Best Controllers I've seen

[Jet_Driver]

After some time and consideration I have come to the conclusion that ORD Controllers are the best I've seen. Why? Here are a few things that went into my conclusions:

DFW: X number of Arrivals, X number of Departures,(these are changing all the time) Standard Taxi routes, a special Queue Frequency so that one guy can sit there all day to do what it takes two transmissions and 5 seconds. All this, and they still can't do it right. It further proves that DFW stands for (D)oesn't (F)riken (W)ork.

ATL: What can I say, Bubba runs the tower. At least they don't need a Queue freq. there. They can't do anything the same two times in a row. This means they are still training controlers, or they refuse to get more efficient.

ORD: 4 arrivals, 1 Departure, No standard Taxi routes. They can launch and trap airplanes in multiple directions. If you screw up something in a taxi instruction, they may get irritated, but they never write you up. These guys at O'Hare have got some cahunas and work their system the most efficiently as I've ever seen. Way to go ORD Controllers.

 

[Rogue5]

I'll give it to the ORD controllers just for being some of the funniest guys I've heard:

(extremely busy night)
BMI: "O'Hare tower, Midlands XXX. Holding short 27R, ready for departure."
ORD: "Thanks Midlands: That's great."
(controller goes right back to machine-gunning other clearances)

(on inbound ground, after some guy says how he can't wait 'til he retires soon)
ORD: "Oh baby, I hear ya! Come June I'm outta here after twenty years. Just gonna be sitting in my undies watchin' Oprah all day."

And the ever pleasant, "MOVE AWAY FROM THE RUNWAY BUT DO NOT STOP. Contact ground."

 

[say again]

Gotta love NY App. and center!!!!:beer:

 

[172driver]

ORD guys and gals are good but I have to give the nod to the NY controllers. Three of the countries' busiest airports within 10 NM of each other, complex arrivals, departures, and approaches, and not much real estate or airspace to work with. Especially LGA.

For entertainment value, I like the JFK ground controllers during the int'l push each evening. Always fun to hear the foreigners being sarcastically shredded and they usually don't even know it.

 

[HockleyPilot]

We were told this the other day by ORD ground.

GND: Hey, you got time for a question?
US: AHHHHH......SURE.
GND: Knock, Knock.
US: Oh, Shiite....um......who's there?
GND: Cleared for Takeoff.
US: Cleared for Takeoff, who?
GND: Cleared for Takeoff, that will be you, if you switch to N. Tower on 126.9 and he clears you....see ya.

It was cheesy but given the job those guys do, it was a great off moment.

 

[Thedude]

I gotta stand up for the DFW controllers. They handle massive flow and some of the gnd controllers never miss a beat and the includes when the AA guys decide to transmit without listening (and it happens alot).
And I believe those standard taxi routes you whine about are company/airport specific.

 

[Propsync]

I'd give props to DCA controllers back in the day when part 91 ops were busy. I've seen planes land 22,19, and 15 within seconds of each other. They'd all cross the intersection just the right time.

 

[Wheres the van?]

Orlando approach control does an amazing job during the height of
T/S season they thread the needle like nobody I know!

 

[BOHICAgain]

I'd give props to DCA controllers back in the day when part 91 ops were busy. I've seen planes land 22,19, and 15 within seconds of each other. They'd all cross the intersection just the right time.

Props to The Minny guys.. before they got the other runway.. you could be on a 2 mile final while a dc10 is flaring and a heavy 75 is about to roll


Lets no forget out Cleveland and Indy center guys... almost all the flight go thru them and never a problem...always helpfull

 

[jehtplane]

After some time and consideration I have come to the conclusion that ORD Controllers are the best I've seen. Why? Here are a few things that went into my conclusions:

DFW: X number of Arrivals, X number of Departures,(these are changing all the time) Standard Taxi routes, a special Queue Frequency so that one guy can sit there all day to do what it takes two transmissions and 5 seconds. All this, and they still can't do it right. It further proves that DFW stands for (D)oesn't (F)riken (W)ork.

