Calls to the Cab

[captain_v1.0]

I was visiting a couple guys at the tower here the other day and could not believe the number of routine, "fluff" calls they got while I was there.

Topics ranged from what is the RSC, my friend is coming in on this flight when will it arrive, what is the temperature, what is the weather sequence and what time is it!?

I understand that it's called air traffic SERVICES for a reason and users do pay lots of money for the service but I would expect those that fly, dispatch or ect... would explore this option as a latter resort instead of calling on a whim whenever they have a question.

Now for the issue of calling to verify when a flight is coming in it could be someone who doesn't know any better but apparently that information isn't permitted to be released by controllers or fss in the first place.

The RSC/temp/wx, look outside, call flight services, or go online. It's all there and they all work.

I was told a particular company's dispatch called five times one day to see if the RSC/CFRI on the notam was the most recent they had when there was little wind and no precip for days. And that comapny had one arrival that afternoon. I like to think what is advertised online, on the atis or given by voice advisory on inital contact is the most recent they have. And all this is assuming the tower actually get's the info right from the driver. What's the point if a disptacher calls and gets the info 2 minutes before it's posted, it's not going to help the crew if they're just departing because conditions will change before they arrive and if a report was just taken when an aircraft is 15 minutes out we will hear it from the tower before we get anything from company.

Sounds like I'm bitchin' and I am, I want to kow this stuff too and sometimes it's slow and they insist they don't mind because it gives them something to do but watching how busy they were while people call with this drivel is just plain stupid.

Imagine your nordo in IMC and trying to call the tower but get a busy signal while somebody is asking THEM to call the FBO and get the price of avgas.

or

While some fruitcake calls because there is the freakin' alien mothership over their house and they want to know if it's showing on radar while someguy that lives 1/2 mile from the runway is calling because of chunk of Boeing fell in their backyard and they want somebody to warn the crew.

[FamilyGuy]

While some fruitcake calls because there is the freakin' alien mothership over their house and they want to know if it's showing on radar while someguy that lives 1/2 mile from the runway is calling because of chunk of Boeing fell in their backyard and they want somebody to warn the crew.

That ain't the half of it....LOL Planes hitting canoes and chunks of airplanes in odd places....ah the memories...

[lexx]

I was visiting a couple guys at the tower here the other day and could not believe the number of routine, "fluff" calls they got while I was there.

The manager at that unit needs to get an unlisted number for the tower cab. One that only appears in aviation publications and not the phone book.

We changed quite a few years ago. The Nav Canada managers number is listed in the phone book, but it doesn't ring in the cab. Think he's got an answering machine for those times he's not around. Sure cut down on UFO calls, and those trivial type calls you refer to.

Lexx
http://www.ykf.ca

[captain_v1.0]

That works or an automated system that everybody hates, 1 emergency (the cab) 2 Wx and flight planning (redirect to FSS or FIC) 3 Administration (Crichton's home number).

Or just use common sense.

Seemed like the major problem that day, and according to one of them most days lies with pilots that have the number from the publications and call for trvial, routine info. Wx, wind, temp, runway conditions. "what time does night start," that guy that called for gas prices is one of us not a homemaker watching soaps and eating bon-bons.

[cyyz]

Imagine your nordo in IMC and trying to call the tower but get a busy signal while somebody is asking THEM to call the FBO and get the price of avgas.

Pretty easy, do as you were instructed, continue on with flight plan, why would you even need to bother ATC?

call for trvial, ... "what time does night start,"

Yup, trivial, you'll ding him for no night rating...

The Nav Canada managers number is listed in the phone book, but it doesn't ring in the cab.

Think they changed it in the CFS too.. Good, now we'll all be flying nordo and we'll get an answering machine... Hurray...

[killer84]

call for trvial, ... "what time does night start,"

Yup, trivial, you'll ding him for no night rating...

Do you actually think that ATC gives a shit if a pilot has a night rating or not? How the hell would we even know? I think that fits into the category of "pilot's responsibility".

The Nav Canada managers number is listed in the phone book, but it doesn't ring in the cab.

Think they changed it in the CFS too.. Good, now we'll all be flying nordo and we'll get an answering machine... Hurray...

The number in the CFS is for emergency's only, and is a number to the tower cab.

[cyyz]

Do you actually think that ATC gives a shit if a pilot has a night rating or not? How the hell would we even know? I think that fits into the category of "pilot's responsibility".

The number in the CFS is for emergency's only, and is a number to the tower cab.

I'm pretty sure some of you would go out of your way and ask, "buddy, you got a night rating?" if they answer no, lol....

I've called 2 towers from the CFS, maybe it's been updated, maybe the manager screwed up, or the bell guy switched lines, but they both went to an answering machine, maybe it had a "press 1 for an emergency" in the audio recording...

[captain_v1.0]

Oh CYYZ go away, shoo, you are such a troll.

they both went to an answering machine, maybe it had a "press 1 for an emergency" in the audio recording...

And it does in yyc.

[cyyz]

And it does in yyc.

There you go.. =)

Lets see, you've lost comm(nordo), you're in the soup and you're trying to call tower, looking for cell phone, looking for cfs, looking for page, looking for number....

Safe to say, you're probably not one of the safer pilots out there.... But hey, maybe putting your make-up on is easier in a plane IMC then it is in a car...

