What did he mean?

DavidWhite

DavidWhite

Final Approach
Joined
Apr 19, 2011
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7,148
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Olympic Peninsula
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Display name:
DW
So today I had a controller tell me I had light precip 12 o clock for the next 30 miles. I was flying a non-FIKI single and he asked me if I got in the precip to make a PIREP. I was IFR, so when I got in the precip I told him it was light and no big deal. He asked what the OAT was - so I told him. 42. He said thanks and that was that. I've NEVER had any controller ask for OAT before. Was he trying to bust me for flying into icing conditions, or was it just a harmless question?
 
He was asking so he can report your observations. They have never had you reports bottoms or tops? ATC asks me VFR quite often. They are not there to bust you. :nono:

I've Pireped birds, smoke, turbulence, rain, snow, icing, winds aloft. I even reported a city garbage dump fire one time. :D
 
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Wow. Hot day, eh? 108F is unusual this early in the year.
 
I've gotten requests like that on a significant percentage of my IFR flights where I encounter precip/IMC.
 
DavidWhite said:
So today I had a controller tell me I had light precip 12 o clock for the next 30 miles. I was flying a non-FIKI single and he asked me if I got in the precip to make a PIREP. I was IFR, so when I got in the precip I told him it was light and no big deal. He asked what the OAT was - so I told him. 42. He said thanks and that was that. I've NEVER had any controller ask for OAT before. Was he trying to bust me for flying into icing conditions, or was it just a harmless question?
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Harmless question. The boards are making you paranoid. :D
 
Harmless question. Just wanted a PIREP. They could care less about you breaking any rule if indeed you were breaking it. They aren't FAR police, they only care about rules that affect their little world (separation). Not a big deal but I would report the temp in Celsius next time.
 
The minute the FAA begins hunting for every tiny infraction Salem style is the moment the FAA has to cut 25% to 50% of its workforce as GA will be gone and even more of the private sector will be unemployed.
 
You will get that around the square states.. COntroller is at the beginning of his shift and expecting a guy later to ask for the temps, or cloud tops, etc. Ain't no thang Bro!
 
Controllers are required to solicit PIREP information so they keep knowledgeable of what is happening in their sectors and so they can inform aircraft of potential problems. It is a required duty, but somewhat low on their list of duty priorities.

From their manual ATP 7110.65U


2−6−3. PIREP INFORMATION
Significant PIREP information includes reports of
strong frontal activity, squall lines, thunderstorms,
light to severe icing, wind shear and turbulence
(including clear air turbulence) of moderate or greater
intensity, volcanic eruptions and volcanic ash clouds,
and other conditions pertinent to flight safety.

a. Solicit PIREPs when requested or when one of
the following conditions exists or is forecast for your
area of jurisdiction:
1. Ceilings at or below 5,000 feet. These
PIREPs must include cloud base/top reports when
feasible.
TERMINAL. Ensure that at least one descent/climbout
PIREP, including cloud base/s, top/s, and other
related phenomena, is obtained each hour.
EN ROUTE. When providing approach control
services, the requirements stated in TERMINAL
above apply.
2. Visibility (surface or aloft) at or less than
5 miles.
3. Thunderstorms and related phenomena.
4. Turbulence of moderate degree or greater
5. Icing of light degree or greater.
6. Wind shear.
7. Volcanic ash clouds.
8. TERMINAL. Braking Action Advisories
 
I have came in occasionally and said "Where are the tops, and where are they near X" This is how they no that information. Except when you get farther north, the temp is more important than the tops.
 
DavidWhite said:
So today I had a controller tell me I had light precip 12 o clock for the next 30 miles. I was flying a non-FIKI single and he asked me if I got in the precip to make a PIREP. I was IFR, so when I got in the precip I told him it was light and no big deal. He asked what the OAT was - so I told him. 42. He said thanks and that was that. I've NEVER had any controller ask for OAT before. Was he trying to bust me for flying into icing conditions, or was it just a harmless question?
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Harmless, he is trying to gauge the freezing level. He cannot bust you, in fact he has no clue your plane isn't FIKI. ATC isn't concerned with you busting a far like flying an on icing equipped into known icing. And remember known icing would be a pre-existing PIREP.
 
If I was in your shoes I would have probably did the same thing, and I agree with everyone else that the controller just wanted a pirep. My problem with such a thing would be everything you say to ATC is being recording, and I really wouldn't want to incriminate myself. Yes the controller wouldn't care, but if an FAA inspector accidently hears it the results wouldn't be too good.
 