ATL: What can I say, Bubba runs the tower. At least they don't need a Queue freq. there. They can't do anything the same two times in a row. This means they are still training controlers, or they refuse to get more efficient.

ORD: 4 arrivals, 1 Departure, No standard Taxi routes. They can launch and trap airplanes in multiple directions. If you screw up something in a taxi instruction, they may get irritated, but they never write you up. These guys at O'Hare have got some cahunas and work their system the most efficiently as I've ever seen. Way to go ORD Controllers.

Atlanta hands down the best controllers. You are always cleared to land, half the taxiways as ORD and DFW, and the busiest airport in the world.

 

[gkrangers]

For my limited to JAX/MIA experience its Daytona....they put up with A LOT!

Not always dealing with the brightest and the best over here...

 

[Drill Sgt. Dad]

IAD is the second best. that's because everyone else is tied for first.

 

[gkrangers]

IAD is the second best. that's because everyone else is tied for first.

lol..

 

[General Lee]

ATL is by far the best. As long as you stay on speed, everything works out. The controllers are nice and calm. The worst are ORD, IAD, and most of the NYC airports. Worst center--Indy.

Bye Bye--General Lee

 

[Heavy Set]

Best controllers: SoCal Approaches - LAX and SAN. Worst controllers: PHX in a rain storm, LGA and IAD.

 

[tjsatter]

IAD is the second best. that's because everyone else is tied for first.

Yep, I agree: ANYwhere else is ahead of IAD, definitely. Is IAD a training facility? Because they have the single worst controllers I've ever seen. The airport is so simple, laid out nice, can't understand why it runs like shite much of the time. At least ORD has a plausible excuse if they ran as bad as IAD. But ORD is the best by far

And why are the rampers predominately of middle eastern origin? Of all places.

 

[cwebster2]

Lets no forget out Cleveland and Indy center guys... almost all the flight go thru them and never a problem...always helpfull

climb and maintain fl230
climb and maintain fl240
contact cle center xxx.xx
contact cle center xxx.xx
contact cle center xxx.xx
climb and maintain fl250
climb and maintain fl260
climb and maintain fl270
contact cle center xxx.xx
contact cle center xxx.xx
climb and maintain fl280
contact cle center xxx.xx
climb and maintain fl290

and lets not forget, "maintain 170kts"

 

[nickfaith]

Worst tower ever = Barksdale AFB, hands down.

Civilian wise, best tower ATL, worst DFW.

Best Center - Ft. Worth

 

[xjcsa]

As a non-pilot, one thing in MSP has impressed me a few times. I'll be a passenger in a Mesaba Saab waiting for takeoff. As we pull onto the runway, I look down the runway and see one Saab just about to rotate, one Saab early in its takeoff roll, and us, just pulling into position, all on one runway.

 

[Thedude]

I nominate STL back in the late 90's as the worst airport. I had more things occur at that aiport because of controller issue than I have anywhere else combined. I had a gnd controller once scream at me on the radio for his mistake and proceed to screw-up again.
Like I said once before STL was speed up---slow-down--turn left --now right -now fly up your own a$$hole

 

[Prop Trash]

There's a controller on Houston approach that calls JetLink "Jet Lincoln," Chautauqua "Shaniqua," EMB-145 XRs "bent-winged pencil jets," 757s with winglets "longhorns" and 737-300 and 500s "Hoovers and Super Hoovers." He told me one night to contact Yao Ming on 124.7. It took me a second, but soon realized that Yao Ming is the center for the Houston Rockets, thus, Houston Center on 124.7. I think the dude's name is Max. Anyway, he's one of the funniest controllers I've ever heard. I haven't a clue how he gets away with some of the stuff he says over the frequency.

 

[gkrangers]

I loathe Orlando approach....

 

[crazee8]

Minneapolis Center has the most pleasant controllers when I pass through on the transcons. They always stand out from everyone. Must not be as busy up that way or something.