Comm failure, just do what you were cleared for, otherwise follow your flight plan, please don't be calling tower...

[Dave T]

Every once and awhile when the WX is really bad we'll call up to the FSS to ask what is going on with the VIS ect. If they feel it's getting better worse, if they're getting ready to call it 1/2 mile ect. To calls like these bother you guys very much. You're usually not busy because everyone is grounded and waiting out the weather.

[cyyz]

Always fly the airplane first, of course. If you have time, and the equipment,

I like smart controllers... Even though they're grouchy sometimes....

[bigfssguy]

Thats something i have seen a lot of recently in Churchill. Pilots calling up 50-100 nm back at 20,000ft asking for my weather and the advisory. I know the reasoning is they want CYA as for the CAR's requirment making intial contact 5 minutes prior to entering the zone (VFR) or 5 minutes prior to commencing IFR approach. They want to be covered in case they forget to make there calls but i refuse to give an advisory outside 50 miles simply because what is the use of giving an advisory to someone that far back when it will likely change and if i forget to update or miss something or think they have the info my rear is in a sling.

As for weather that far back i switch them to Arctic radio since thats why we have it there. If they are in there enroute portion of the flight the pilot should be calling for enroute weather. That being said if it is a complex weather day i will give them a quick update but when there going to be there in 20 minutes it is likely going to change anyways.

Also when they are that far back from the airport they are likely splashing over to either Rankin in the north or thunder bay RCO through island lake to the south. Which annoys my co-workers in those stations or cuts out another pilot making for a possibly dangerous situation. I love it in churchill at about 4 or 5 in the afternoon when First air calls 170 to the south (ie: 30-40 north or churchill) of rankin looking for weather!!! i love that one, annoys the hell out of me. Cal Arctic radio thats why they are there! By the way YYQ, YRT and YIV are all on the same frequency 122.2 not to mention any other airports in the area that may have that frequency.

[GilletteNorth]

captain_v1.0

sometimes it's slow and they insist they don't mind because it gives them something to do but watching how busy they were while people call with this drivel is just plain stupid.

Sometimes I DO mind, these are fluff calls I hate

the I don't know nothin' guy:
Guy: "I got a plane coming in this afternoon, have you heard anything from it?" (the airport handles an average of 8 flights an hour with additional advisories provided for a neighboring helipad and waterbase)
FSS: "Do you know when it's supposed to be arriving?"
Guy: "I don't know, next little while..." (which could mean in the next 2-5 hours)
FSS: "Do you know where it's coming from?
Guy: "oh, yeah, from XXXX."
FSS: "Do you know the aircraft registration or it's type?"
Guy: "No, it's supposed to be here sometime soon." (so the urgency has increased because the IDK guy has said this twice now)
FSS: "If it's on a VFR flight plan to here we don't have anything on any aircraft yet."
Guy: "But I need to meet his flight!!!" (Ding! general public - not a pilot)
FSS: "Are you talking about one of the scheduled flights?"
Guy: "Uh, yeah"
FSS: "You'll have to call the company to get information on scheduled flights." (these calls are by far the worst offenders)

or the maybe a pilot but not sure file:
Guy: "Hi, how's it going today?"
FSS: "Fine, what can I help you with?"
Guy: "What's the weather going to be like tomorrow?" (this is at 5PM so it sounds like he's looking for a long range weather forecast which I can't provide)
FSS: "If you need a weather briefing you can contact the nearest FIC at 1-866-WXBRIEF."
GUY: "Oh no, no, I just want to know what it'll be like tomorrow, maybe any winds? Is it gonna rain" (didn't hear the first time, thinks repeating his question will change the answer)
FSS: "We don't brief weather anymore, the FIC's do that now, all we can provide is the hourly weather or our TAF."
GUY: "Well don't you have a public forecast there?"
FSS: "The public forecast is provided by AES, you should call them if you need it." (yes I know it's just a public forecast but we aren't supposed to give it out since AES can charge for the info)
GUY: "Well I was hoping to go out on the lake tomorrow fishin....."

the totally clueless as to what services are provided by ATS:
GAL: "Hello, I'm Mrs Southernbell calling from Louisiana, that's in the States." (us Canadians have no clue where Louisiana is so we must be reminded it's in the United States )
FSS: "What can I help you with?"
GAL: "I'm calling because our company Citation will be flying in to your airport and we need to find out what sort of catering services you can provide."
FSS: (place the phone on hold while laughing)

the directory assistance call:
Guy: "Hi, how you day going?" (the butter up, showing interest in your day... this always happens when someone wants to ask to do something they could have done themselves)
FSS: "I'm fine, how can I help you?"
GUY: "Do you have the number there for a taxi? I'm down at the hangar line and I need one." (the phone number in the CFS is for emergency only remember)
FSS: (count to 10....)

One type of fluff call that happened while I was working Fort Simpson. Every hour FSS have to do a weather observation and when working single stand we make a radio announcement "Station unattended for the next 3 minutes" while we step outside. The owner of a local aviation company (TG) who listened to the MF used to wait 20 seconds and then call and let the phone ring a few times. He knew I would always run back to answer the phone as I was trying to be very service oriented. After falling for his prank a few times I just ignored the phone from then after making the radio call.