Busy Controllers Video by Air Safety Institute

Justin M

Justin M

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Air safety institute posted a video about whether or not to give the approach controller all your info on your initial call-up.


That's the technique I use when calling approach. ("NY Approach, Skyhawk 1234 Romeo".) When I call the tower for landing or taxiing, then I give them all the info in the first call-up.

An earlier video by the ASI says that busy controllers want to talk to VFR pilots (
).
 
I would rather you give me all the information on the first call up if I'm busy. This actually saves time and makes it easier.

Example 1
Pilot: NY Approach, Skyhawk 1234 Romeo twelve miles West of Pudunk level at five thousand five hundred request straight in approach full stop, I have information Kilo.
Controller: Skyhawk 1234 Romeo you can expect that, squawk 4652 and ident.
Pilot: Skyhawk 1234 Romeo squawking 4652 with the ident.

Example 2
Pilot: NY Approach, Skyhawk 1234 Romeo
Controller: Skyhawk 1234 Romeo NY approach
Pilot: Skyhawk 1234 Romeo twelve miles West of Pudunk level at five thousand five hundred request straight in approach full stop, I have information Kilo.
Controller: Skyhawk 1234 Romeo you can expect that, squawk 4652.
Pilot: Skyhawk 1234 Romeo squawking 4652.

3 vs 5 transmissions barring any "say again" stuff. Busy controllers don't like to talk to one pilot very long. There is other stuff I left out with radar identification but you get the gist.
 
Timbeck2 said:
I Busy controllers don't like to talk to one pilot very long.
Click to expand...

Speak for yourself Tim!

b365f293bbc88683d4e22d5bf3ec4709--pilots-airline-pilot.jpg
 
Back to the original post - if you really want to grind a controller's gears, get their attention on every transmission. In other words, DON'T say everything all at once even though you've already established communication.

For example:
Pilot: NY Approach, Skyhawk 1234 Romeo
Controller: Skyhawk 1234 Romeo NY approach
Pilot: NY Approach, Skyhawk 1234 Romeo twelve miles West of Pudunk level at five thousand five hundred request straight in approach full stop


Then a little later
Pilot: NY Approach, Skyhawk 1234 Romeo
Controller: Skyhawk 1234 Romeo NY approach
Pilot: I have information Kilo


then a little later
Pilot: NY Approach, Skyhawk 1234 Romeo
Controller: Skyhawk 1234 Romeo NY approach
Pilot: (some other crap)
 
Used to fly into Amarillo from DFW and there was a controller there with the sexiest voice. We always wondered....
 
Timbeck2 said:
I would rather you give me all the information on the first call up if I'm busy. This actually saves time and makes it easier.
Click to expand...

Yeah that might work for you as the controller but from the pilot's perspective, if I give an Approach controller everything on the first callup, at least one or more of the following usually happens:
- They are too busy to deal with me at that moment and don't answer at all
- They were listening to another frequency and didn't hear me
- They were on a landline and didn't hear me
- They weren't ready and forgot or misremember half of what I told them.

I'm not going to waste airtime with a long intial callup only to turn around and have to repeat it. The exception is if it seems not to be busy and if I can make my transmission super short.
Justin M said:
That's the technique I use when calling approach. ("NY Approach, Skyhawk 1234 Romeo".) When I call the tower for landing or taxiing, then I give them all the info in the first call-up.
Click to expand...

I do the same and teach it that way also.
 
dmspilot said:
Yeah that might work for you as the controller but from the pilot's perspective, if I give an Approach controller everything on the first callup, at least one or more of the following usually happens:
- They are too busy to deal with me at that moment and don't answer at all
- They were listening to another frequency and didn't hear me
- They were on a landline and didn't hear me
- They weren't ready and forgot or misremember half of what I told them.

I'm not going to waste airtime with a long intial callup only to turn around and have to repeat it. The exception is if it seems not to be busy and if I can make my transmission super short.


I do the same and teach it that way also.
Click to expand...

Or what I hear all the time, you're too low / too far away and the controller can't hear you. Was listening to a Grumman calling CHA approach one day. Did 3 long call ups that I could make out in the air but I knew Approach wasn't in range. Finally, CHA gets back to him for a squawk. The pilot was kinda ticked and came back with "approach did you not hear me calling three separate times?"

A long transmission could be occupying time that a controller needs to give an IFR clearance also.

 
Justin M said:
That's the technique I use when calling approach. ("NY Approach, Skyhawk 1234 Romeo".) When I call the tower for landing or taxiing, then I give them all the info in the first call-up.
Click to expand...

On a slow July 4th in rainy weather I asked ABQ center what they approved as I was the only AC he was handling. His preference was:

1. "ABQ Center, Bugmasher 1234 request advisories" - if frequency sounds busy *OR*
2. The full information puke if it isn't busy.

Reason for #1 is that he says if he's busy, he won't get everything and if he's "moderate" he's looking all over the screen for your "N" number only to realize it's the initial call up because you didn't list a request, only your N number.
 
danhagan said:
On a slow July 4th in rainy weather I asked ABQ center what they approved as I was the only AC he was handling. His preference was:

1. "ABQ Center, Bugmasher 1234 request advisories" - if frequency sounds busy *OR*
2. The full information puke if it isn't busy.

Reason for #1 is that he says if he's busy, he won't get everything and if he's "moderate" he's looking all over the screen for your "N" number only to realize it's the initial call up because you didn't list a request, only your N number.
Click to expand...
There are going to be different preferences by different controllers obviously.

Mine is : "XXX approach, Cessna 12345, position/alt (i.e. ten north of xxx, at three thousand five hundred), request flight following." This helps before I type you into the system to find out you aren't in my airspace to begin with. In the follow up I will get your destination and requested altitude/anything else.

If you can barely get a word in because of traffic volume then just "XXX approach, Cessna 12345".

Not a fan of the, "XXX approach....this is Cessna 12345....we are a Cessna 172...um...slant golf....we are about 20 miles north...er umm north west of XXX VOR...climbing through two thousand three hundred up to ...umm... four thousand five hundred...on a heading of 150...request flight following...heading over to XXX airport in Indiana...Cessna 345."
 
mscard88 said:
Used to fly into Amarillo from DFW and there was a controller there with the sexiest voice. We always wondered....
Click to expand...

In Alaska there was a girl at a military base that did in flight weather. This girl sounded super hot. One day I landed there and got to meet the weather girl. Lets say the pictures in my head were much better.
 
Zeldman said:
In Alaska there was a girl at a military base that did in flight weather. This girl sounded super hot. One day I landed there and got to meet the weather girl. Lets say the pictures in my head were much better.
Click to expand...

That was the rumor about the Amarillo controller also.
 
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