"FAM" flights return for controllers

[dave]

Long overdue!

http://newsfeed.time.com/2011/04/27/air-traffic-controllers-try-to-walk-in-pilots-shoes/

[karbunkle]

Poorly worded article.  We controllers never flew the airplanes, or sat in the pilot's seat.  We were in the cockpit to observe and ask and answer questions.

I agree, though.  Long overdue.  The lack of casual conversation between ATC and pilots has hurt the fine-tuning of aircraft movement.  I learned quite a bit of what to expect out of a flight crew on the many FAMs that I took.  And likewise, it's refreshing to have pilots visit the tower (or ARTCC/TRACON) to see what's going on on our end.

[n0qxw]

And likewise, it's refreshing to have pilots visit the tower (or ARTCC/TRACON) to see what's going on on our end.

As a student pilot, my 'class' (the instructor and one other student) just recently did a field trip to the tower at our local class C (KBIL).  It was actually quite edifying.  As I progress as a student and later as a pilot, I hope to continue such visits as a routine (possibly even once a quarter, assuming local management is amenable) to stay 'in tune' with the local controllers and issues.