As an aviation geek, I like listening to air visitors management audio, and all the time benefit from the VASAviation YouTube channel, which does a terrific job masking noteworthy air visitors management interactions. The channel has simply uploaded a video involving an interplay between an air visitors controller and a JetBlue pilot. This one is attention-grabbing, as a result of I don’t suppose both celebration appears good right here…
JetBlue pilot and air visitors controller argue over semantics
VASAviation has the air visitors management audio plus a visible depiction of a current interplay between an air visitors controller at San Francisco Worldwide Airport (SFO) and a JetBlue pilot. The JetBlue Airbus A320 had simply landed, although the gate the airplane was heading to was nonetheless occupied by one other JetBlue plane.
The JetBlue pilot suggested the air visitors controller that it could be 10-Quarter-hour till the gate opened up, so the air visitors controller needed to maintain directing that airplane round in order that it stayed out of the way in which of different plane working on the ramp.
It ended up taking 24 minutes till the JetBlue airplane on the gate pushed again, which means that the JetBlue plane that had been ready might lastly proceed to the gate. That is the place argument begins (simply previous the three minute mark within the under video).
As soon as the JetBlue plane on the gate pushes again, the air visitors controller offers the departing JetBlue plane permission to taxi. Right here’s what occurs subsequent, when the controller offers the coming JetBlue plane permission to tug into the gate (and I’d suggest listening to the audio, as a result of the tone is kind of one thing):
Controller: “JetBlue 2436, proceed to the gate.”
JetBlue pilot: “I can’t, it’s blocked.”
Controller: “Proceed to the gate.”
JetBlue pilot: “Floor, JetBlue 2436, how am I purported to get to the gate if the JetBlue airplane that pushed in entrance of us at B8 is obstructing the gate?”
Controller: “JetBlue 2436, it’s an approval to proceed to the gate. If you need one thing else, I can transfer you some other place.”
JetBlue pilot: “Okay I’ll transfer ahead to love gate B9, however I can’t go to B8 as a result of it’s blocked.”
Controller: “Okay, would you want to only maintain there for the remainder of the day?”
JetBlue pilot: “Okay, you’re being utterly unprofessional, and also you’re messing up floor, and also you’re feeding a security difficulty. Simply inform me which gate you need me to park behind, don’t inform me to proceed to a gate that I can’t get to, that’s blocked.”
Controller: “Can you get there now?”
JetBlue pilot: “I will get there in about 30 seconds.”
Controller: “So the clearance to proceed is legitimate.”
JetBlue pilot: “It wasn’t on the time you gave it to me.”
Controller: “I instructed you to carry place prior. So the clearance to proceed… okay, name the tower, let me know when you’ll be able to copy the quantity.”
That is such a pointless disagreement
San Francisco air visitors controllers appear to have fairly a couple of incidents, and I’ve written about ones involving Lufthansa pilots, Qatar Airways pilots, and United pilots. Usually there’s one facet that appears extra proper than the opposite, however on this case I believe they each simply sound like jerks who’re extra occupied with technically being proper and stranding their floor reasonably than discovering an answer?
Primarily, the bottom controller cleared the JetBlue airplane that pushed again from the gate to start out its taxi, after which the controller cleared the JetBlue airplane that was ready for that very same gate to taxi there. Okay, the taxiway was nonetheless briefly blocked, because the JetBlue airplane that simply pushed again hadn’t but began its taxi, nevertheless it was going to any second.
However then the controller and the pilot mainly discuss previous each other:
- The controller ought to have most likely mentioned “proceed to the gate when in a position” or “proceed to the gate when the corporate airplane begins its taxi”
- The JetBlue pilot might have clarified the air visitors controller’s intent, confirming the instruction was to go to the gate as soon as the opposite jet moved, however as a substitute the pilot got here in with an perspective (that is the place the tone adjustments), as if he had no clue what the controller was suggesting
- It was unprofessional for the controller to ask the JetBlue pilot if he simply wished to carry on the present place for the remainder of the day
- The 2 simply stored speaking previous each other and doubled down as a result of neither wished to confess that they might have dealt with it a bit in a different way
As if this argument wasn’t foolish sufficient, it appears that evidently the talk continued off frequency, because the pilot was given a cellphone quantity to name.
Backside line
An air visitors controller at SFO and a JetBlue pilot received into an argument over taxi directions. Usually after I submit about air visitors management interactions, it’s in conditions the place there’s motive for one celebration to be upset. This interplay is attention-grabbing due to how silly the disagreement appears to be.
With how overworked air visitors controllers are, you’d suppose everybody might simply persist with doing what’s essential, reasonably than this foolish drama.
What do you make of this SFO ATC and JetBlue A320 pilot interplay?
