SLC Controllers and everyone else in the system

[cfi_greg]

Could someone please explain, why the SLC controllers both approach and center but mainly approach seem to be one of the most retarded bunch out there. Come on SLC isn't even that busy. Someone shed some light please.

 

[cjdriver]

Can you give an example? I have several of my own, like heading changes about every 5 seconds on downwind.

 

[Goose Egg]

My personal favorite is the "slow to 170" (in the Brasilia) to one of the gates, then "Max forward speed" the rest of the way in.

And then there's the heading changes every five seconds... almost faster than I can read them back sometimes. Seriously, what's so wrong with the heading on the arrival?

-Goose

 

[cfi_greg]

Exactly there's speeds and headings on the those new fancy arrivals, seems to work for other airports, slc just likes to be difficult.

 

[N1VIBS]

Could someone please explain, why the SLC controllers both approach and center but mainly approach seem to be one of the most retarded bunch out there. Come on SLC isn't even that busy. Someone shed some light please.

Have you ever thought that maybe they don't just seem retarted, but actually are?

 

[gabbyzoel]

Have you ever thought of calling the facility and asking why things happen the way they do? You might find there is a procedure they have to follow that seems weird to us. Or you might find that they are retarded but in either case you will have a more concrete answer than any provided here including mine.

 

[ATR-DRIVR]

can any of you total idiots do better?? no you can't. they are some of the best and i don't feel like writing two pages of explaining the workings of the airspace.... i built it.

 

[Goose Egg]

can any of you total idiots do better?? no you can't. they are some of the best and i don't feel like writing two pages of explaining the workings of the airspace.... i built it.

In all fairness, there are some very good controllers in SLC, and that includes tower, approach, and center.

In all fairness, however, there are also some controllers that really do suck. BOS approach/center, Norcal/Socal, LAX/SFO tower generally do a lot better.

And if you are the one that built an airspace that requires three to four heading changes of right/left five degrees in 3 minutes, maybe you should have thought that one through a little more. I fly to DYANN and turn heading 155. It ain't rocket science.

-Goose

 

[N1VIBS]

You built it? Yea, many years ago when I was a controller, I met many guys like you in planning and procedures. My old supervisor use to say "we're (controllers) are down here to help those people (pilots) up there, not the other way around." Seems like some of you planning/procedures people have never heard that.

 

[dickburns]

BOS center controllers are some of the best. Cream of the crop in my opinion.

 

[Goose Egg]

BOS center controllers are some of the best. Cream of the crop in my opinion.

I completely agree--those guys are some darn good controllers.

NY approach, on the other hand...

 

[ATR-DRIVR]

In all fairness, there are some very good controllers in SLC, and that includes tower, approach, and center.

In all fairness, however, there are also some controllers that really do suck. BOS approach/center, Norcal/Socal, LAX/SFO tower generally do a lot better.

And if you are the one that built an airspace that requires three to four heading changes of right/left five degrees in 3 minutes, maybe you should have thought that one through a little more. I fly to DYANN and turn heading 155. It ain't rocket science.

-Goose

Goose,
The reason for those heading changes is as you go further on the downwind, your right wing is basically fliying in the MVA and as you go south it moves east and curves toward the east. There is no straight line for the contoller to just follow. Also the upper wind regularly comes over the mountains and they have to work with that also. In addition as you are on the left downwind to 34L, straight in traffic from over FFU is on the 34R loc. There is VERY little room for you to make the left turn from downwind to base then base to final. Anyone who is not turning at 30 deg of bank is going to have serious trouble. Most of the time it was American's 88's. 15 deg and no more. Yes, I asked them. My soulution, along with most all conrollers was to climb them to 110 and send them to OGD to either hold or end of the line.
There is NO room to do anything with the MVA's so the heading changes are the only way to keep you out of the mountains and the controllers from having a deal, I know, I had one right there over U42.

Just like every job there are good and bad. I saw several people there that barely checked out. I agree with that completely, however painting all of the controllers at S56, (tracon) is assnine. Just like painting all of XYZ's pilots are idiots. I am sure you have flown with some that you wonder how they even got a private, let alone qualify for comm or ATP.

 

[ATR-DRIVR]

You built it? Yea, many years ago when I was a controller, I met many guys like you in planning and procedures. My old supervisor use to say "we're (controllers) are down here to help those people (pilots) up there, not the other way around." Seems like some of you planning/procedures people have never heard that.

I was NEVER in plans and procedures. I was a journeyman controller my entire career. I, along with SD was asked to rebuild the TRACON airspace along with two great guys from ZLC. NONE were from P/P. We spent almost a year with the project.

SAV, PBI and S56.
What facility were you at?

 

[Stryker]

My favorite is a flight that takes 1 hour 36 minutes and a taxi that takes 27 minutes. No joke and this is not just one occurrence, we are 3 for 3 of landing 34 right and taxiing all the way to the east side. This followed by a 22 minute delay for departure with both engines running. Total waist of fuel for just one of the days was about 1500 lbs, or about $1600.00. Very sad when they have a nice general aviation runway that dumps you right off into Million air

 

[ATR-DRIVR]

My favorite is a flight that takes 1 hour 36 minutes and a taxi that takes 27 minutes. No joke and this is not just one occurrence, we are 3 for 3 of landing 34 right and taxiing all the way to the east side. This followed by a 22 minute delay for departure with both engines running. Total waist of fuel for just one of the days was about 1500 lbs, or about $1600.00. Very sad when they have a nice general aviation runway that dumps you right off into Million air

Did you request 35? Agreed, taxi time seems excessive for that flight, though 5h 38m taxi for a 52m scheduled block probably beats that.
The Tower calls the rwy in use and tells Tracon to take all the arrivals to whichever rwy they decide.
Depends on the bank, arrivals or departures.