For
those of you who do not know me, allow me to introduce myself. I am Alexander
Wolf, a long time veteran of the ATC and FS realm. Some of you I have
crossed path's with in the Zone while working New York Approach, other's
I have yet to grace my scope. I bring a somewhat different perspective
to the whole ATC phenomenon. At 23 years young I have graced the skies
for 9 years now with 700 hours in various types, having both Commercial
Multiengine and CFICFII ratings.
What
I am about to say is a truism for a majority of the flying community,
and like any community - they have their cliques. The mechanics hangout
with the mechanics, the pilots with the pilots, and the ATC gents with
their sort. Each group see's the other as incompetent at their job, yet
each group is essential to the survival of the other. Which brings me
to the reason I wanted to write this little commentary.
Back
in the summer of 2001 when I was a newly minted Commercial pilot, I had
listened to students fumbling with the radio and their pilot brethren
alike for years. So, I decided to do an experiment. To see what kind of
hell I put a controller through, what if I were the controller, and how
could I learn from that? And off we went - I met some fantastic people
along the way - some of whom I have flown with in real life - one who
became my student for the Private Pilot Certificate. And I asked myself
again, why do I love to do this? And the most simple answer I could figure
out is because of providing good service and the caliber of people you
attract when you provide good service.
A
member wrote me once asking for some insight on a situation with ATC.
She was on the ground at a small airport near a chunk of congested
Class
B airspace and called to pickup her IFR clearance back home. The controller
said, "I can issue you your clearance, but you'll have to hold for
release for at least 30 minutes." It was warm, and not wanting to
have the Hobbs meter tick, she asked, "what do you suggest"?
A
more shocking breach of the separation of pilot and controller realms
could not be imagined; to ask the government what to do makes some
of
us...well....it made me think, "hey, smart move." She had just
tapped into a secret vein of services that too few pilots realize is
theirs
to enjoy.
ATC's
job is to separate and motivate - to keep the users from meeting unexpectedly
while moving them safely along, if not on their filed route, at least
some route toward their destination. To act as mentor on frequency is
not in their job description. But you maybe talking to a renegade controller
who long ago burned his regs and does whatever it takes to give good service.
YOUR JOB is to recognize when this opportunity arises.
We
assume a tight-ass attitude that we have to think for ourselves and only
the meek, weak, and geeks admit they need help. Well, get over it. Controllers
have a few tricks they can offer to help you slide through the system.
BUT: this is unofficial stuff that only works if you can take a HINT.
Controllers
are tied by their operations manual, CFR 7110.65. It, like the 14 CFR
tells you what they cannot do. Much like our parents told us not to
have
sex in .... the controller rules tend to be negative: "thou shalt
not...unless..."
For
instance, say you are bombing into a Class C airport and being vectored
for the ILS - and you drank too much coffee or whatever the drug of
choice.
The weather is 2 miles and 800 ft in fog. The trip to the approach gate
and back is looking painful, when suddenly a jab of sunshine spotlights
the freeway that leads to the runway and you shout "request a
visual approach"
The
controller looks at the ASOS and sees the weather is still below VFR
minimums
and he says "unable" Can't do a visual. Only a contact approach
is available, BUT that pesky 7110.65 prevents him from soliciting the
contact.
So,
you drive for the localizer and repeat your request with more urgency
- but again, no visual. Now, short of declaring a bladder emergency, which
at some level it might become, what can you do?
ASK.
If you've temporarily forgotten about contact approaches, you only
need
1 mile and to stay clear of clouds. Say, "if i can't have a visual
approach is there something else i can get instead of the localizer that
will get me right in?" A helpful controller might answer "are
you requesting a contact approach?"
Thats
called a pilot-initiated hint. Controllers are sometimes reluctant
to
make unsolicited suggestions because the consequences of the pilots killing
themself is stiff. Learn to negotiate with your local controllers.
In
one facility where a friend of mine worked, we got a flow message telling
him to call for release any jet going into Minneapolis who flying time
was under 40 minutes. Now, this situation puts your local controller
into
a bind. Flow restrictions not only irk pilots and passengers, they infuriate
controllers who are left explaining incomprehensible delays to angry
users.
So a controller might drop a hint "Yo, Cactus1160: If your ETE is
less than 40 minutes, I have to get a release, if more then 40 I can let
you go. Say ETE" The system is big and clunky, but YOU, on the other
hand are lithe and beautiful, so take advantage of your maneuverability
of thought - an option the FAA doesn't always have.
A HINT ON FLYING IFR - OR NOT FLYING IFR FOR THAT MATTER
Haven't
people in the know about instrument flight been telling you for years
you should ALWAYS file IFR when you are flying to get experience in the
ATC system? Sure, but keep in mind that they were geeks. I'm going to
run down the reasons that sometimes you would be a total moron to file
IFR.
THE
WEATHER IS REALLY NICE
WHY,
oh why are you going to burden the ATC system with an IFR flight plan
when you are only going 20 miles on a clear day to another airport? Getting
vectored and cleared for an approach on a clear day is akin to dry humping
or reading Playboy for its insightful writing.
THE
WEATHER REALLY SUCKS
An
IFR ticket clears you to fly through all sorts of crap, but it doesn't
mean you HAVE to. During severe weather, the ATC system is overworked
to begin with. Why burden it with another pilot in a Piper Archer asking
for vectors around a cell, or whining about severe turbulence or heavy
airframe icing? Fly when you know you can live.
YOU'RE
GOING SOMEPLACE
The
whole idea of flying is for transportation, in my view. It is easier to
follow I-75 from Lexington to Knoxville at 3500 feet below the clouds
then to file IFR at 7000 in bouncy and icy clouds.
YOUR
GOING NO PLACE
I've
always been against the idea of recreational IFR flight. If your filing
IFR to impress your friends and potential love conquests with your expertise,
please don't. Controllers aren't your pimps.
ENJOY
VFR!!!
What
many don't realize is the USA is one of the last countries on the globe
that allows free VFR flight. If you don't use it, you lose it. How much
would it stink if you had to file every cross country IFR? Or every night
flight?
I
have nothing against flying through the clouds when you have to or need
the training, but I think that every chance you get you should go back
to the days when you knew you were in level flight because your wing tips
were equally distant from the horizion and your altitude was level because
your CFI wasn't screaming "pullup you idiot!"
