John Skulthorpe (Flight International, 2-8 July) poses a challenge to a previous writer, Capt D Shaw, about US air traffic control (ATC). "US ATC is not flawless, but I doubt Capt Shaw could seriously name any ATC service that comes close in clarity, competence and capacity."
I cannot speak for Capt Shaw, but I could easily name half a dozen. My own experience is that at busy international airports the US ATC service is, all too often, anything but clear and competent. Radio frequencies are needlessly congested, largely due to controllers speaking so fast that they have to repeat their messages two and three times (one word is never used when 10 will do the same job). One can add endless, fuel-guzzling radar vectors, last minute runway allocations and sudden changes of runway and approach, unrealistic demands on aircraft height and speed management, inappropriate visual approaches, land and hold short operations, and so on. I am sure many other readers share my experience and have others to add.
At upper levels, it must be said that the service is good, although controllers are operating two or more frequencies far too often, making it difficult to establish contact at times and be assured that you are under surveillance. I have often found it a blessed relief to cross the Canadian border or Atlantic Ocean and could not give anything like the endorsement of US ATC implied by John Skulthorpe's challenge.
W Lucas
Arona, Italy
Source: Flight International
