What airport has the worst controllers?

[Jester119]

Fxe

FXE in Lauderdale are great, When most controllers are on the stress break point and start yelling basically they remain calm and get you in asap.

 

[F/O]

Why hasn't anyone mentioned ground control at ORD? I don't know that they're the "worst," but c'mon: no readbacks, multiple clearances per transmission, punishment for those who request clarification...

I mean, it's the only place I tell my FO to "just say 'roger,' and we'll try not to hit anybody."

Does it have to be that way?

Welcome to the big leagues, my friend...

I love it when they tell you "<callsign> go now!..."

 

[F/O]

Dulles, especially after the recent traffic spike due to Indy Air starting up.

Ground is just appalling. Aircraft stepping all over each other. Then at some point the controller usually gets frazzled and tells people to stop calling.

They desperately need a ground metering frequency. We shouldn't be calling ground, they should be calling us.

 

[DrRaptor]

I'm sure the automation guys in the Centers are scrambling to make as many discrete codes available as possible, and probably has something to do with number of times you're asked to change codes during a flight. It would surely help if you guys could be pro-active in calling us to say when you've cancelled a flight, so we can remove the flight plan, or refrain from filing multiple flight plans to the extent possible. (I've personably seen a Lear with 5 flight plans to 5 destinations in 4 different States, all in the same hour). If you're just going to be late, call us, and we'll update the P-time, rather than file a second FP. On a day with IFR WX, it's not unusual to have 10-20% of flight plans go un-used....

You might want to give your buddies at the AFSS's a call and remind them of that. I work in Operations for a Part 121 operation, and we've tried calling them to cancel out or extend FP's and the response I typically get is - "have the crew call ATC and they'll do it." Part of the problem is that half the time the crew CAN'T call any ATC because they're either not in the plane or they're already flying on another flight that is leading up to the one I'm trying to change or they ended up flying a different flight and I'm trying to clear out a duplicate FP.


Onto the subject -

I agree that the BJC guys can be real hard-a$$es at times. Had more problems with them refusing last-minute changes and intersection departures than DEN or APA. Hell, when I went to DEN, they ASKED if I wanted to use the intersection or go full length. I ended up taking full length because I needed extra time to get the plane setup and brief my passenger, who was on her first flight in a light plane (my Mom) so I didn't want to rush through the process.

I know several Military ATC types, and they have to stick to their books a lot because of their regs. The F-16s tend to be a big problem because apparently they have issues flying ILS's behind another aircraft at times. I've heard two reasons why, but I do know I got radar buzzed by an F-16 in my C-172 while flying into Buckley one day for Civil Air Patrol, which was kinda odd, and that when I was flying into Fargo with UND, the F-16's routinely got priority over me due to either fuel situations or because they required "due clearance" for the localizer beam. I have no idea what it means, just that it was the reason given by the ATC at FAR. Although the FAR guys were the best when I ended up coming into FAR after a long cross-country leg and there was an NWA 747 doing touch-and-go's in the pattern.

 

[FlyWolf]

MKE....

is the Worst .... Slow long vectors
They had us slow down to 150 (in a DC9) and how about a couple of S turn while you'r flying soo slow and everything is hanging down....you would think there is someone a mile ahead...noo 5 mile of clear final....go figure

 

[strftwb]

Apa!!!!!!!

 

[metrodriver]

A few years back STL was horrible: 1000' altitude changes and 10kt airspeed changes. Way too much talking was the result with missing calls or possible altitude deviations as a result. they would stop departures if there was one thunderstorm 20 miles out on one of the departure routes. Not even the flexibility to deviate a few miles. Since the demise of TWA things are not so bad anymore.
FXE: usually pretty good, but also a high rate of (near) mid-airs. Recently: you are number 9 for the runway (landing). This was a mix of light singles, lear jets, G4, and 5 planes waiting for take-off.
The crunch with transponder codes shows its ugly head many times in Nassau, where MIA center runs out of codes (all traffic inbound to the US gets a discrete code for Customs) and you can wait 45 minutes for a clearance. Also a lousy airport when it comes to ATC. No departures if there is anybody on less than a 5 mile final. They also get stressed out when things get busy

 

[Lead Sled]

I flew bizjets for a company for nearly 15 years where we literally flew coast-to-coast and border-to-border on a weekly basis - to all of the lower 48 States and throughout all of Canada. I averaged 50 hours per month for the entire period.

WITHOUT A DOUBT, THE WORST CONTROLLERS IN THE ENTIRE COUNTRY ARE FOUND IN CHAROLETTE, NORTH CAROLINA.

You will run into pockets of irritating controllers at every ARTCC, Approach/Departure, and tower from time-to-time; but on a day in, day out basis, no one can hold a candle to the approach controllers at CLT. It seems like if there is a cloud anywhere within a 500 mile radius of the airport you can expect the handling to deteriate. Holding? It's pretty rare at most airports, but you can count on it from our good friends at CLT.

Lead Sled

 

[414Flyer]

And I think I would gladly take those horrible controllers, over the "controllers" that I have to deal with overseas in India this summer.

 

[Hugh Jorgan]

Reminds me of trying to talk to Ho Chi Minh center. Man, those guys are hard to hear AND understand. Gimme an asshole controller over that noise anyday.