Strange ATC request

Warlock

Warlock

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Warlock
I was Flying from New Orleans KNEW to Pearland Regional south of Houston last Sunday and was in the system flight following VFR.

Flight aware records part of the Flight
http://flightaware.com/live/flight/N7430J/history/20141214/1619Z/KPTN/KLVJ

I went through six frequency changes and was happy for the service as mid way I had a vacuum pump failure over the top of scattered..no emergency but comforting to have some one watching.

My last switch at about 50kn from my destination the controller requested I contact him when I had ASOS for KLVJ at about 40nm out he very sarcastically let me know I should have been back in contact with him. I responded with, unable to receive at this range and then requested termination of flight following as it really seemed like he did not want to deal with me for some reason. Flight aware track back stops at termination point. I am lucky to pick up an ASOS at 15 miles for this airport...Am I missing something?
 
Ah, seems like ATC frequently gets "snippy". Just keep a smile on your face, a positive attitude and keep on flyin'. And remember, they are cooped up in a radar room, you are getting to fly the airplane.
 
Standard procedure when flying IFR. They will ask if you have the weather at your destination airport if you don't let them know ahead of time. Often prior to getting any reception. Next time just say you will let them know when you have the weather.
 
A lot of controllers are used to dealing with airliners that fly way high where "seeing the field" and "picking up the frequency" are much easier, up higher. They know where you are aand don't understand why YOU cant pick it up or see it.
 
Nistlerooy said:
I think him saying "let me know when you have it" was his way of saying "go get it now." I believe, though he didn't communicate it well, that you would have switched over right at that moment to pick it up.

When he first said "advise me when..." you could have come back and said "unable until about 15nm out from the field, I'll advise when switching to pick up ASOS" or something to that affect. I Wouldn't take it too personally, IMO it sounds like he was just making an assumption. But that's all just my take.
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That is my take on it. At the point described by OP, he would have been making his initial contact with Houston Approach and I think it is nothing more than the controller expecting to be advised he had weather on the call up, sending him off to get it and expecting a fairly quick return. All reasonable and doesn't seem strange nor snippy.
 
I had weather enroute and was VFR but that particular ASOS at 4500 ft AGL is sort of hard to pick up at 50nm. It just struck me strange that he would expect me to respond that far out...there was no time placed on the request. 30 years of flying, I know all about tone inflection and I not liking what your doing for what ever reason...that's why I canceled it even though I had a system failure...on a different note every other controller I talked to coming and going were very helpful and took me right over MSY Bravo both ways and had not expected that kind of service...that's why this exchange was so different...
 
I'm kinda surprised you cancelled with a systems failure myself. Seems like more of a John Wayne move to me. I'm not impressed......
 
I think there are some controllers who are under the impression that all aircraft are dual radio equipped and expect them to check in with the ATIS / AWOS on initial contact. Plenty of times I've had to leave the freq to get WX and "report back up."
 
Nope duel coms and this request was not with initial check in...but shortly after and John Wayne comment has me laughing...I was in the local training area and went up the common freq...plus left number two on approach...its a vacuum pump not an engine failure...ATC is my friend just never experienced it and figured I was missing something from the VFR flight following book!
 
Heading into Palo Alto from the east, I can get ATIS above 4000, but not below, more than 20 miles out due to terrain shadowing. If I don't want a Class B bust, I'll be at 3500 over the last pass. If I don't have a reason to go higher, I'll cruise no higher than 4500. In good day VFR with minimal wind, I'll keep it below 3000 AGL.

That area can get real crowded with traffic, as all the inbound IFR arrivals from the east into the Bay Area go through there.

So, when NorCal asks if I have the weather, the answer is "unable." And I'll report into Tower with "negative ATIS." Never had a problem with that response. NorCal only dropped me twice. Once was an obvious IFR arrival slam, and the other was a 777 crashing at SFO.
 