 

[nickfaith]

There's a controller on Houston approach that calls JetLink "Jet Lincoln," Chautauqua "Shaniqua," EMB-145 XRs "bent-winged pencil jets," 757s with winglets "longhorns" and 737-300 and 500s "Hoovers and Super Hoovers." He told me one night to contact Yao Ming on 124.7. It took me a second, but soon realized that Yao Ming is the center for the Houston Rockets, thus, Houston Center on 124.7. I think the dude's name is Max. Anyway, he's one of the funniest controllers I've ever heard. I haven't a clue how he gets away with some of the stuff he says over the frequency.

That guy's one of my favorites...

We're always Super Speedy King Air ****** (we fly an F-90).

 

[mckpickle]

I gotta give props to NY Tracon. Those guys deal with 10 pounds of shite in a 5 pound bag every day. In the VFR/ATR days sometime EWR would be too busy to deal with us. We be told to squawk 1200 and wait. I'd flip through the dial until I heard a controler initials of SY. That guy always got us in!! I'd trust my life to those guys. If they see a cell and say you can make it through than you can trust it'll be a smooth ride. If not they vector you around without even being asked. They are top notch.

 

[ERfly]

There's a controller on Houston approach that calls JetLink "Jet Lincoln," Chautauqua "Shaniqua," EMB-145 XRs "bent-winged pencil jets," 757s with winglets "longhorns" and 737-300 and 500s "Hoovers and Super Hoovers." He told me one night to contact Yao Ming on 124.7. It took me a second, but soon realized that Yao Ming is the center for the Houston Rockets, thus, Houston Center on 124.7. I think the dude's name is Max. Anyway, he's one of the funniest controllers I've ever heard. I haven't a clue how he gets away with some of the stuff he says over the frequency.

His name is Axe. I haven't heard him in a while, though. Houston Center can get on my nerves. Always slowing you down and turning you for sequence. Then when you get on approach, it's "Keep the hammer down, expect 27."

 

[IndyGTP]

Yep, I agree: ANYwhere else is ahead of IAD, definitely. Is IAD a training facility? Because they have the single worst controllers I've ever seen. The airport is so simple, laid out nice, can't understand why it runs like shoote much of the time. At least ORD has a plausible excuse if they ran as bad as IAD. But ORD is the best by far

And why are the rampers predominately of middle eastern origin? Of all places.

When you squish 10 people in a two bedroom apartment you can afford to live off the $9/hr jobs.

 

[Captain X]

I think the dude's name is Max. Anyway, he's one of the funniest controllers I've ever heard. I haven't a clue how he gets away with some of the stuff he says over the frequency.

That guy is good. He calls the 73-900 the Super Duper Hoover and when the Nine's and 80's were still prevelant he called 'em the Bubba Jet and the Baby Bubba Jet. He also told a "Mad Dog" to look off the left wing and he might see his "Mini-me" (us in the 145) going to the parallel.

One of his best transmissions was "Previous controller is no longer a factor."

And when he gives you a Traffic Advisory and starts it with "Traffic, Traffic" in the exact TCAS voice it's pretty damn funny too.

Besides being funny, he also will shoot you thru a good soft spot when the WX is crap and we're deviating to get outta IAH.

Him and that lady that sounds like "mom" are my two favorite IAH Tracon controllers. The Casey Casem IAH Tower guy is my favorite local controller. That dude is NEVER in a bad mood.

 

[Texx]

ATL is by far the best. As long as you stay on speed, everything works out. The controllers are nice and calm. The worst are ORD, IAD, and most of the NYC airports. Worst center--Indy.

Bye Bye--General Lee

Yeah, right. Clear day, no weather and you get a hold 300nm from ATL at FL300 for 30 min. The reason given, too much traffic.

Same conditions, short approach to ATL is a 15 mile final and 160kts. DFW 6 , go fast.

 

[onlybiff]

ATL tower my ass, those hillbilly controllers are lucky they only have to deal with parallels. Even I could set up a 30 mile final with everybody doing 170kts. Props go to the ORD, EWR, BOS and anybody else who's airport looks like a spagetti bowl. How they get everybody lined up in proper order for departure is PFM to me.

Biff