Has ATC ever forgotten about you
 

Just curious if over your flying years if you have ever had a flight or two where ATC has forgotten you? because of how busy they are.

You want to search for:
THE LEGEND OF GOLF ALPHA VICTOR MIKE ROMEO
There is an audio file kicking around somehwere, as well as a transcript I think. If I recall correctly, it dates from the early 70s.

Couple of times... But mostly when they were not so busy. But have been on a baseleg for a runway36, but they forgot about us so we crossed the localiser (the moment we decided he must have forgotten us, a private plane came on the frequency so no chance to alert the controller).
That airport has also a runway 06 (converging to the 36), so with a small heading update we were on another baseleg, now for that 06.

The biggest "worry" was when should we alert the controller, we didn't want to piss him off, but we were also not plannin gon crossing the localiser of not needed..

I was flying an operation out of a US Naval Air Station and scheduled to land at something like 02:00. Called the tower when 15 minutes out and got no reply, fortunately ops was manned and they had to get the duty ATC staff to open the tower and switch on the airfield lighting. Fortunately I had plenty of holding fuel. ATC had actually forgotten that we were airborne - much apologising from a very embarrassed USN Commander.

Vaguely off-topic, but...

I once heard a famously amusing controller who worked at Manchester sub-centre say something along the lines of:-

"Aircraft roughly in the Gamston area, I can't remember who you are, but you are clear to call your next en-route agency. Possibly someone at Eastern. Goodnight."

This was the same chap who would say to aircraft:-

"Point at the LBA and then tell me what you're heading is"

A bit like the swan, he was calm on the outside but probably seriously professional on the inside.

Someone on PPRUNE will know who I'm talking about.

Has ATC ever forgotten about you
 

I've been at the hold short line for so long that the plane in front had time to do a complete circuit in front of me . I logged 0.5 hours solo for one circuit !

I've also been coming back from the practice area into the control zone and ATC were having some comms issues
I couldn't get through to them and therefore had to orbit ( I think I did a 720) before they got it figured and I could get permission to enter

What was really freaky was in the way back my instructor had asked me " what would you do if you couldn't get permission to enter the zone?"

I swore he'd set it up !!!!!

I think anyone who has operated into MAN will have a good guess who your on about.

It was always amusing when he took over from one of the youngesters who had been firing out instructions rapid. Then the frantic feeling dissappeared as the calm voice continued to shift the traffic.

Back in the days of London Airways, one day in very bad fog conditions the D Controller displays were full to overflowing with Flight Progress Strips and a lot of high level holding was going on. Somebody inadvertently knocked an FPS off the Clacton designator and it fell on the floor behind the display. Sometime later when traffic got moving the pilot called to ask how much longer he would be holding and it suddenly dawned that traffic had been descending through his level in the hold for some time!! This was in the good old days when radar was subsidiary to the D Controller and there was no SSR.

yes atc has forgotten me...here is a nice thought, if you do the same route all the time, write the freq changes on your chart (yes, you tv wizards would have to pull out a paper chart).

and when you have passed one sector and they aren't answering, you might try the freq you had from your previous journey...oh well.

but here is the really dopey one.

Inbound to Reno, NV an airliner rec'd a handoff from oakland center to reno apch...no answer, no answer on tower freq...many mountains around and unable to contact center at the lower altitude assigned prior to freq change.

so, the plane climbed up (vmc) contacted oakland center...they called the reno police department which went to the tower...and yes, the controller had fallen asleep

oh yeah!!!!

As an ex Air Trafficer it would be somewhat amusing if we forgot we had a vehicle on the active performing a runway inspection ... particularly if it was our Squadron Leader boss performing the runway inspection and he'd find a noisy C130 performing a missed approach directly above the roof of his minivan because we'd forgotten he was there!

It happens regularly, if infrequently in Europe - mainly in - guess------

Spain.:=

Particularly in my experience Northbound into French airspace but even on an intercept heading to ILS at BCN. Oh yes. More than once too!

All agencies can do this, esp when busy but an alert crew will soon realise and a quick radio check call bumps them back into action. The intensity of work in N Europe on some sectors makes this sort of thing inevitable but there are three people in the loop and others waiting for your handover who will make calls if it doesn't come so ist is self limiting. Just one of those things and a late handover or late descent is hardly a major event.

Just what the Spanish excuse is I cannot imagine.:ugh:

Phileas... After a similar incident at a place I once worked, the guys driving the check vehicle rang up to ask if they should instal VASISs on the roof!!

On one hazy summers evening I was flying my Cherokee back to my home base and receiving a service from Hatfield (R.I.P) Approach. After a period of of silence I tried to contact said ATC unit, but to no avail. I contacted Stansted Approach, and told them I'd lost contact with the previous controller, only to be told that they'd packed up and gone home for the night!

DH

Many, many years ago I was handed a formation of several French military aircraft just north of The Wash on a northerly heading. After the usual chat about Radar Control etc. I enquired "what is your next turning point or destination?" to which the reply was "St Mawgan"!

I repeated the question thinking that my ears had failed to understand the French accent ... they had heard perfectly well! The leader readily accepted a SW heading and was happy to resume his own navigation.

It transpired that the aircraft had been given a radar heading for deconfliction somewhere south of London ... and then forgotten at controller change over!!:uhoh:

I believe they landed safely at St Mawgan, if a little short on fuel!

Many years ago I recall monitoring the Midland 340 (last flight of the day into Teesside) who was flying downwind for a landing on runway 23 or 24 as it was in those days. There was at least a couple of other incoming aircraft being vectored at the same time. The controller was the very well spoken gentleman who's slow and calm delivery was a joy to behold. After what seemed like an age the Midland queried as to when they could expect a turn onto base leg as they where then well out over the coast and heading for Norway. An immediate turn onto base leg was given and the DC9 landed safely some time later. Whilst taxying in to stand the Midland pilot asked that in future they could be given prior notice of any extended "Over Water" routing as they need to carry out passenger briefing with regards to Life Jacket instructions etc etc. The whole episode was very amusing and ended on a good natured note.

I was told this tale [probably apocriphal (sp)] when I joined Preston Radar in 1970.
A B36 was inbound to RAF Burtonwood and the PIC did not have a night rating, so at 0dark 30, was told to hold. The night watch went home.... and didn't hand over the B36. Around 11.00 a rather plaintive voice said "OK sir, it's light now, can we land please? as we only have 4 hours fuel left"

Well there was a 737 late last year that ATC "lost"

ATSB updates information about 'lost' Virgin Australia 737 | Plane Talking