Direct routings ......
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Direct routings ......
I was intrigued to read recently in 'Focus' an article by the BALPA Flight Safety Committee on "Fuel Conservation Strategies". Now there was some very good reading in the article but my attention was drawn when the author declared that crews should ALWAYS ask for a direct route, and that generally this should be to the final approach fix. This point was made a couple of times.
I have always endeavoured to send aircraft direct to the exit fixes on my sector, whenever my time and workload permit, but I now find that my workload is being unnecessarily increased by what seems like constant nagging for direct routings. Particularly during normal daylight hours and particularly across entire swathes of airspace.
Some operators (particularly north and southbounds via TLA/DCS to+from Aberdeen) are worse than others and relentlessly ask this as standard on first call. Several things spring to mind.
1-asking for direct routes which cut across 2 or 3 sectors increases my workload and the workload of the other sectors.
2-I am surprised by how often requests can take the shortcut outside controlled airspace and through either active danger areas (D613 complex) or over the top of pretty busy military airfields (eg Leuchars). I have no crystal ball and do not know what military traffic will be operating outside controlled airspace in 20 minutes time, yet I am expected to offer a Deconfliction Service?
3-to have 2 or 3 aircraft on direct routings starts introducing conflictions outside the normal confliction points, making them more random and harder to spot in advance - another workload issue. Especially with north and southbounds of the same operator trying to cut the corner.
4-direct routings can screw up the arrival sequence at the airfield, as well as messing up slot times, especially when arriving from outside controlled airspace if holding is required.
In these belt-tightening times I understand the rationale, but PLEASE wait for us to offer. If we can, we generally will, but please remember you are not the only aeroplane in the sky.
I think on this occasion the Flight Safety Committee article has got it wrong.
I have always endeavoured to send aircraft direct to the exit fixes on my sector, whenever my time and workload permit, but I now find that my workload is being unnecessarily increased by what seems like constant nagging for direct routings. Particularly during normal daylight hours and particularly across entire swathes of airspace.
Some operators (particularly north and southbounds via TLA/DCS to+from Aberdeen) are worse than others and relentlessly ask this as standard on first call. Several things spring to mind.
1-asking for direct routes which cut across 2 or 3 sectors increases my workload and the workload of the other sectors.
2-I am surprised by how often requests can take the shortcut outside controlled airspace and through either active danger areas (D613 complex) or over the top of pretty busy military airfields (eg Leuchars). I have no crystal ball and do not know what military traffic will be operating outside controlled airspace in 20 minutes time, yet I am expected to offer a Deconfliction Service?
3-to have 2 or 3 aircraft on direct routings starts introducing conflictions outside the normal confliction points, making them more random and harder to spot in advance - another workload issue. Especially with north and southbounds of the same operator trying to cut the corner.
4-direct routings can screw up the arrival sequence at the airfield, as well as messing up slot times, especially when arriving from outside controlled airspace if holding is required.
In these belt-tightening times I understand the rationale, but PLEASE wait for us to offer. If we can, we generally will, but please remember you are not the only aeroplane in the sky.
I think on this occasion the Flight Safety Committee article has got it wrong.
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Aunt Rimmer, yes, I agree, and it's contrary to the recommendations regarding efficient network management and Eurocontrol's DMEAN initiative.....
http://www.eurocontrol.int/dmean/gal...hure_Apr09.pdf.
We in ATC are supposed to be providing efficiency gains for the 'network'...i.e. more predictable routes flight times, better CTOT and EOBT adherence, and yet those customers to whom we are now supposed to be 'tuned in' are clamouring for more 'directs'......
http://www.eurocontrol.int/dmean/gal...hure_Apr09.pdf.
We in ATC are supposed to be providing efficiency gains for the 'network'...i.e. more predictable routes flight times, better CTOT and EOBT adherence, and yet those customers to whom we are now supposed to be 'tuned in' are clamouring for more 'directs'......
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Engage brain before opening mouth ... ?
Gianni
Is that supposed to be a considered opinion from an aviation professional .... or just an illiterate abusive rant ?
I agree with Aunt Rimmer and Gonzo. If I start sending everything direct to 10 mile final at Paris, London and Amsterdam in the middle of the day, how long before I get a tap on the shoulder ..... ?
I didn't understand what is the point here.I also think that you use your brain way too much(much more that a ATCO should).
