Kudos to the tower

Webb · #1 02-19-2009, 08:57 PM

Flew over to KAEX (Alexandria, LA) tonight. Some great trash talk happened between a Lear, the tower, and me.

I was approaching the pattern at about 140 knots, starting to slow and was asked to square off the base to give a Lear enough time to get off and then it went like this.

Tower - Caution potential wake turbulance
Lear - We'll be out of here before he gets here
Tower - I don't know, he's fast.
Lear - I'm faster
Me - Yeah but I'm prettier
Lear - Yeah but I've got a stewardess, galley, and a toilet
Tower - Ouch
Me - Oh but I'm paid for
Lear - But I get paid for it
Me - Touche
Tower - Laughter

Ladies and gentleman....this is the way it's supposed to be...Fun

Upon leaving later, I was cleared for take-off and right turn out. Took off, rapid climb, and turned east. Tower came on with a "nice turnout". So sweet to hear kind words from these folks. Told them first trip there and how nice the FOB was. Got a thank you and a "y'all come back now, hear."

BTW - what a nice FBO. They even have an ice cream machine. Young lady there said they serve also breakfast and lunch.

scard · #2 02-19-2009, 09:04 PM

Sounds like our environment when cookie delivery is spaced no more than a couple weeks apart to "the facility". If you ever fly into KGTU and find that ..22C gets a hint of priority, you'll know why. You're right, when the rigidity of the system isn't required (sometimes it is very important), it is nice to have humans on all sides of the operations.

Ironflight · #3 02-20-2009, 05:54 AM

Louise has used Tanya's "cookie diplomacy" at KCLL tower as well, and seems to get better handling now than many of the school alumni that occasionally visit....

They know that an RV can get up and out when a Citation is on a three mile final!

Webb · #4 02-20-2009, 06:28 AM

Cookie Diplomacy? Would be a shoebox full of fresly baked chocolate chips that just happend to end up in that little room at the top of that tall building with lots of windows?

g zero · #5 02-20-2009, 07:19 AM

I'm based at KOMN (Ormond Beach Fl.) We have a great group of controllers.We often leave and return as a flight ( up to 10 planes ) no problem. We have a gathering once a year and give rides ( 2009 had 17 aircraft gave over 100 people rides ) tower told some students that wanted to shoot touch and go's to come back in about 2 Hours as they were too busy now. Don't know how they do it 'but they seem to have LOTS of patince with students from all over the globe that can barley speak english and are still learning Tower/pilot language.

the_other_dougreeves · #6 02-20-2009, 07:38 AM

Yesterday, while transiting the ex-POTUS permanent TFR in Dallas:

"Tower, 1CT, are we cleared through the TFR?"
"1CT, you're just not supposed to loiter in the area"
"Well, with our cruise speed, we've been acused of loitering before, but we'll do 120kt through the TFR"
"[chuckle] Roger 1CT"

TODR

VETE76 · #7 02-20-2009, 12:37 PM

this happened to a friend of mine.
he was talking to the tower coming in and they had him do all sorts of stuff because of the traffic. he called the tower after about 8 min of 360's, extended this and that, says to the tower he was trying to do it right, after all I AM A STUDENT PILOT back after my 1st solo xcountry. no reply from the tower. its funny now but i bet you'd be sweating up a storm, he was. anyway the tower hit him with the "LIGHTS" red green etc. for landing, he did well. as he was rolling out the tower said "NICE JOB" please turn left on november and taxi to parking area! my friend went to the parking area turned towards the tower and flashed his landing light a couple times............... but there was no comeback from the tower.
something he will never forget.

allbee · #8 02-20-2009, 03:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ironflight

Louise has used Tanya's "cookie diplomacy" at KCLL tower as well, and seems to get better handling now than many of the school alumni that occasionally visit....

They know that an RV can get up and out when a Citation is on a three mile final!

I can do that with my kitfox, have done it many times.

osxuser · #9 02-20-2009, 05:57 PM

From the tower side... yes, most of us know what an RV can do, most of us also know who can do whatever we ask, and who doesn't. We also sure as heck know who brings us cookies!

Unfortunately, liability cases being what they are, we can get in a LOT of trouble if something happens (incident) and the tapes get pulled and reviewed by management. In fact, an incident doesn't even have to happen, there are random tape reviews, and reviews of our busiest hours of operations for phraseology 'errors'. Just yesterday there was a small incident at the airport... and the tapes got pulled, and I got talked too... yay.

The slightest 'error' on our part (and I'm talking about out a callsign on a 'thanks' or something stupid like that) can be enough to de-certify a controller if there are enough of them lined up... and if the particular manager feels like it.

If you like cheery, helpful controllers, support NATCA!

MrNomad · #10 02-20-2009, 06:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by osxuser

From the tower side... yes, most of us know what an RV can do, most of us also know who can do whatever we ask, and who doesn't. We also sure as heck know who brings us cookies!

Unfortunately, liability cases being what they are, we can get in a LOT of trouble if something happens (incident) and the tapes get pulled and reviewed by management. In fact, an incident doesn't even have to happen, there are random tape reviews, and reviews of our busiest hours of operations for phraseology 'errors'. Just yesterday there was a small incident at the airport... and the tapes got pulled, and I got talked too... yay.

The slightest 'error' on our part (and I'm talking about out a callsign on a 'thanks' or something stupid like that) can be enough to de-certify a controller if there are enough of them lined up... and if the particular manager feels like it.

If you like cheery, helpful controllers, support NATCA!

Hey, you guys do a great job. I say THANK YOU at the end of every dialogue especially when I need vectors like today trying to find KFUL amongst 80 million homes and countless freeways in SOCAL.

Coming from Tucson, I'm just not used to sooooo many people. I love it when they tell you to look for the freeway. Yeah, which one?