ATL Tower Controllers are Upset With Me

[Turtlesfly]

and divorced, perhaps

 

[Inconceivable]

One incident gets a someone DECERTIFIED?

That is correct. It's a tough gig.

Today as I taxied in Tower asked me to pick up my taxi speed. Then after switching to Ground, controller said; "Acey, I've got a number for you to call, ready to copy?" So I called after shutdown and got a real tongue lashing, almost made me cry. Said I was the third Acey he'd had call about slow taxiing on his shift. I just feel awful.

I don't tell them how to separate; they don't tell me how to fly--or taxi.

I would ask if they were calling on a recorded line, ask for their initials and operator ID and the name and phone number of their supervisor. File a NASA report, a report with your airline's safety department, and copy everything to the union's safety committee.

This is pilot pushing and it must not be tolerated!

 

[onionluvr]

Hosing ATC doesn't seem very smart to me. Even if it is only incidental to your cause, it doesn't seem worth it in the grand scheme of things.

If it were me, I would try to limit my extra effort toward safety while still parked at the gate. But, that's just me.

 

[JettBoii]

Yep. I had to sell my car when I became a pilot. Go figure.

Thats all we need to do is P/O ATL tower. Our contract issues have nothing to do with ATC. They will be looking to hand out phone numbers to call left and right even for the slightest deviations that they normally "look over" if this keeps up or escalates.

I don't mind the "havoc" but lets keep it within ASA.

 

[49W]

Be sure to stop if you have not contacted ground yet after crossing inboard runway. ATL controllers have been good to us and a pleasure to work with. Let's not mess that up. They can play this game too.

 

[ohplease!]

Yep. I had to sell my car when I became a pilot. Go figure.

Thats all we need to do is P/O ATL tower. Our contract issues have nothing to do with ATC. They will be looking to hand out phone numbers to call left and right even for the slightest deviations that they normally "look over" if this keeps up or escalates.

I don't mind the "havoc" but lets keep it within ASA.

They have no problem slowing things down by going by their book when they're pissed about something.

Neither do the mainline guys for that matter.

I've witnessed BOTH.

 

[Reebo]

Is that the ride you take to clean up your record?

Nice!!!! I wasn't sure what the code was for a requal ride

 

[Redan]

It's just as Oh Please said. Our rededication to safety is not an uncommon tactic. The tower personnel will soon come to realize it's not directed at them. You can rest assured mainline and other locally based pilots know exactly what's going on. Management is who will ultimately have to hear about this from tower. Hence, additional pressure for them to do the right thing...which is precisely the objective. Therefore, we should all feel compelled to taxi no faster than safety dictates.

 

[onionluvr]

It's just as Oh Please said. Our rededication to safety is not an uncommon tactic. The tower personnel will soon come to realize it's not directed at them. You can rest assured mainline and other locally based pilots know exactly what's going on. Management is who will ultimately have to hear about this from tower. Hence, additional pressure for them to do the right thing...which is precisely the objective. Therefore, we should all feel compelled to taxi no faster than safety dictates.

I'm just an outsider looking in. I hope I'm wrong, but I still don't think it's a good idea. It won't take long before those caught in the crossfire will grow weary of your tactics. Long after the battle is over you may still end up dealing with the aftermath if you leave too large of an impression. Either way, I wish you guys the best of luck.

 

[PCL_128]

I'm just an outsider looking in. I hope I'm wrong, but I still don't think it's a good idea. It won't take long before those caught in the crossfire will grow weary of your tactics. Long after the battle is over you may still end up dealing with the aftermath if you leave too large of an impression. Either way, I wish you guys the best of luck.

This is nothing new. Remember the "summer of love" with UAL back in the day? I'm sure the controllers in ORD and DEN weren't thrilled with the slow taxis either, but they got over it. There are very few things that pilots can do to create leverage for themselves. Ruling things out simply because they might annoy ATC or the passengers will leave you with no options and no leverage, especially in a hostile labor environment like today's.

 

[Sky Jet]

I am all for you guys doing what you have to, but please do not doink around getting off a runway. My company and many others are on a fuel conservation kick and do not leave us a lot of fuel. Now I know that we have enough, but what happens if the next guy after my go around pulls the same stunt. When I flew the old 727 Jurassic Thunder Jet two go arounds would make my fuel so tight that I would pucker up tight enough to crap vermicelli pasta. And even in my electric jet I would be getting a little uncomfortable. Just follow the Beatles, "Why don't we do it in the road (taxiway)?".

Jet

 

[Medeco]

I am all for you guys doing what you have to, but please do not doink around getting off a runway. My company and many others are on a fuel conservation kick and do not leave us a lot of fuel. Now I know that we have enough, but what happens if the next guy after my go around pulls the same stunt. When I flew the old 727 Jurassic Thunder Jet two go arounds would make my fuel so tight that I would pucker up tight enough to crap vermicelli pasta. And even in my electric jet I would be getting a little uncomfortable. Just follow the Beatles, "Why don't we do it in the road (taxiway)?".

Jet

Maybe you should let the dispatcher know your not comfortable with such tight fuel going to ATL, yah know it is the busiest in the world. If yah GA then head on out of town.

Medeco

 

[goahead]

Stupid idea, I'll write everything up at the gate but will never taxi slow. All it takes it one deviation from the tower to ruin someones career.

 

[Redan]

No one's playing games on the runway. I'm extremely skeptical of the previous story of a controller being "decertified" because someone used the whole runway causing a go round...especially regarding runway 10. The high speed is nearly at the end on 10. Personally, I've had to go around a number of times in ATL because the previous aircraft of various carriers failed to clear in time. This happened as recently as a couple of weeks ago and it was not an Acey. I find it very difficult to believe this results in a "decertification" on each instance. If it is going to be policy to space this tightly, they are going to have to accept what they get, this is not the pilot's fault. Additionally, regarding taxi speeds, have people actually never heard of or witnessed the "Crandall Crawl?"

 

[Texx]

Better stop smoking that tumbleweed, there Tex. You ain't a-foolin none of us crackers, you sidewinder...... I have been to DFW many a moon and I must say it is one purt-near craphole.....

Three towers? Are you serious? Combine that with Korean air, and you got yourself one hairy hoe-down!

Your just not man enough to keep up with it. If you don't like DFW then you should stay away from ORD.