If you start thinking what will a direct route make in other sector or at the arrival
You can't influence the flight of an aircraft
is not ATC this is just cover up for someone who is not capable to figure out where a conflict will occur and
Is that supposed to be a considered opinion from an aviation professional .... or just an illiterate abusive rant ?
I agree with Aunt Rimmer and Gonzo. If I start sending everything direct to 10 mile final at Paris, London and Amsterdam in the middle of the day, how long before I get a tap on the shoulder ..... ?
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Aunt Rimmer-Agree with your post. Lets not beat about the bush though. BMI Regional Embraers in and out of EGPD have become a right pain in the arse. It seems to be a standard call when they check in with Scottish regardless of how busy the frequency sounds. The pilots have no idea of the workload involved in organising the direct route to PD, and by the sounds of it some,not all, of the pilots seem to have a very basic grasp of ATSOCAS. PD radar have been refusing a lot of the direct routeings lately during busy periods, which is fine because PD is a much busier airport than a lot of the pilots seem to appreciate as well. Could do with getting some of the BMI Embraer boys and girls plugged in on sector to see what the direct ADN/ATF route involves, and how much unknown traffic floats around between SAB and ADN.
Gianni17- I read everything you wrote and to be honest you need to stop sniffing glue before you post
Gianni17- I read everything you wrote and to be honest you need to stop sniffing glue before you post
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I have to laugh (or maybe cry). At my place of work, directs are strictly forbidden because, according to management, it's costing the airlines more money. One controller, that I know of, had a 5 day suspension (unpaid obviously) for OFFERING direct routes.
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Take it easy
Easy on me people,I'm just posting my opinion here.If it makes you feel better I have removed the post and will put everything on paper again.After all where is the fun if all of us agree here.
I'm not really sure how can you influence arrival time of a flight to a certain aerodrome if you are the only one around that is adhearing to the rules.So,you are not sending aircraft direct to a point next thing you see you transfer it to a adjacent sector and bam he is flying direct.Honestly,at the place I work I haven't had a single controller say no when you ask for a direct due to various reasons.We even have some direct routings which don't require any coordination(sometimes it happens for the next unit to phone and ask you why is this flight not going direct.
One other thing is the way our job is moving we are now more like policemen in the sky than controllers.Adhere to the route,filled RFL in the FPL,no level change allowed unless you coordinate this for the remaining of the route or it is due to turbulence etc.There is no fun in this anymore.And as I said where is the point if you adhere to something when nobody around you does the same.
When I said "sending aircraft direct" I meant that a coordination should exist.But if you can do it why shoudn't you?!After all this is why we are here,or maybe not?!
Personally whenever someone is bugging for a direct usually he will not get one and that is the end of the story.But if a direct route can save you from a vectoring or similar why would you leave an aircraft on the standard route and vector it creating more workload for you when a simple call can save you all the trouble.
I'm working in a very busy environment where we have a lot of crossings and lot of vertical movement at the same time but if as someone mentioned above you "stick to the basics" sometimes you will end up in a much bigger mess than when some of the aircraft are flying dct to a point(exit point of your sector that is)
From what most of you wrote before I understand that you are working in a more or less same environment and that this is a lower airspace and I agree that sending someone dct to a arrival fix will create more workload to the other.(I have to say I work in Upper airspace and I haven't done this a lot)
And can you really get suspended for sending aircraft dct to a point?I can't believe that this can happen,can someone back me up on this!
I hope that you now agree a bit more with me.
Gianni
I'm not really sure how can you influence arrival time of a flight to a certain aerodrome if you are the only one around that is adhearing to the rules.So,you are not sending aircraft direct to a point next thing you see you transfer it to a adjacent sector and bam he is flying direct.Honestly,at the place I work I haven't had a single controller say no when you ask for a direct due to various reasons.We even have some direct routings which don't require any coordination(sometimes it happens for the next unit to phone and ask you why is this flight not going direct.
One other thing is the way our job is moving we are now more like policemen in the sky than controllers.Adhere to the route,filled RFL in the FPL,no level change allowed unless you coordinate this for the remaining of the route or it is due to turbulence etc.There is no fun in this anymore.And as I said where is the point if you adhere to something when nobody around you does the same.
When I said "sending aircraft direct" I meant that a coordination should exist.But if you can do it why shoudn't you?!After all this is why we are here,or maybe not?!
Personally whenever someone is bugging for a direct usually he will not get one and that is the end of the story.But if a direct route can save you from a vectoring or similar why would you leave an aircraft on the standard route and vector it creating more workload for you when a simple call can save you all the trouble.
