Grumpy controller or is there some hate between Miami TRACON and Homestead?

Fearless Tower

Touchdown! Greaser!
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Fearless Tower
Had an interesting (in an annoying sort of way) experience with ATC yesterday coming back from Florida in the Citation. We were departing Ocean Reef (07FA) after pax pickup. Ocean Reef is a private airport on an island south of Miami. VFR only and no charts, so on the way in we asked the final controller (Miami Approach) what the best way was to pick up our IFR outbound. He told us to just contact them on that freq and pick it up in the air after departure.

So….that is just what we did. After climbing above 1000' I call up Miami and ask to pick up our clearance. Same freq, but different controller. He responds rather curtly with a 'you are not in my airspace, you need to contact Homestead Approach'. Ok, fine. We shift to Homestead's freq and call them. At this point, we are around 4500' and Homestead tells me I'm above his airspace and I need to descend to 4000 so he can work me. We do that and he gives us our clearance, then vectors us north and hands us back to Miami.

As soon as I check in with Miami (and give him the assigned heading), he comes back all put-out and ****ed off and gives me an immediate 70 degree turn to the west. Thankfully, we were not with Mr Grumpypants very long.

WTF? Was this guy just being an jerk, or did we just fly into the middle of some hate between Homestead and Miami?
 
He was being a jerk. It happens, as I'm sure you know. ATC no different personality wise than anything else. File a report on his ass but he probably wouldn't GAF.
 
As close as Homestead is, I'd go with their approach from the get go. Looks like Miami only works that area after 2300. Still, even with Homstead open and you calling Miami, all it takes is Miami to pick up the landline, get a point out and then issue your clearance. Sounds like some grumpy controllers to me.
 
Best advice I ever heard was "keep a smile on your face and a positive tone in your voice and 'keep on flyin'".
 
Best advice I ever heard was "keep a smile on your face and a positive tone in your voice and 'keep on flyin'".
That's what we did. It is one of the nice things about two pilot crews….you have somebody next to you who can give the instant feedback on whether you misunderstood something or the guy was just being an arse.
 
As close as Homestead is, I'd go with their approach from the get go. Looks like Miami only works that area after 2300. Still, even with Homstead open and you calling Miami, all it takes is Miami to pick up the landline, get a point out and then issue your clearance. Sounds like some grumpy controllers to me.
That would make sense, but the whole reason we contacted Miami in the first place was they told us to. Plus, if Miami does control that area above 2300', that means by the time he got done talking to me and passing me off, we WERE actually in his airspace. It sounded like the dude just didn't want to deal with us at the time.
 
He was being a jerk. It happens, as I'm sure you know. ATC no different personality wise than anything else. File a report on his ass but he probably wouldn't GAF.
True, I'm just used to more pilots being jerks than controllers.

Like the dude in the Columbia we saw at Richmond yesterday. Ground was trying to get him to acknowledge the hold short so that we could continue to the ramp, but the dude wouldn't. Then tried to insist Ground was very broken and weak. "My radios are brand new and we've never had any problems with anyone else' kind of thing. Ground's like 'well okay, but EVERYONE else can hear me just fine.
 
Humans can be grumpy. On either side of the frequency, on either side of a drive-through, anywhere.
Sorry for your unpleasant experience. It sure wasn't the first one and it was unlikely the last one either. :)

You handled it fine, just ignore the grumpiness and move on. Maybe the guy's dog died and he can't handle it well. (yes, he should be more professional but hey, we're all human)
 
Like the dude in the Columbia we saw at Richmond yesterday. Ground was trying to get him to acknowledge the hold short so that we could continue to the ramp, but the dude wouldn't. Then tried to insist Ground was very broken and weak. "My radios are brand new and we've never had any problems with anyone else' kind of thing. Ground's like 'well okay, but EVERYONE else can hear me just fine.
Reminds me of the infamous "People compliment me on the accuracy of my instruments." Defense mechanisms are a funny thing sometimes.
 
That would make sense, but the whole reason we contacted Miami in the first place was they told us to. Plus, if Miami does control that area above 2300', that means by the time he got done talking to me and passing me off, we WERE actually in his airspace. It sounded like the dude just didn't want to deal with us at the time.

Probably a controller transferred from PHX:confused::eek:

Same situation, opposite attitude ... while flying in California from Texas, SoCal asked nicely if I could choose a different altitude as it made a difference as far as who would handle the FF. I guess my altitude was right at their "line" for deciding who would handle me ...
 
Someone didn’t have their coffe ,after waking up on the wrong side of the bed. Or he may just be style A nasty disposition. It takes all kinds.
 
I was a Mod in high school. My Vespa P200E was envied by all. I traded it for a really nice Lambreta.

Anyway, that was 30+ years ago.
 
What the hell happened? Someone resurrected my thread in order to test out the mods?


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk
 
Yep and after being up for nine months, my post was deleted today:D. Live and learn;)

Chasing mscard88 to the banned land:cool:

Cheers
 
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