Thanks for the response Ryan, however in the video, the controller clears the aircraft before they call with any sort of emergency. It's immediately after contacting him he is cleared for a high speed climb.

The 7110.65 has no provision for approving an aircraft to exceed 250 knots below 10,000. As Ryan said, pilots and controllers are taking advantage of the ambiguity of the words "high speed climb" and "approved as requested." This is not a clearance to exceed speed limits. However, controllers aren't sky police and only see ground speed.

91.117 permits aircraft to exceed speed limits if the minimum safe speed for any particular operation is greater than the the speed limit. The 7110 has this to say about it:

14 CFR Section 91.117 permits speeds in excess of
250 knots (288 mph) when so required or recommended in
the airplane flight manual or required by normal military
operating procedures.

91.703 provides an exemption for civil aircraft outside the US (I believe that's 12nm offshore), but mentions you must still comply with certain sections of 91.117 if conditions exist.

Hello, I've been flying in USA during the last days and I have some ATC doubts; once TWR releases you to the next available controller, APP or DEP or CTR, that controller tells you first "say altitude", you reply like "1200ft to 5000ft", and then they inmeadiatly say "radar contact climb to 10000ft".
So my doubt is, why do they ask your altitude if they can see you on the radar?.

Radar altitude readouts have to be verified as valid by the controller. They must do this when you are being radar identified for the first time, and must verify that the altitude you report is within 300 of the altitude they see.

If are asked to contact a controller in level flight, similar rules apply since you were not handed off to them from a previous controller.

You can read more about the rules in the 7110.65 under sections 5-2-18 and 5-2-19.

With the "raid Area 51" thing going on, I feel like there was a missed opportunity here 

It was talked about... we weren't sure how to make airplanes Naruto run.

The Los Angeles ARTCC is proud to announce several new, or maybe not so new, initiatives designed to increase pilot and controller involvement and understanding. We are making a few changes to our community to encourage pilots and controllers to interact on a regular basis, while also hopefully increasing both pilot and controller quality across the board. First, ZLA is happy to announce we are moving to a new discord server. We are dedicated to making it as easy as possible for our controllers to access information, training staff, and resources, while also giving pilots a dedicated space to interact directly with the controllers on the other side of the scope, ask questions, and generally enjoy this hobby.

Second, we are announcing the resurgence of ZOTSOT! We are currently accepting applicants for the ZLA OTS Special Operations Team (ZOTSOT). ZLA has a long history and relationship with pilots that enjoy flying in the SOCAL and Vegas areas. In the spirit of that partnership we are opening applications for pilots to join this highly skilled team. The main purpose of ZOTSOT is to provide controllers with a diverse and unique traffic picture during their Over The Shoulder (OTS) exams or to test on their normal sessions for advancements. ZOTSOT pilots are encouraged to bring their helicopters, their airships, their light sport aircraft, and their good sense of challenge to help test the mettle of ZLA’s students. It’s a great opportunity to practice some of the more unique and challenging aspects of our airspace while also putting our best to the test.

What it takes to be a ZOTSOT Pilot:

• Have a desire to help student controllers
• Be able to fly on the VATSIM Network
• Follow the ZOTSOT Guidelines in the forums Here
  
• Work with the TA and Instructors
• (Coming Soon) Get your own Signature Badge in the ZLA Forums

Interested? Read more HERE and send your CID, email, and why you are interested to [email protected].  Please note - by applying you are consenting to periodic emails in relation to ZOTSOT only. 

Finally, ZLA is recommitting to its partnership with VATSTAR pilot training. Building off the success of our first one, we’re excited to announce our next pilot/controller event coming this Fall. Going forward we hope to create more events bespoke to the training program VATSTAR provides, and generally mutually contribute to pilot and controller quality by utilizing our airspaces’ most challenging and rewarding features including Special Flight Rules Area, Tower Enroute Control Routes, unique airspace classes and a hotbed of GA flying.

From pilot ratings, to the first ZOTSOT programs, intense controller training, and a reputation for an intense workload, ZLA is proud to build on our strong history of pilot/controller relations and is thrilled to be able to continue that legacy on the VATSIM network. Please join us in our new discord, visit us at www.laartcc.org, and feel free to reach out to us anytime via email.

Blue Sky,
Your friends at ZLA
Nick Christopher, ATM [email protected] | Matthew Kramer, DATM [email protected] | Josh Borges, TA [email protected]

Hopefully more information will come about this ATIS bot and how it is integrated into vATIS as well as the facility level here in VATUSA. LAX, for example, has much higher tailwind tolerances than other airports in the facility. Ideally each facility would be able to set their own rules for runway configurations as well as the information provided.

As far as I know the phraseology for a correct readback is "Readback Correct." Since Ryan mentioned ZLA, at KLAX you'll see in the real ATIS, "readback only your squawk code and callsign." I'm guessing somewhere controllers started saying "squawk readback correct" just to differentiate. We don't teach it at ZLA like that.

Quote from: Matthew Kramer on January 09, 2019, 04:26:01 PM

VFR on top is a hybrid. You need an IFR clearance to get through the IMC and then maintain visual flight rules while you are conducting the operation. It has already been covered here that you can't get a VFR-on-top clearance in Class A, despite being IFR. Further information can be found in AIM 5-5-13.

It's defined as an IFR operation. The AIM isn't regulation or law, and this is one of the many cases where it oversteps and says something that isn't substantiated by law or reg.

If it was a VFR operation, you wouldn't be constricted to your route as you are with VFR-on-top.  You're thinking about climbing and cancelling, as VFR-over-the-top, which is a VFR operation.

VFR-on-top only gives you altitude discretion, subject to VFR wx mins.  Otherwise, to cite your beloved AIM:

5-5-13(a)2: (c) Comply with instrument flight rules that are applicable to this flight; i.e., minimum IFR altitudes, position reporting, radio communications, course to be flown, adherence to ATC clearance, etc.

As previously mentioned in this thread, the 7110 also prohibits VFR-on-top in Class A airspace.

7−1−1. CLASS A AIRSPACE
RESTRICTIONS
Do not apply visual separation or issue VFR or
“VFR-on-top” clearances in Class A airspace.

It might not be specifically prohibited by regulation, but you need clearance into Class A airspace, and outside the exceptions talked about (LOA, etc.) you're not going to get this clearance. This topic deserves its own thread if we continue to discuss it.

Some users had a problem with the Vision Jet in X-Plan and XSquawkBox. Just make sure you can properly turn on Mode C.