I'm working in a very busy environment where we have a lot of crossings and lot of vertical movement at the same time but if as someone mentioned above you "stick to the basics" sometimes you will end up in a much bigger mess than when some of the aircraft are flying dct to a point(exit point of your sector that is)
From what most of you wrote before I understand that you are working in a more or less same environment and that this is a lower airspace and I agree that sending someone dct to a arrival fix will create more workload to the other.(I have to say I work in Upper airspace and I haven't done this a lot)
And can you really get suspended for sending aircraft dct to a point?I can't believe that this can happen,can someone back me up on this!
I hope that you now agree a bit more with me.
Gianni
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I really didn't mean to question your integrity,I just wanted to hear if something similar happenned somewhere else as well.Sorry if it sounded like that.One thing that I don't want to do here is to argue with someone over posts.
Take care,
Gianni
Take care,
Gianni
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If sending an aircraft direct somewhere seriously contravened rules and regulations (ie Put's aircraft through an active danger area/wasn't co-ordinated with the next sector/causes airprox) then I can understand a suspension. If it was all co-ordinated and still ensured the safety of the flight then any suspension is totally out of order and I would instantly get my union involved (and hopefully land a huge sack of the brown stuff on some managers desks).
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All the routes were 'offered' in accordance with local refresher training and co-ordinated appropriately. I believe some were used for traffic avoidance to ensure unrestricted climb. Union hierarchy too interested in playing golf and wouldn't pursue a grievance with management.
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Gianni17
Don't go to Australia if you are thinking of giving direct tracking...as far as i know it only gets done for separation and weather avoidance...do it other than that and you get a "please explain", do it again and your CV had better be brushed up.
It may have changed though, hopefully it has been.
It may have changed though, hopefully it has been.
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Is it true that NATS are taking this one on 'big time' in order to save the world?
Allegedly they have appointed their own 'environmental man', and even have a picture of a foot.
Allegedly they have appointed their own 'environmental man', and even have a picture of a foot.
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I once had a "route direct Berry Head after noise" on departure from Glasgow!!....now that is a nice direct to get...mind you it was a weekend evening and pretty dam quiet. I always work on the basis if ATC can see a short cut for you and it causes them no grief they will offer it....if not I just keep quiet....keep up the good work guys 
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Allegedly they have appointed their own 'environmental man' ....
and even have a picture of a foot.
A big green one .... just don't make me angry ... you wouldn't like me when I'm angry
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Ben,
"thanks for the information".
So, let's put this in a global context.......
Aviation contributes about 3% of anthropogenic CO2.
NATS aims to reduce this by an average of 10% per flight by 2020.
That's 3/1000th's.
All this in 'NATS airspace', which is less than 1/100th of the Earth's surface area, (510,000,000 sq/nm).
Hell, the displaced polar-bears of Churchill will be dancing about tonight.
Quick, get on the blower.....
Ring Ian.
"thanks for the information".
So, let's put this in a global context.......
Aviation contributes about 3% of anthropogenic CO2.
NATS aims to reduce this by an average of 10% per flight by 2020.
That's 3/1000th's.
All this in 'NATS airspace', which is less than 1/100th of the Earth's surface area, (510,000,000 sq/nm).
Hell, the displaced polar-bears of Churchill will be dancing about tonight.
Quick, get on the blower.....
Ring Ian.
Last edited by ZOOKER; 24th Oct 2009 at 22:59.
Mistrust in Management
Gianni17
Personally whenever someone is bugging for a direct usually he will not get one
As a pilot my company expects me to operate the aircraft in the most fuel efficient and expeditious manner consistent with safety. To that end I will at times ask for a 'direct' if I believe a 'direct' routing is within acceptable criteria for the area controller I am working with.
Please note the phrase 'working with'. ATC provide separation for me and I try to help them whenever asked (i.e max ROC etc) As I understand the system ATC provide a service which airlines (and therefore joe public) pay for. It surely is the responsibility of all controllers to provide an efficient a service as possible to the airlines who pay for that service (and the majority in most of Europe, the USA and certainly the UK do just that).
Why do you refuse a pilot a direct routing just because he has asked (bugged you) for one?
Regards
Exeng
Regards
Exeng
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asking for direct routes which cut across 2 or 3 sectors increases my workload and the workload of the other sectors.
