Top 10 List

[skyaddict]

This isn't a peeve to me but it does crack me up sometimes:
the guys who jump in with lightning speed (i.e. instantly) to say "blocked" - sometimes there are two or three of these "instant" blocked announcements that block each other, so you hear "bl..[squeeeeeel]."

Another thing that cracks me up are the fresh out of flight school regional pilots who append "full stop" on the tower or CTAF frequency, or "IFR" to clearance delivery.

 

[MCOE175]

I heard JAX controller ask an US Airways 757 pilot how long he had been flying yesterday. The pilot responded for 5 hours... the controller then stated stop asking every time you change freqs if there any ride reports when you knew all day that all altitudes were light to mod chop. Then Airways west came over and said, don't worry he's a junior guy! Thought we were about to hear a fight go down.

 

[Lrjtcaptain]

Another annoyance...

I read a clearence to a pilot and the readback is just the XPDR. Fine no problem, I don't care, pilot readbacks arent a requirment.

But it ticks me off when the pilot wants me to say read back correct......Not gonna happen. And It sounds stupid to say OH.....Skywest blah blah blah transponder readback correct.

Had a semi funny one today......read a clearence to a pilot today. He read everything back except the fix on the ORD1. I asked if he could at least tell me the first fix as he gave me all the other information. His response was "unable." I said, you can read everything back but the first fix? He then read it back, I don't think he originally understood the question. I thought it was funny.

bottom line is I can have a deal at home asleep because someone read a clearence back incorrectly and I didn't catch it. Its happend to controllers before. They are home sipp'n a beer and come to find out 4 hours down the road for the pilot they make a wrong turn, controller who read the clearence didn't catch in the readback and bang. Its a deal for the clearence delivery guy. So don't expect readback correct unless you give us all the information.

 

[Spidey]

I heard JAX controller ask an US Airways 757 pilot how long he had been flying yesterday. The pilot responded for 5 hours... the controller then stated stop asking every time you change freqs if there any ride reports when you knew all day that all altitudes were light to mod chop. Then Airways west came over and said, don't worry he's a junior guy! Thought we were about to hear a fight go down.

Not an Airways guy, flew a 757 you'll never fly...where spilt drinks are career killers...ride reports are good...and it is always smooth at JAX center at ground speed zero. You ain't flyin in the same air for 5 hours (well, maybe in your b1900), so let's not get so uppity. We're all in this flyin thing together. How does the JAX guy know what the 75 pilot is transmitting on, other than his freq, and if he knows, why doesn't he help...mmm...I'll bet he's got an IPOD in his ear also (just kidding, it's the fo)...that 757 is an incredible jet, 'specially when she has the big engines and only 45 seats'... Happy New Year to All-especially 757 drivers...and my ole high school girlfriend...2008!!!

 

[atl pilot]

As for that...."I was on the landline" expression. If the FAA would have forseen the looming controller retirements coming back about 8 years ago (and/or not voided our greenbook contract and imposed their unilateral workrules on the controllers back on labor day 2006 - which caused even more controllers who were eligible to retire because of the horrible QOL they caused) and hired new folks back then, I wouldn't have to work both the freq and the landlines. This is a symptom of the bigger problem which has been caused by the FAA.
Sorry guys, we all do the best we can with what the FAA has left us with!

 

[Dr Pokenhiemer]

ATL--I appreciate all you guys do. I flew in your airspace for a few years every day hauling cargo. Buzz was always nice to hear on the radio--always had a great attitude and sounded like he was happy to be there. Hope he's enjoying his retirement. *beer*

 

[Spidey]

As for that...."I was on the landline" expression. If the FAA would have forseen the looming controller retirements coming back about 8 years ago (and/or not voided our greenbook contract and imposed their unilateral workrules on the controllers back on labor day 2006 - which caused even more controllers who were eligible to retire because of the horrible QOL they caused) and hired new folks back then, I wouldn't have to work both the freq and the landlines. This is a symptom of the bigger problem which has been caused by the FAA.
Sorry guys, we all do the best we can with what the FAA has left us with!

You're right, you folks do a great job. And we appreciate it! Happy New Year!

 

[Thedude]

When you are talking to APP or DEPT, unless there is fire, flood, famine, locust's etc, there should be no reason to miss radio calls.

That is of course unless you have an f/e that doesnt listen the radio and the yells the items on the checklist and always seems to happen when ATC is calling you. Or flying under multipule callsigns during a weeks rotation or they use the 3 letter ID instead of the callsign.

 

[ATCT]

Before my list my background is CPC Level 12 Tower, Pvt Pilot SES-SEL...

