LEPA (Palma) slot complaints.
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You may see it as being responsible, but many times these "concerned pilots" are just trying to cheat the system by filing one level to avoid a CFMU restriction and then asking for another, once in the air, to fly cheaper (pun intended). Now, I understand it is better for the environment but these people do not care for what/how needs to be done from the ATC point of view.
So if these people don't care about ATC's problem, why should ATC care about theirs/yours?
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You should care because that is your job. I don't care what you have to do because you are there, voluntarily, to do it. You are there because you want to do it. If you don't want to do it then move aside and let in somebody who does.
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Point being that you are there voluntarily but it seems that you do not care about ATC operators problems, yet you expect them to care about yours.
Yes, you do what you can to do the best, but I pretty sure you stop short of doing something that would get you in trouble with your company or the authorities, yet you expect ATC operators to do it
Yes, you do what you can to do the best, but I pretty sure you stop short of doing something that would get you in trouble with your company or the authorities, yet you expect ATC operators to do it
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No, I would not expect somebody to get themselves into trouble for the sake of my 200 kilos of fuel.
But, they should care about it. However,
...the reason there is an ATC service is because of aeroplanes, therefore, our problems are their problems and they should care. It is obvious that they don't though. ATC need aeroplanes to function, not the other way round.
If there is something, legislation or SOP for instance, that prevents me from doing my job effectively then I would be lobbying for a change in that system. Not meekly toeing the line.
I agree that there may be occasions that will prevent, for example, direct routings but everyday...really
But, they should care about it. However,
why should ATC care about theirs/yours?
If there is something, legislation or SOP for instance, that prevents me from doing my job effectively then I would be lobbying for a change in that system. Not meekly toeing the line.
I agree that there may be occasions that will prevent, for example, direct routings but everyday...really
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For every controller at our Centre who doesn't make an effort when they can to give optimum vertical and horizontal profiles to aircraft (and the number of those individuals is very few), I can point to just as many, if not more, examples of pilots who really think they are the only aircraft in the sky and don't care about the workload increases they cause, who don't care about any other aircraft in the sky except their own, and don't care about the overall system and how it provides the best for the majority, albeit not for everyone.
It's not a perfect system and it can always be improved, but until then, it's what we've got and it's what we all have to work with to the best of our abilities. Some of the flexibility and safety in the system is eroded by people who take the piss, whether by filing multiple plans (using up several slots for one solitary aircraft), ignoring instructions regarding speeds or level constraint points, or arguing on an operational frequency about how unfair it is that they are number 2 to the guy 5 miles ahead, as well as those who affect things to a lesser extent by not actually filing what they want.
As long as regulations and rules are complied with, or varied where allowed in a safe manner, then there is no excuse really for inefficient and inflexible professionals in our industry, no matter what side of the mike.
It's not a perfect system and it can always be improved, but until then, it's what we've got and it's what we all have to work with to the best of our abilities. Some of the flexibility and safety in the system is eroded by people who take the piss, whether by filing multiple plans (using up several slots for one solitary aircraft), ignoring instructions regarding speeds or level constraint points, or arguing on an operational frequency about how unfair it is that they are number 2 to the guy 5 miles ahead, as well as those who affect things to a lesser extent by not actually filing what they want.
As long as regulations and rules are complied with, or varied where allowed in a safe manner, then there is no excuse really for inefficient and inflexible professionals in our industry, no matter what side of the mike.
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LSM,
The problem is that if you get your optimum-but-not-as-filed level, that might mean two other flights are not able to be given their own filed level. Wasted capacity.
Or your direct, given with the best of intentions by London, also occurs pretty simultaneously with some other flights around Europe being given their own directs by other ACCs, and so x number of aircraft turn up in the stacks at Generic Big European Airport several minutes earlier than CFMU expected. Cue holding in a stack, which takes up x number of levels in a TMA, so other flights to other airports need to stop off underneath you for longer. Wasted capacity.
It might mean an arrival regulation being put on, which delays traffic at point of departure; wasted capacity, or it might mean that to reduce airborne holding, both runways are used for landing which increases outbound delay at your destination; wasted capacity, and therefore more likely that CTOTs will be missed, therefore possibly..........wasting capacity.
It might even result in an overload for an ATCO on one sector.
Airlines and ANSPs are talking about network capacity and network management. Having a higher level of predictability allows for better management. Not deviating from one's flight plan makes overall more efficient use of the capacity.
The problem is that if you get your optimum-but-not-as-filed level, that might mean two other flights are not able to be given their own filed level. Wasted capacity.
Or your direct, given with the best of intentions by London, also occurs pretty simultaneously with some other flights around Europe being given their own directs by other ACCs, and so x number of aircraft turn up in the stacks at Generic Big European Airport several minutes earlier than CFMU expected. Cue holding in a stack, which takes up x number of levels in a TMA, so other flights to other airports need to stop off underneath you for longer. Wasted capacity.
It might mean an arrival regulation being put on, which delays traffic at point of departure; wasted capacity, or it might mean that to reduce airborne holding, both runways are used for landing which increases outbound delay at your destination; wasted capacity, and therefore more likely that CTOTs will be missed, therefore possibly..........wasting capacity.
It might even result in an overload for an ATCO on one sector.
Airlines and ANSPs are talking about network capacity and network management. Having a higher level of predictability allows for better management. Not deviating from one's flight plan makes overall more efficient use of the capacity.
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Gonzo, usually the flight level that we have filed, as far as I can tell, is the optimum flight level anyway. There may be the odd occasion when it isn't. So personally I don't always try and get a higher level than that filed because I don't always need to (going as high as possible isn't necessarily more efficient).
The bit wot annoys me is when we can't ever get to our filed flight level. As you point out this may be because someone else has nicked it when they shouldn't have. This can become a problem, more so lately, because we might not be carrying enough fuel for one or two levels lower than we expected.
This situation is where I expect flexibility. NOT where people are asking for higher levels unnecessarily.
On the 'Directs' point, I don't bother asking.
The bit wot annoys me is when we can't ever get to our filed flight level. As you point out this may be because someone else has nicked it when they shouldn't have. This can become a problem, more so lately, because we might not be carrying enough fuel for one or two levels lower than we expected.
This situation is where I expect flexibility. NOT where people are asking for higher levels unnecessarily.
On the 'Directs' point, I don't bother asking.
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The bit wot annoys me is when we can't ever get to our filed flight level.
There was surely flow restrictions in Spain over FL345. To avoid these restrictions, companies have filed below.
I'm afraid I discovered this too late (for an unlinked reason) and I didn't clear any traffic to descend FL330 by the entry point...
LSM, would you have asked for FL330, as filed ?
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Well that's a slightly different matter. Once you've got me up there it's harder to get me down
No I wouldn't, I would assume, rightly or wrongly, that if you didn't make me descend then either the restriction no longer applied or we were ok to stay where we were.
However, no complaints if you'd descended us as per the flight plan.
No I wouldn't, I would assume, rightly or wrongly, that if you didn't make me descend then either the restriction no longer applied or we were ok to stay where we were.
However, no complaints if you'd descended us as per the flight plan.
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On the 'Directs' point, I don't bother asking.
If a direct is available for you, you're already on it.
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However, no complaints if you'd descended us as per the flight plan.
When we discover this kind of "yo-yo" flights, we usually do let the flight follow the profile. But, believe me, this is painful for everyone !
And a big waste of capacity.
