ATTITUDE FOR ALTITUDE: GUY LEITCH
The relationship between pilots and air traffic controllers (ATC) is often fractious. Pilots hate being told what to do – and ATC often has more than enough reason to consider pilots to be idiots. A RECENT INCIDENT AT GEORGE AIRPORT where pilots and ATC blamed each other for an airliner taking off on 29 while another was on approach on 11 has made me come to the defence of ATC. Newbie pilots are often wary of ATC – fearing that if they do something wrong, they will get into trouble. That’s why too many pilots choose to fly long cross countries without ever speaking to ATC. I even heard of a Springbok – okay Protea – competition pilot who wouldn’t fly from Brits to Heidelberg without flying all the way round the west of Krugersdorp – because he did not want to have to deal with either Lanseria, Grand Central or Rand ATC. And about ten years ago a pilot took off from Wonderboom in his C210 and spoke to nobody before he fatally crashed into the mountains around George. S&R angel Santjie White and many others spent days of frustration searching for the wreckage. And I confess that after a recent run in with George ATC, I usually choose to fly under their radar.
Another common problem pilots have with ATC is that the controllers are sitting safely on the ground when everything is going to hell in a handbasket in the air. That’s why the mantra for when shit happens is ANC – Aviate, Navigate and Communicate – in that order. Don’t crash the plane trying to please ATC. A few years ago I was in front right seat in a Cessna Caravan taking off from Grand Central. The day was warming up and the Van was loaded to the roof. It had a heavy executive interior with fat leather armchairs for the pax and lots of other hefty items such as full coolboxes. We staggered into the air off the uphill Runway 17. Fortunately, the ground slopes down beyond the runway and to keep some speed the pilot flying pushed the nose down. (It reminded me of learning to fly at Grand Central on hot summer days in a Cessna 150 (ZS-IVS) with a 200 lb plus instructor – Freddy Smith). Anyway, as we sagged back towards the ground in the Caravan, the ATC said, “Alpha Bravo Charlie, confirm ops normal.”
A NC – Av i a t e , Na v i g a t e a n d Co m m u n i c a t e
16
November 2021
