- Joined
- Jul 17, 2019
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Display name:
The Little Arrow That Could
On my flight back from Michigan tonight I was on flight following and near Midway I was treated to an interesting exchange btw chi-approach and a 172 pilot.
The pilot decided that of all times to do a joy ride touch-and-go into MDW, he would do it near peak traffic times for the airport.
The controller upon learning his intentions both that he wasn't a full stop AND viewed his approach instructions as a practice approach -- kinda lost it on the radio.
He kept repeating "I don't understand. I just do not get it. Why... why would you come to Midway to do touch-and-goes at this time of night?" This continued for about a minute or so on an already busy channel with southwest pilots and people flying the lakeshore on channel.
The pilot was thick-skulled and undeterred and continued to insist he wanted a practice RNAV approach into the airport. But with a twist... The flow was east-to-west and sequencing of a parade of 737s and the approach would take him out over the lake, something the controller warned him about.
The pilot wasn't willing to do this, and he declined the vectors more than once. At one point he gets vectors with a descend to 3k and says unable b/c he doesn't want to be too low to the water. The controller just tells him frankly: "Yeah -- well -- it is what it is".
In the end the controller ended up vectoring him up and down the shore, then inland then out, etc.. Until there was an opening to get him in. I was off channel by then but I think they got him in.
My question: Why didn't the controller just tell him, in sequence:
1) You're an idiot
2) No
3) Get out of my airspace
Or more appropriately: "unable at this time - come back at 10pm and we can work something out".
Clearly the controller was not having any of this guys stuff. Why didn't he he just throw him out?
The pilot decided that of all times to do a joy ride touch-and-go into MDW, he would do it near peak traffic times for the airport.
The controller upon learning his intentions both that he wasn't a full stop AND viewed his approach instructions as a practice approach -- kinda lost it on the radio.
He kept repeating "I don't understand. I just do not get it. Why... why would you come to Midway to do touch-and-goes at this time of night?" This continued for about a minute or so on an already busy channel with southwest pilots and people flying the lakeshore on channel.
The pilot was thick-skulled and undeterred and continued to insist he wanted a practice RNAV approach into the airport. But with a twist... The flow was east-to-west and sequencing of a parade of 737s and the approach would take him out over the lake, something the controller warned him about.
The pilot wasn't willing to do this, and he declined the vectors more than once. At one point he gets vectors with a descend to 3k and says unable b/c he doesn't want to be too low to the water. The controller just tells him frankly: "Yeah -- well -- it is what it is".
In the end the controller ended up vectoring him up and down the shore, then inland then out, etc.. Until there was an opening to get him in. I was off channel by then but I think they got him in.
My question: Why didn't the controller just tell him, in sequence:
1) You're an idiot
2) No
3) Get out of my airspace
Or more appropriately: "unable at this time - come back at 10pm and we can work something out".
Clearly the controller was not having any of this guys stuff. Why didn't he he just throw him out?