DavidWhite said:
So today I had a controller tell me I had light precip 12 o clock for the next 30 miles. I was flying a non-FIKI single and he asked me if I got in the precip to make a PIREP. I was IFR, so when I got in the precip I told him it was light and no big deal. He asked what the OAT was - so I told him. 42. He said thanks and that was that. I've NEVER had any controller ask for OAT before. Was he trying to bust me for flying into icing conditions, or was it just a harmless question?
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He was asking for the info to file a PIREP with FSS.
 
DavidWhite said:
So today I had a controller tell me I had light precip 12 o clock for the next 30 miles. I was flying a non-FIKI single and he asked me if I got in the precip to make a PIREP. I was IFR, so when I got in the precip I told him it was light and no big deal. He asked what the OAT was - so I told him. 42. He said thanks and that was that. I've NEVER had any controller ask for OAT before. Was he trying to bust me for flying into icing conditions, or was it just a harmless question?
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I used to get that kind of request fairly often on early morning departures out of SSF (San Antonio Approach). Sometimes later in the day ("we see echos west of New Braunfels - would appreciate a pilot report as to whether it's precipitation or bats"). If I'm the first one out of HEF in the morning, I'll get a request from Potomac for bases & tops.

Nothing to worry about.
 
ja_user said:
I have came in occasionally and said "Where are the tops, and where are they near X" This is how they no that information. Except when you get farther north, the temp is more important than the tops.
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I got that on my last IFR flight. I hear a guy come on the radio, ask ATC what tops were, and ATC immediately asked my flight conditions.

"Sky clear at 6,000."
"Are you between layers?"
"No, it's clear above me to like a million feet."
 
I've been asked if I had on board weather in a Cessna 152 while on flight following. I said no however, I used my iPhone app called "myradar" for heavy precip situation awareness.
 
They will ask for all sorts of information. Receiving an ELT signal, for one. A few years ago I was VFR and was flying right over the top of Mt. Adams. The controller asked me to tell him when I was exactly over the summit. It seems their scope does not have that kind of information.

They have asked me if there were any holes in the overcast. Probably to help some VFR find a way down. They often ask for turbulence reports at various altitudes. It's a two way street!
 
kgruber said:
They will ask for all sorts of information. Receiving an ELT signal, for one. A few years ago I was VFR and was flying right over the top of Mt. Adams. The controller asked me to tell him when I was exactly over the summit. It seems their scope does not have that kind of information.

They have asked me if there were any holes in the overcast. Probably to help some VFR find a way down. They often ask for turbulence reports at various altitudes. It's a two way street!
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Oddest one I got was a request from a controller to find out if I could see & identify a plane 10,000 feet below me at 11-o'clock because the plane had busted an active R area....
 
Not sure if my experience of being interrogated over the phone by a FAA ASI after deviating because of a stuck fuel gauge has anything to do with David's joining the tinfoil hat brigade, but in that instance it definitely wasn't a case of ATC soliciting info to try to bust me. I volunteered the reason for diverting (dumb move), they rolled the trucks out of an overabundance of caution, and then they were required to file paperwork. I'm seriously not concerned about ATC trying to get something on me, but at the same time I no longer volunteer information they don't specifically ask for.

BTW I've been asked a couple of times now where the bases were when I've punched through a layer. They haven't yet asked me the OAT though.
 
azure said:
Not sure if my experience of being interrogated over the phone by a FAA ASI after deviating because of a stuck fuel gauge has anything to do with David's joining the tinfoil hat brigade, but in that instance it definitely wasn't a case of ATC soliciting info to try to bust me. I volunteered the reason for diverting (dumb move), they rolled the trucks out of an overabundance of caution, and then they were required to file paperwork. I'm seriously not concerned about ATC trying to get something on me, but at the same time I no longer volunteer information they don't specifically ask for.
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I'm pretty sure that nowadays they are required to ask for the reason if you divert or change your destination. At least that has been my experience, however they don't seem to care one way or the other about the explanation. Not too long ago we filed a flight plan that took us well out of the way of a line between departure and destination. ATC kept trying to get us on a more direct path until we explained that it was for "passenger sightseeing". After that they were pretty cooperative.
 
Everskyward said:
I'm pretty sure that nowadays they are required to ask for the reason if you divert or change your destination. At least that has been my experience, however they don't seem to care one way or the other about the explanation. Not too long ago we filed a flight plan that took us well out of the way of a line between departure and destination. ATC kept trying to get us on a more direct path until we explained that it was for "passenger sightseeing". After that they were pretty cooperative.
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I was asked for my reason of diversion today. I told them I wanted to stretch my legs - the real reason was I had to divert 150 miles for weather and didn't feel like I would have had comfortable reserves to go all the way to my destination. Perhaps I'm just paranoid and my tinfoil underpants are cutting off my circulation, or maybe they really are out to get me. I've learned it's best not to bring up fuel with ATC because they always freak out. I landed with 3 hours of fuel but my destination would have been another 2.3. I made the right choice.
 
