure and played with speed enroute to arrive after 6.00. (I left slightly ahead of the calculated ETD so as to get ahead of [and more importantly, above] the pack who all had the same idea.) With a slightly slower cruise Mach, and with the (bloody ridiculous) Rivet 8 arrival inserted, we were planning to land at 6.01am.
The pack behind me (four of them – BA, SQ, MH and Skippy) all blasted on past me doing .84+ and were promptly put into the hold. (Which in most cases costs more fuel than a slower enroute cruise speed, doesn’t it? But I know Sydney operates (or once did operate) on a ‘first into the hold first served’ basis, so there’s some sense in what they did.) Add to them United coming in from the east and the predictable occurred – holding and loooooong vectors, (including a 270 degree long way round turn), to the point where we were only a couple of hundred kilos above min divert fuel when we finally landed.
Downwind at 9000’ over Georges River, (we’d been excused the below 9000’ restriction at whatever the waypoint is), and with **** miiiiiiles to go on the Rivet 8, it became evident that there wasn’t another aircraft anywhere between us and the runway. Asked for track shortening, was given it (“Oh, you want track shortening? Quelle shock horror and surprise!”), and carved about ten minutes off or landing time – with the runway unoccupied, by landing OR departing aircraft, from the time we could see it, passing 7000’ on descent. Without that track shortening, we’d have been right on min divert fuel for Melbourne. And of course, min divert fuel into Melbourne would have been an interesting exercise at 7.30am!!! (Canberra wasn't an option due Wx.)
What sets my teeth on edge about Sydney is the (apparent lack of) flow control. The Rivet 8 arrival is an extended tour of coastal south eastern New South Wales. If we’re going to pander to the politicians and the noise police pressure groups, (who all bought their houses near the airport cheaply BECAUSE of the **** airport noise, which with today’s high bypass engines, is a fraction of what it was in the 60’s), why in world can’t Sydney ATC, (or Melbourne ATC, since they handle you until short finals, thanks to Dickie Smith’s ‘cost savings’), get some sort of flow control going that’s even a pale shadow of what the guys at Heathrow achieve every day of the year? Or are they forced to space the aircraft so widely so the darlings under the flight path can finish their cornflakes between aircraft passing overhead and curdling the milk?