Fri Oct 26, 2018 12:42 pm
#1647170
EDIT: Mods, I accidentally put this in non-aviation - can you move it please? Sorry!
I know that when people talk about getting zone transits Bristol often comes up as a particularly challenging example.
My usual response is that if you sound competent and request something sensible in good time then you'll probably get through, followed by adding that I've never been refused a transit.
Last Saturday I flew in that general area and thought I'd test the perceived difficulty of Bristol.
I asked for a simple south to north transit overhead the field at right angles to the runway in use, and the controller could not have been less helpful. First response after I requested the transit was to tell me that they don't provide LARS, to which I replied I know that I want a zone transit. She told me to standby and remain OCAS, then came back to say that a transit wasn't possible in a sort of tone that suggested I shouldn't be asking. I also heard her refuse one other aircraft. I listened to both Radar and Director and they were simply handling about one CAT arrival every 5-10 minutes, taking them down from the airways into the CTA and then the CTR before handing over to Tower.
Yes yes yes, I know that I can't be sure of other factors affecting the controllers decision. I know I can't possibly understand because I'm not a controller, and I know they're all brilliant professionals who never have a bad day and never get pushed around by the commercial agenda their management might have. But it is surprising.
If Gatwick can do it then why can't Bristol? Sounds like an 'exclude extraneous aircraft' policy to me, and perhaps they need reminding of the responsibilities that go with having Class D airspace delegated to them.
I know that when people talk about getting zone transits Bristol often comes up as a particularly challenging example.
My usual response is that if you sound competent and request something sensible in good time then you'll probably get through, followed by adding that I've never been refused a transit.
Last Saturday I flew in that general area and thought I'd test the perceived difficulty of Bristol.
I asked for a simple south to north transit overhead the field at right angles to the runway in use, and the controller could not have been less helpful. First response after I requested the transit was to tell me that they don't provide LARS, to which I replied I know that I want a zone transit. She told me to standby and remain OCAS, then came back to say that a transit wasn't possible in a sort of tone that suggested I shouldn't be asking. I also heard her refuse one other aircraft. I listened to both Radar and Director and they were simply handling about one CAT arrival every 5-10 minutes, taking them down from the airways into the CTA and then the CTR before handing over to Tower.
Yes yes yes, I know that I can't be sure of other factors affecting the controllers decision. I know I can't possibly understand because I'm not a controller, and I know they're all brilliant professionals who never have a bad day and never get pushed around by the commercial agenda their management might have. But it is surprising.
If Gatwick can do it then why can't Bristol? Sounds like an 'exclude extraneous aircraft' policy to me, and perhaps they need reminding of the responsibilities that go with having Class D airspace delegated to them.
Last edited by defcribed on Fri Oct 26, 2018 12:46 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Schrödinger's cat walks into a bar. And doesn't.