Question For The ATC Types

[Dave T]

Okay I have two questions which I encounter almost everyday in Alberta. The first is Edmonton Terminal when it is IFR in City Centre. It seems that the controller always wants to keep us in super tight and gives us a poor intercept for the ILS 34. I don't mind when WX is barely IFR and you just can't get the visual right away. I also understand that it is tough to coordinate us with arrivals and departures from the YEG. I just can't count the number of times where it's been down to 300 feet and we're given an intercept either above the glide path 2 miles from the beacon or we are kept in so tight that we'd have to do a steep turn to make it. Maybe it's just me but I'd appreciate being being squared off a little bit more when the WX is down. Perhaps there is an underlying reason for this?

Number Two, WTF is with the YYC ATIS. Like give me a break, I know that most of the pilots going in there go in almost everyday. I understand adding things if something is new, but the same thing doesn't need to be in everyday. Eg. Aircraft landing 28 should minimize time through the intersection of 16-34. All that info can be on the airport diagram plate or in the CFS.

Rant over!

[twice_banned]

I just can't count the number of times where it's been down to 300 feet and we're given an intercept either above the glide path 2 miles from the beacon or we are kept in so tight that we'd have to do a steep turn to make it.

Manops describes specific "aggressive" (not their word, mine) intercepts for approaches that require pilot concurrence beforehand if they are to be used. Things like vectoring for an intercept above the glideslope is one example. The pilot is supposed to get a heads-up on the plan, and then agree to it.

I don't know the specifics in Edmonton, but if you are routinely getting unsafe intercepts (i.e. requiring steep turns and descent in cloud), I would contact the shift manager for further explanation/clarification about what's going on.