1. I hate the low voice (unless you have one, which I can tell...)

2. I hate when people switch to ground when im on local ("tower") when I have said the phrase "remain this frequency" or "stay with me"

3. People who dont say runway hold short instructions in this manner "Hold short of runway 26L, American 123"

4. People who roll to the end with a full final without asking (...I think we know who im talking about...*cough*aal*cough*)

5. People who taxi like slugs (*cough*nwa*cough*)

6. People who switch freq's and key up instantly...

7. Most Mexican/Central-American G/A's....I have too many stories to re-count

8. Zoomers/Flibs (aka small G/a) thinking its cool to fly VFR or IFR into one of the world busiest airports (No offense, but I dont want a 172 on my final doing 120kts at full throttle with a 739 eating em up from behind at min app speed doing 149)

I really dont get mad with the g'days etc., im actually a pretty happy controller and usually say "have a great flight" etc etc.

ATCT

 

[atl pilot]

Great list ATCT! I am with you on all of these!

 

[Ray Double]

Zero is a number, o is what you say when you visit the proctologist.

 

[DrewBlows]

5. People who taxi like slugs (*cough*nwa*cough*)

You can thank their contract for that. I'm a Compass new hire and had a NWA captain tell me in no uncertain terms that he had better never see me taxiing as fast as the Pinnacle CRJ that was passing by. He then proceeded to taxi to the runway at a pace I could have beaten wearing hiking boots and a 40 pound pack.

 

[DrewBlows]

"Denver, N12345, FL400".....well, they know that they're Denver; they don't need to hear that. They know who and where you are; they already accepted the hand off.

Maybe, just maybe the controller wasn't paying the closest attention when you checked in. If you say "Denver Center...Crappy airline XYZ blah, blah, blah" you give them a chance to gather their wits before you tell them what you want. If you check in "Crappy Airline XYZ blah, blah, blah" the controller may miss your call sign if he's not paying the closest attention.

I've flown with a captain who never used the center's name. It was very annoying when he bitched because the controller missed his call.

 

[atl pilot]

Technically, the correct phraseology is to use the name of the facility (i.e. Atlanta or Denver) follwed by the type of facility (i.e. Tower, Approach, Center). See below for an except from the AIM:

4-2-3. Contact Procedures
a. Initial Contact.
1. The terms initial contact or initial callup means the first radio call you make to a given facility or the first call to a different controller or FSS specialist within a facility. Use the following format:
(a) Name of the facility being called;
(b) Your full aircraft identification as filed in the flight plan or as discussed in paragraph 4-2-4, Aircraft Call Signs;
(c) When operating on an airport surface, state your position.
(d) The type of message to follow or your request if it is short; and
(e) The word "Over" if required.
EXAMPLE-
1. "New York Radio, Mooney Three One One Echo."
2. "Columbia Ground, Cessna Three One Six Zero Foxtrot, south ramp, I-F-R Memphis."
3. "Miami Center, Baron Five Six Three Hotel, request V-F-R traffic advisories."
2. Many FSSs are equipped with Remote Communications Outlets (RCOs) and can transmit on the same frequency at more than one location. The frequencies available at specific locations are indicated on charts above FSS communications boxes. To enable the specialist to utilize the correct transmitter, advise the location and the frequency on which you expect a reply.

EXAMPLE-
St. Louis FSS can transmit on frequency 122.3 at either Farmington, Missouri, or Decatur, Illinois, if you are in the vicinity of Decatur, your callup should be "Saint Louis radio, Piper Six Niner Six Yankee, receiving Decatur One Two Two Point Three."
3. If radio reception is reasonably assured, inclusion of your request, your position or altitude, and the phrase "(ATIS) Information Charlie received" in the initial contact helps decrease radio frequency congestion. Use discretion; do not overload the controller with information unneeded or superfluous. If you do not get a response from the ground station, recheck your radios or use another transmitter, but keep the next contact short.
EXAMPLE-
"Atlanta Center, Duke Four One Romeo, request V-F-R traffic advisories, Twenty Northwest Rome, seven thousand five hundred, over." ​

 

[svcta]

Maybe, just maybe the controller wasn't paying the closest attention when you checked in. If you say "Denver Center...Crappy airline XYZ blah, blah, blah" you give them a chance to gather their wits before you tell them what you want. If you check in "Crappy Airline XYZ blah, blah, blah" the controller may miss your call sign if he's not paying the closest attention.

I've flown with a captain who never used the center's name. It was very annoying when he bitched because the controller missed his call.

I'm with you 100%....I was trying to set up a scenario(and a trap) with my statement, though. The anti-"with you" crowd I think is missing the spirit of why we even check in....it is solely to let the controller that we are, in fact, with him/her on the freq., right?

I mean, have you ever left someone a phone message that said "I just wanted to call and....." or said to someone "I have a question for you" and then asked a question. By the line of reasoning used by by the people who get worked up over the "with you" thing you should never tell anyone what you're doing because that's stupid and self-evident.

I really couldn't care less how people check in with or let a controller know that they're with them on the frequency, but I think that saying "Hello, XXX Center, Longjon 123 is with you at FL590" is actually one of the most literal ways to get the job done.

And if some people are so concerned with just sticking to how the AIM says to do it, then why do I never hear the word "over" on the radio?