Everskyward said:
I'm pretty sure that nowadays they are required to ask for the reason if you divert or change your destination. At least that has been my experience, however they don't seem to care one way or the other about the explanation. Not too long ago we filed a flight plan that took us well out of the way of a line between departure and destination. ATC kept trying to get us on a more direct path until we explained that it was for "passenger sightseeing". After that they were pretty cooperative.
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That's what the inspector told me. Not only that, they are required to file paperwork whenever an aircraft fails to reach its filed destination (i.e. diverts). I'm not sure whether that means ANY aircraft when the destination is known to ATC, or only an aircraft on an IFR flight plan. I was on VFR flight following but I had filed using "the VFR/IFR technique" to cross over Canada. I'm not sure if that makes a difference.

In my case I assume it was the spectre of an aircraft with a potential fuel situation taking off again from a field with no fuel that prompted the investigation, then it became a minor fishing expedition for evidence that I had taken off in an unairworthy aircraft (i.e., a plane with a faulty fuel gauge). If I had it to do over again I would just tell them that I needed to answer a call of nature.
 
azure said:
That's what the inspector told me. Not only that, they are required to file paperwork whenever an aircraft fails to reach its filed destination (i.e. diverts). I'm not sure whether that means ANY aircraft when the destination is known to ATC, or only an aircraft on an IFR flight plan. I was on VFR flight following but I had filed using "the VFR/IFR technique" to cross over Canada. I'm not sure if that makes a difference.

In my case I assume it was the spectre of an aircraft with a potential fuel situation taking off again from a field with no fuel that prompted the investigation, then it became a minor fishing expedition for evidence that I had taken off in an unairworthy aircraft (i.e., a plane with a faulty fuel gauge). If I had it to do over again I would just tell them that I needed to answer a call of nature.
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Maybe my tin foil doesn't need to be changed after all.
 
wsuffa said:
Oddest one I got was a request from a controller to find out if I could see & identify a plane 10,000 feet below me at 11-o'clock because the plane had busted an active R area....
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I had that happen once except he wasn't 10,000 under me but he was busting Denver's bravo... while doing aerobatics. I got him in sight maybe 2,000 under me, and he wiz-banged all over the place. To my left, to my right, above me, and finally behind me. Denver approach was not impressed with him at all, and frankly I wasn't either. Oshkosh week.

I've reported fires a couple times. One turned out to be a HUGE fire, glad I reported that one. I've been asked to look for fires at certain areas too.
 
Z06_Mir said:
I had that happen once except he wasn't 10,000 under me but he was busting Denver's bravo...

I've reported fires a couple times. One turned out to be a HUGE fire, glad I reported that one. I've been asked to look for fires at certain areas too.
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+2

ABQ Center asked if I could see traffic eastbound my altitude. Confirmed I could, that it looked like he was a Hawker that just departed T or C and was definitely hard eastbound and climbing (east of me was the restricted area for White Sands and he was already in it). The Hawker came on-line and ABQ was nice enough to suggest a "new" heading to avoid the restricted area (as if he hadn't already penetrated it - I thought that was nice).

Reported a fire in Banning Pass on one of my California trips in early morning that they weren't aware of ...

Recent trip all the heavies were getting pummeled in the flight levels, I was in a smooth 40-50 knot head wind for over 30 minutes. ABQ Center asked for a "ride report down there" told him smooth but that I was probably jinxed now ... hit extreme turbulence 25 minutes later and landed at wifey request.

Have been asked to switch to guard frequency for remote testing and was on 121.5 while they checked transmit and receive antennas for multiple areas along my route last year.

Was asked last year near Buckeye AZ if I was picking up an ELT, I wasn't until they steered me near their field - guess it was in the hangar.
 
Just a question for the Pirep so he can pass it on to other pilots.
 
Everskyward said:
I'm pretty sure that nowadays they are required to ask for the reason if you divert or change your destination. At least that has been my experience, however they don't seem to care one way or the other about the explanation.
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I got asked on Sunday. My answer? "'cuz I felt like it." That worked. :goofy:
 
Controllers have a lot of things on their minds...the job requires concentration. They do not have time (or handy violation forms) to try to bust pilots unless safety is compromised.

Bob Gardner
 
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