ATC screw up at DCA

Just when you thought things in Washington couldn't get any worse.
 
:yikes:

I'm reminded of an old tale from WWII. Supposedly at a training base somewhere in the heart of Texas a trainee WAF controller was working two PT-17s.

"Trainer 15 ya'll are cleared to land on runway 9, wind calm."
"Trainer 22 ya'll are cleared to land on runway 27, wind calm"

The instructor quickly pointed out her mistake and she immediately picked up the mic and said:

"Ya'll be careful now, hear???"
 
"compounded by sloppy procedures"

Can I use that quote when critiqueing my flight students?
 
I caused yet another RA while flying down the Chicago lakeshore at 11,500 on the way back from Oshkosh (and yes they were talking to me, I was getting FF and would have been IFR if they would route me in any sane fashion through Chicago land).

Heard an airliner making a derogatory comment about VFRs coming back from Oshkosh when his climb was held up as well.
 
flyingron said:
I caused yet another RA while flying down the Chicago lakeshore at 11,500 on the way back from Oshkosh (and yes they were talking to me, I was getting FF and would have been IFR if they would route me in any sane fashion through Chicago land).

Heard an airliner making a derogatory comment about VFRs coming back from Oshkosh when his climb was held up as well.
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11,500 is above the Class B airspace, there's no need to hold up a climb for a VFR aircraft.
 
roncachamp said:
11,500 is above the Class B airspace, there's no need to hold up a climb for a VFR aircraft.
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Well, not int he controller's mind. They held several at 11,000 in the climb and at least one in a descent at 12,000. The fact that on two occasions when they didn't an RA resulted is probably pretty convincing evidence.
 
flyingron said:
I caused yet another RA while flying down the Chicago lakeshore at 11,500 on the way back from Oshkosh (and yes they were talking to me, I was getting FF and would have been IFR if they would route me in any sane fashion through Chicago land).

Heard an airliner making a derogatory comment about VFRs coming back from Oshkosh when his climb was held up as well.
Click to expand...

We went from OSH down to Indy and went IFR around the Bravo. Didn't go above cause I don't have the patience to see of the Warrior can actually get to 11,500 ;)
 
I almost always go direct to GYY and then either over or under depending on the conditions and then direct OSH.

I usually just file to GYY and cancel and go VFR from there. A couple of years ago I begged with C90 if there was any altitude that would avoid me going to KELSI. The answer was no, so I just said, OK, I'm going to cancel IFR, climb up 500' and get FF. They were OK with that. Of course some United captain was ****ed when the RA went off...
 
flyingron said:
I usually just file to GYY and cancel and go VFR from there. A couple of years ago I begged with C90 if there was any altitude that would avoid me going to KELSI. The answer was no, so I just said, OK, I'm going to cancel IFR, climb up 500' and get FF. They were OK with that. Of course some United captain was ****ed when the RA went off...
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This is America, a semi-free country, he can be ****ed if he so chooses.
 
flyingron said:
I almost always go direct to GYY and then either over or under depending on the conditions and then direct OSH.

I usually just file to GYY and cancel and go VFR from there. A couple of years ago I begged with C90 if there was any altitude that would avoid me going to KELSI. The answer was no, so I just said, OK, I'm going to cancel IFR, climb up 500' and get FF. They were OK with that. Of course some United captain was ****ed when the RA went off...
Click to expand...

Yep, I got KETB - BULLZ - KELSI - KEYE
 
EppyGA said:
Yep, I got KETB - BULLZ - KELSI - KEYE
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They tried to send me direct to KELSI when I filed GYY from central Ohio once, but that turned out to be a mistake on their part.
 
flyingron said:
They tried to send me direct to KELSI when I filed GYY from central Ohio once, but that turned out to be a mistake on their part.
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Clearly. They really thought about sending you over BULLZ instead... :rolleyes::rolleyes:
 
I guess I should have listened to see how much chatter I was causing when I came up from the south ta 15,000 west of the Bravo.

I saw an eastbound airliner going to O'Hare cross 2-3000 feet under me.

Thats what they get when they don'r answer our calls for FF.
 
On the DCA story, at first I was sure that they were going to blame a GA jet, but they were all commuter airliners.

The NBC Nightly News report was looney tunes. "The tower" changed approaches to be from the north and landing opposite because of storms to the south.

I wonder if the changing wind directions had anything to do with it.

Can't believe the diverted captain claimed he was low on fuel. Oopsie. Gonna be in the report, Cap.
 
flyingron said:
I caused yet another RA while flying down the Chicago lakeshore at 11,500 on the way back from Oshkosh (and yes they were talking to me, I was getting FF and would have been IFR if they would route me in any sane fashion through Chicago land).

Heard an airliner making a derogatory comment about VFRs coming back from Oshkosh when his climb was held up as well.
Click to expand...

I was in the same airspace on Sunday morning - 11.5 over Chicago. OSH-VPC, direct. One regional jet went over me at 12,000 on a reciprocal heading. Otherwise, everything was pretty far below me.

I usually see more traffic at my altitude when I deviate West of Chicago at 6-8-10k.
 
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