socks and thongs
28th Mar 2007, 13:39
I just though I'd share an experience with everyone to gauge some thoughts on whether this is commonplace in Sydney area ATC operations.
As probably 101% of pilots who have flown out of Bankstown in their training days have done, a flight over to the harbour bridge is a nice way to show passengers around and get a pretty bloody good view of the city at a price comparable to a ticket on the silly (albeit probably spectacular) bridge climb.
The caveat to this however is a force that exists in the midst. This force affects us all and not the strongest cyclone, nor the highest seas can even match the might that this sound wave carries. The sound wave I talk of is the voice of ATC.
Tonight I was turned around at long reef by ATC due simply to the 'Sydney duty runway and staff shortages'. I respectfully acknowledged, turned around and dragged my heels back to Bankstown, reinforcing to my passenger that "don't worry, there is just as much to see in the Bankstown lane of entry anyway". And with that, a confused passenger, and myself a couple of hundred bucks out of pocket I left the airport with an uncomfortable sense of disappointment.
I have heard the radar/terminal controller pull the Sydney duty runway one on me before, and, funnily enough, sometimes you're in, sometimes you're out. I think if a passenger jet is at 1500 feet over the city, a light aircraft near the harbour probably won't be the thing causing them grief.
As for the staff shortages, that was a little hard to swallow. Maybe an ATCer can clear this up for me. How does this affect me? Does it mean one person is manning every frequency and can't get a spare second to read out a generic clearance into an area which is as good as deserted? Or does it mean it has been a little longer since their last cuppa and they need a cover? Frequency congestion and workload certainly weren't the issues, I could hear old mate flicking through womans day as he told me I couldn't get in.
I am completely open minded on this one, if it's a regular occurrence and my being there is going to cause a serious safety breach please tell me how. I know ATC use their discretion on whether you're in or out, and they are not obliged to let you in (just watch this one in the quote box), but should anything other than strictly operational concerns influence this? After all, it is their job isn't it?
What's a couple of hundred bucks?? As with every single training pilot in this country, they know exactly what it is. And when you pull the mixture after promising this flight for god knows how long it tends to bring you down a little.
I'll cop any reasonable comments on this one, but some explanation of any description would be welcomed with open arms.
S&T
As probably 101% of pilots who have flown out of Bankstown in their training days have done, a flight over to the harbour bridge is a nice way to show passengers around and get a pretty bloody good view of the city at a price comparable to a ticket on the silly (albeit probably spectacular) bridge climb.
The caveat to this however is a force that exists in the midst. This force affects us all and not the strongest cyclone, nor the highest seas can even match the might that this sound wave carries. The sound wave I talk of is the voice of ATC.
Tonight I was turned around at long reef by ATC due simply to the 'Sydney duty runway and staff shortages'. I respectfully acknowledged, turned around and dragged my heels back to Bankstown, reinforcing to my passenger that "don't worry, there is just as much to see in the Bankstown lane of entry anyway". And with that, a confused passenger, and myself a couple of hundred bucks out of pocket I left the airport with an uncomfortable sense of disappointment.
I have heard the radar/terminal controller pull the Sydney duty runway one on me before, and, funnily enough, sometimes you're in, sometimes you're out. I think if a passenger jet is at 1500 feet over the city, a light aircraft near the harbour probably won't be the thing causing them grief.
As for the staff shortages, that was a little hard to swallow. Maybe an ATCer can clear this up for me. How does this affect me? Does it mean one person is manning every frequency and can't get a spare second to read out a generic clearance into an area which is as good as deserted? Or does it mean it has been a little longer since their last cuppa and they need a cover? Frequency congestion and workload certainly weren't the issues, I could hear old mate flicking through womans day as he told me I couldn't get in.
I am completely open minded on this one, if it's a regular occurrence and my being there is going to cause a serious safety breach please tell me how. I know ATC use their discretion on whether you're in or out, and they are not obliged to let you in (just watch this one in the quote box), but should anything other than strictly operational concerns influence this? After all, it is their job isn't it?
What's a couple of hundred bucks?? As with every single training pilot in this country, they know exactly what it is. And when you pull the mixture after promising this flight for god knows how long it tends to bring you down a little.
I'll cop any reasonable comments on this one, but some explanation of any description would be welcomed with open arms.
S&T