Do you correct a tower controller ?

As a controller, I can answer this with some authority. If I were you, I would have taken some time to cool down, then give the tower a call and have a professional discussion about it with the supe. If you request they will probably pull the tapes to listen for themselves then call you back to tell you if you were right or wrong. If you were right, the controller will probably simply be told to be more mindful of your traffic on frequency and ensure your are using the right call sign. Unless there is a pattern of this behavior, the controller won't face any disciplinary action, not even a post-it note on his or her file. If the pilot was in the wrong, the dupe will probably tell you the same-keep a closer ear out for your call sign etc etc etc. and no further action will be taken beyond a phone call.

Pilots and controllers are all people and will make a mistake from time to time. It sounds like when you were flying, the controller may have started getting overwhelmed and started losing the picture. Me personally, every now and again, I will instruct an aircraft to enter the right base instead of the left base, and 99% of the time, the pilot will correct me. I apologize and go about my task. It's also possible that the controller did intend of you to comply and spat out the wrong call sign. I wouldn't get too bent out of shape about it. As others have said, use it as a learning opportunity.
 
I was taught that if I think the tower controller has mixed me up with another airplane, then I should make a position report. That has worked well for me, starting with my private pilot checkride 25 years ago. And within the past year, a tower controller gave me an instruction to turn base or something like that when I was on the landing rollout. So I said "Cessna xxx is on the rollout." The controller immediately repeated the instruction for the correct aircraft. That one earned me a big "THANK YOU" from the controller.
 
danhagan said:
The supervisor met me at their tower door, not on the ramp. I didn't call or anything ahead of time, but I guess they/he watched me park and saw me heading over. Supervisor couldn't do squat because of all the stepped on transmissions from the guys holding short. He could only watch as things unfolded, and after my "scolding" he did take over. My purpose wasn't to get peeved, only to say the on-air rant was non-productive no matter which party was at fault.

Training changes things ... our Class C now has new controllers. When they're on, they seem semi-taxed if GA is in their space as the heavy iron has already been lined up for them. I have to fly out of my way to avoid being vectored into Mexico as that is their "new" method of decreasing traffic (they have an LOA with Juarez Mexico). Last attempted vector to Mexican airspace there was literally ONE single Southwest departure (I was AGL 2500 and no where near the field). If I'm inbound from Austin to Dona Ana (5T6) transitioning their space, and I'm not vectored into Mexico then I'm held at 10,500 until I'm a few miles from my field:confused::mad:
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When they do the Mexico thing, do you get out of gliding distance to more friendly land?
 
on flight following from charlotte NC to charleston WV in Lance 9796C a controller made a few calls for "Skyhawk 96C, just wanted to say it looks like you're a really awesome pilot". I was thinking wow, that's a pretty awesome callout by that controller, but none of the calls got answered. then another call to 'skyhawk 9796C' kicked off my 'AH-HA!' moment, he was actually talking to me but they had me in as the wrong type. I apologized for the lack of response but as soon as I heard 'skyhawk' I kind of tuned him out. but it's true, I did have some mad 'direct to' skillz on that particular day.
 
It happens. I've been called Navaho more times than I can shake a stick at back into the old pre-PCT days in the DC Area. I found out later that on VFR class B popups they would often just enter a single letter for aircraft type. C for Cessna, P for piper works pretty well, but they had to guess on the N. I've also been called "Navy" a lot.

Of course one day I was IFR over central NC on the way home and heard a Navion 27K proceed direct CSN, or so I thought. I acknowledged and the controller corrected that the call was for Navion 77K also over NC bound for the same destination.
 
I've occasionally had the tower at home airport give me wrong instructions for the situation. But I fly so often that I know what they really want me to do, so on read back I have on occasion just read back what they really wanted to tell me. Usually they just say thanks or chuckle. Saying that, there have been a few times when a potentially dangerous situation has come up and they have had to tell me to take emergency deviation or some maneuver even if I might not be the obvious one to evade as they know I will immediately follow their instruction in the air.
 
Palmpilot said:
I was taught that if I think the tower controller has mixed me up with another airplane, then I should make a position report. That has worked well for me, starting with my private pilot checkride 25 years ago. And within the past year, a tower controller gave me an instruction to turn base or something like that when I was on the landing rollout. So I said "Cessna xxx is on the rollout." The controller immediately repeated the instruction for the correct aircraft. That one earned me a big "THANK YOU" from the controller.
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That's good. A quick, short transmission that solves the problem
 
I would leave it alone, personally. You could've said, "Tower N****, we thought that instruction was for a different a/c" or something like that. Not really a big deal, if he didn't give you a number to call, I wouldn't worry about it. It happens, don't sweat it.
 
I'll tell you one thing. If you fly and talk to ATC, you gotta be a little thick skinned, because things like this happen fairly frequently. Seems like there's always some ATC or pilot communication screwup somewhere. Someone told me once that the best attitude is to keep a smile on your face, a positive tone in your voice and keep on flyin'!!!!
 
luvflyin said:
When they do the Mexico thing, do you get out of gliding distance to more friendly land?
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I only accepted the vector two times ... one was questionable if glide range would make the river. The last time, I was vectored so deep I was nearly at the backside of the Mexican city. My CFI used to fly their often and told me about his buddy that was placed under arrest after an uneventful engine out to an unoccupied street (no damage to aircraft or property on ground). They have unusual rules there ... have lived on the border here for 45 years ... things are definitely different there ...
 
coloradobluesky said:
I'll tell you one thing. If you fly and talk to ATC, you gotta be a little thick skinned, because things like this happen fairly frequently. Seems like there's always some ATC or pilot communication screwup somewhere.
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Truth.

I was flying out of I don't remember which SoCal airport but requested from the ground controller Flight Following with a LAX Bravo Coastal Route transition...which is a published VFR route. Spent what felt like the next two minutes getting scolded by the controller for being unprepared and that the "Shoreline" route was for Turboprops only and not available to VFR and closed...blah, blah, blah. I looked at my right seat Pax baffled as the controller was still in a tirade and said "I did not even know there was such thing as a "shoreline route"..."You DID say Coastal Route" he replied.

Wasn't worth the exchange back even though the situation was totally unwarranted so we just departed and coordinated with Approach knowing I was having a better day than the he was.
 
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