I thought we used AM radios? :confused:

Maybe that's why my R/T is :yuk: sometimes! :p

Seriously though, WWW has some good points. especially about the lack of R/T instruction and standards maintenance.

Bear in mind that whilst you ATCOs get assessed on your R/T at regular intervals, the emphasis on R/T standards IMO takes a drop once a new pilot has been signed off on their line training.

When it comes to recurrent sim checks and line checks for us as crew, I feel that not enough emphasis (or none at all) is being put on R/T standards. That is obviously a view point from what I have seen but if you disagree with what I have said then hats off to your training department. Anyway... sometimes the chap driving the sim is not strictly sticking to CAP413 for starters!

In my limited 3 years of commercial flying R/T has been only brought up once during a training exercise and that was on my command course but if it was another F/O recurrent check then the comment might not of been brought up.

MancBoy I understand your feeling, but please don't take tar all with the same brush....... I have visited ALL UK centres, mostly on my days off, and on many occasions. I have spent many hours plugged in, and as many in the canteen or pub discussing joint issues. I have to say, I enjoy every single visit.

Like yourselves though, visits are generally limited to self arranged trips in ones own time. Very similar to good quality Famil flights for ATCO's best arranged 'out of work'........... We all have our good and bad characters within our respective sides of the industry, sadly that night Cartman's Twin came across one of our T***'s!

Cartman's Twin,

DO next time ask for the offender to call, better still, have your Watch Manager write to his airline suggesting the offending crew be 'rostered' a visit to your unit, with company credit card in hand for the beer cost in the pub once the famil and shift has finished:ok:

30W

30W, I'm sorry I didn't mean to tar anyone with the same brush.

However, you are in a very small minority I'm afraid.

Why don't we see more visits pilots especially as NATS is part owned by some of them?

In many years of ATC, I have only ever seen pilots in ops rooms/towers on the following occasions:

1. They were sent there.
2. SATCO had summoned them (usually military only)
3. There was beer involved.
4. There was the chance of mounting one of the ATC fillies.


Biut of a broad-brush generalisation but predominately true. :{

Listening out
 

The thing that I find most irrating is when pilots check in on new frequency immediately on changing, usually in the middle of an atco/aircraft exchange, I find it annoying I bet controllers find it more so!!

I can't see the point of such unneccesary R/T exchanges as "...as we are running late tonight, would it be possible blah blah blah..." :* - we've all heard (or done) them! Not only is it not standard R/T (and might prevent somebody else from transmitting), it's nothing that a short "request direct XXX" wouldn't achieve.

Cheers :cool: