airtraffic

Author Topic: Can anyone find this? (Oak Ctr)  (Read 3913 times)

Offline Neil

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Can anyone find this? (Oak Ctr)
« on: December 26, 2005, 11:57:13 PM »
From an aviation blog....

Quote
After all the rain this week, a ridge of high pressure began to build over the California coast last night. Everyone was expecting the weather to get better ... eventually. Lingering rain last night combined with southeasterly surface winds and low ceilings. Checking the surface weather I heard the dreaded phrase "... Flow control for San Francisco and Oakland ..." I called ground immediately to request my wheels up time. Ground called flow control, then called me back and said that 6pm should be fine. One small problem: The other company pilot had not yet requested his wheels up time and, due to the nature of his freight, he needed to go first. In the end, he got my 6pm time and I was given 6:45pm.

A bit before 6pm, I learned Oakland was under a ground stop program and that all previously issued release times after 6pm were void. I chatted periodically with the ground controller and at one point there was an opening - "How soon can you be at the runway?" he queried. "Three minutes!" was my reply. So I got off at 6:15pm, earlier than expected.

Approaching Oakland, I queried Norcal about the approach to expect. "Depart SUNOL heading 300, expect vectors to the VOR 9 right approach." Drat! This would add about 20 minutes to my flight and included several delay vectors. It was clear that the controller to whom I was talking was in training. At one point another voice barked at me, rather impatiently, "Fly heading 190!" Okay ... A bit later the controller-in-training asked me to slow by 30 knots. A bit later, the impatient voice snapped "Fly heading 120, join the final approach course." The instructor must have been annoyed that the trainee didn't give me the turn earlier. No sooner did I start my turn then the course came alive.

After getting the approach clearance, I asked if they still needed the speed restriction. "Go as fast as you can" was the trainee's response, but the brusque voice barked "Resume normal speed." Having been a trainee instrument pilot and now an instrument instructor, I felt for the trainee and the instructor. Everyone has to start somewhere, I guess.



That would be fun listening  :lol:



Offline Neil

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Can anyone find this? (Oak Ctr)
« Reply #1 on: December 26, 2005, 11:58:13 PM »
Oh...Thursday night, Dec 22nd.