Warlock said:
Nope duel coms and this request was not with initial check in...but shortly after and John Wayne comment has me laughing...I was in the local training area and went up the common freq...plus left number two on approach...its a vacuum pump not an engine failure...ATC is my friend just never experienced it and figured I was missing something from the VFR flight following book!
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As mentioned, Approach seems to have the responsibility to make sure that IFR traffic has the weather at the destination field before shipping the traffic to tower. In my experience when getting flight following it's a little raggedy-andy. Sometimes they ask and sometimes they do not. But when I'm on FF and get shipped to tower, I don't recall that the tower has ever asked. So Tower is apparently assuming that Approach has done the deed.

Controllers here: I'm curious: Should Approach always be asking both IFR and FF traffic about the ATIS or is FF different somehow? Maybe it depends on local agreements?
 
airdale said:
As mentioned, Approach seems to have the responsibility to make sure that IFR traffic has the weather at the destination field before shipping the traffic to tower. In my experience when getting flight following it's a little raggedy-andy. Sometimes they ask and sometimes they do not. But when I'm on FF and get shipped to tower, I don't recall that the tower has ever asked. So Tower is apparently assuming that Approach has done the deed.

Controllers here: I'm curious: Should Approach always be asking both IFR and FF traffic about the ATIS or is FF different somehow? Maybe it depends on local agreements?
Click to expand...

d. Controllers must ensure that pilots receive the most current pertinent information. Ask the pilot to confirm receipt of the current ATIS information if the pilot does not initially state the appropriate ATIS code. Controllers must ensure that changes to pertinent operational information is provided after the initial confirmation of ATIS information is established. Issue the current weather, runway in use, approach information, and pertinent NOTAMs to pilots who are unable to receive the ATIS.

EXAMPLE− “Verify you have information ALPHA.”
“Information BRAVO now current, visibility three miles.”
“Information CHARLIE now current, Ceiling 1500 Broken.”
“Information CHARLIE now current, advise when you have CHARLIE.”
 
This was an ASOS from a uncontrolled airfield....not an ATIS that I could get from a relatively close Delta Airport (And Had)...as you know no runway or NOTAMs from it just wind, clouds, and altimeter sometime in the last hour...just never happened to me I guess and found it strange for not getting it fast enough when I planned on complying when in range.

I think he also might have been confused working IFR traffic with a similar Tail number flying the similar route out of New Orleans to Hobby(30J and 10J) the same time but it was a Navaho and had 50 Knots on me.

Just found it out of place and made it simple by requesting the cancellation of FF.
 
Unit74 said:
I'm kinda surprised you cancelled with a systems failure myself. Seems like more of a John Wayne move to me. I'm not impressed......
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Dude, the guy was flying VFR and had a vacumb vacuum system failure, hardly a issue, and faaaaaaar from a "John Wayne" move.
 
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The times I've been to LVJ, the controllers have been great. YMMV
 
Reading this, you mentioned that you were comforted by the fact that you had someone watching over you, and then willingly cancelled 40 nm away from destination. Regardless of tone on his end, perhaps a gentle reminder that you wouldn't be able to collect ATIS info for another 20-30 minutes would have been in order? I mean, yeah, he got snippy on you.... and your response?
 
Wednesday day shift is likely the Thursday/Friday crew or the Friday/Saturday crew - some of the more coveted days off. As such, they are typically more senior and a bit surly. We call them "The Grumples".

Ya probably just ran into a jerk.
 
Jerks shouldn't be tolerated. Note the time/frequency and call the facility during the next business day and speak to the supe/QA manager.
 
Communication is a two way street. You could of told the controller ,you needed to be closer to pick up the Amos,also explain you will need to go off freq for a time to get the info. Your working on controller,he's working many aircraft.
 
talking to Houston center they have confused me with other same last 3 tail numbers in the past. If I hear that I reply with the whole "November......." To be certain it was for me.
 
At my home airport, if you are coming in from the west, southwest and if you are below 10,000, 4500 AGL, it is very hard to pick up the AWOS until about 15 miles out. Most of the controllers working this sector are aware of this and will give the latest AWOS if they are not really busy.
 
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