Do pilots get tired of controllers

Only when they forget about me when I'm holding short waiting to take off.

Otherwise they're usually pretty cool :)
 
Never,you just have to learn to deal with them.
 
Nope, long night flights its nice to have someone to talk to other than the guy thats required to sit next to me. Most are cool and will shoot the s**t if they aren't busy.
 
Only in Rockford, IL.

Otherwise, they've all been cooler than cool.
 
Timmer said:
Only when they forget about me when I'm holding short waiting to take off.

Otherwise they're usually pretty cool :)
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Or when they tell you to extend your downwind and that they'll call your base and don't talk to you for 10 minutes.
 
I really appreciate those guys and gals. It is nice knowing there is an extra set of eyes watching out for me on radar when I'm on flight following. My home airport is right next to a class 'D' airport with TRSA. Once I get out of the pattern and can leave CTAF, I always give them a call and pick up flight following. My experience has always been very positive with the ATC people here in the southeast.
 
So far I have had nothing but positive experiences, but everyone can have a bad day. I always flight follow when possible. I truly look at it as a partnership for my safety.
 
I've always liked the controllers at KLIT - seem to be helpful and watching out for you.

What I found somewhat interesting is that when flying the local trainers, they seem to know when they have a student as PIC - and work with you if you are not quite all together. Really was helpful back in 05/06 when I was getting my PPL. BUT I did hear one PP with license get dressed down once - and it was fairly polite, but stern. The guy didn't plug the transponder code in and then got behind the airplane. (Wasn't me - honest!! But did talk with the guy a little later - a little shaken.)

With the economy down, we need to use these folks more. Hearing more and more that busy airspaces are not as busy as they were a few years ago. Time to stop thinking these folks are too busy for us little guys and just give them a buzz. They are helpful anyway, so might as well..
 
I think they should have a clue - they should be required to be instrument rated pilots and have conducted an IFR x country or two. I once heard a Southwest flight with an in flight depressurization and the controller had no idea what or why he was requesting a descent. The controller just could not process an abnormal situation.
 
Only when they issue a vector and forget about us.

It's happened twice...both times in Houston airspace. The first time we were coming IN to Class B, so I was stuck with them and eventually had to remind them that I was still out there, heading AWAY from my destination.

The second time we were coming OUT of Bravo, so after ten minutes of droning along, 30 degrees off course, I called him up, cancelled Flight Following, and turned on course. He sounded...frustrated...that I could do that to him. :lol:

Most of the time, controllers are great -- and, really, why wouldn't they be? Great job, great pay, great bennies, health insurance, great working conditions -- and they can retire to the beach at 50. Why would they be anything but giddy? :rofl:
 
[mid field downwind leg]

Tower: "Cessna XYZ...extend downwind, I will call your base...#4 to land"

Me:[sigh]... "Extending downwind...Cessna XYZ"

Tower: "Cessna XYZ, can you accept a short approach?"

Me: [turning and dropping like a rock as I answered as I was abeam the numbers] "Absolutely!"

Tower: "Cessna XYZ, cleared to land runway 24"

Controllers are great sometimes!
 
There's one controller at CHD I don't care for. There's also one in KRAP that I don't care for but whatever. You can't love them all.
 
timwinters said:
Only in Rockford, IL.

Otherwise, they've all been cooler than cool.
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No problems with Rockford for me.

Friday I flew through their airspace, and their Approach controller had his hands full dealing with a lot of traffic that Chicago Center could not, due to the fire.
 
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I sure have been, but I am also sure some would say the same for me.
 
Tired? Not at all. I go out of my way to fly IFR even in VMC, I like the services they provide. That said, I certainly have been annoyed at times, especially when they forget you....

They're humans: generally cool, some are jerks, most have an occasional bad day. But as a group I find them to be quite helpful.
 
I moved my airplane once because of a bad controller. Glad I did, too. I suppose that guy did me a favor.
 
I get frustrated only when they seem to be unnecessarily on a power trip. When I started picking up training again at a new airport, I had a tower/ground guy get on a power trip about which taxiway to take. The school and tower had made an agreement to use an alternate taxiway to avoid crossing in front of the FBO. This guy apparently didn't get the notice and got nasty when we requested to use the agreed upon taxiway.

Other than that, I enjoy having controllers around. They human and make mistakes, and I enjoy it keeping me on my toes. Just yesterday, tower cleared us to land and on short final, cleared a jet to take off.... sigh...
 
NickC99 said:
Just yesterday, tower cleared us to land and on short final, cleared a jet to take off.... sigh...
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Before we hang the controller out to dry, what were you flying? For example when I'm in a Cub, short final is still a couple of minutes out! :)
 
kayoh190 said:
Before we hang the controller out to dry, what were you flying? For example when I'm in a Cub, short final is still a couple of minutes out! :)
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Oh, I wasn't hanging this one out to dry. I was pointing out that they make mistakes just like I do from time to time.

We were in a 152, and I've seen controllers clear takeoffs while I was on or turning final before. We were definitely too close... close enough to get a stern go-around order from another controller who may have been helping or supervising.
 
NickC99 said:
Oh, I wasn't hanging this one out to dry. I was pointing out that they make mistakes just like I do from time to time.
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Oh absolutely - my post was more tongue in cheek than anything. We're all human!
 
So far all of the controllers I've dealt with as far as GA have been a pleasure to work with.

Now the controllers here at work (LAX), not sure I'd want to face them on a bad day. I've been in the tower many times where the exchange between them and their customers has been a "bit heated" :mad2:
 
Timmer said:
I'm pretty sure this thread was started with tongue in cheek :goofy:
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I absolutely think so. As a counter point to Do controllers get tired of Students?

I too am fond of having somebody else watching over me on their radar screen. Not a bad idea.

Speaking of which, I've had a question I've been meaning to ask and this thread is probably a good one: where can I report a controller that does a GREAT job? IOW, where can one call/email/mail to praise a controller?

Thanks
Lou
 
99.9% of the controllers I've worked with have been fantastic. The other 0.1% were the tower and ground controllers at Northwest Arkansas Regional (KXNA). Flown there three times over the years and they were surly jerks every time.
 
There's this one Approach controller in Tulsa that I work with on a regular basis that I'm not too fond of. Same goes for a certain tower guy at KSAF that I previously had to deal with all of the time too. Other than them and a few others out there, I find 99% of controllers I deal with to be just fine.
 
I've had almost universal pleasant experience with the controllers I work with - with one notable exception.

There is a female tower controller at KSJT that needs a straight jacket and a thorazine drip.

Other than that, it's usually a pleasant experience.
 
Rick in Williamsport tower is an ass. Otherwise, I've had almost nothing but good comments.
 
Doing my flight training out of KSLC, I have nothing but good things to say about them. Last weekend flew to KBOI and screwed everything up on the ground at departure time. The controller was just completely polite and nice with me. Of course, it was practically empty at the time, so that probably plays into it.
 
I have not once in a quarter century had a negative dealing with ATC and have been helped out by them countless times. I've been given a heads up to see the Space Shuttle re enter to Edwards at dawn, I have been vectored half way across the country on a trip with a wet PP when both my Nav radios failed over the Grand Canyon on my way to St Louis that day, I have been given a No Gyro approach through the soup and ice one evening when my gyros froze up in the cold. Lots of vectors, lots of steers, lots of ducking in in front of a string of traffic with "base turn at the tower for midfield landing your option if you would like to take it" at Long Beach, heck, I even got cleared through O'Hare Class B in an Ag Cat and have been forgiven a nip into another Class B.

No, all in all, I haven't got a bad thing to say about them.
 
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