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General Discussion / Re: Airports denying IFR services during an event.
« on: April 10, 2020, 07:39:50 PM »
Lonnie, the CoC is pretty vague about specific requests because it's meant to cover the entire globe, and the entire globe has different local procedures, rules, and regulations.
In the US, where we're simulating, VFR Practice Approaches are an optional service that can be denied by ATC on a workload permitting basis, just like Flight Following. Multiple IFR approaches in a row can not be "denied" per se, but just like in the real world you will be delayed until the system can figure out a slot for you. During a large event like Friday Night Ops, it's a faux pas to try and do something workload intensive such as multiple approaches into the main arrival airport. We are all volunteers working an event that mimics the real arrival rates of these airports normally staffed by dozes of controllers who spent literal years training to work single positions.
The question for you should be, "what is more important?" Did you need the approaches or to fly into PHL. If you needed the approaches, flying into a satellite airport that was fully staffed and less busy would satisfy you. If you wanted to fly into PHL, then a single approach is the option you have.
A real example of this happened to me a few months back IRL. It was IMC and calm, a good opportunity to replenish my IFR currency by shooting approaches. I ended up sitting on the ground holding short for a half hour before getting a take off clearance, and was held multiple times to be sequenced into the airport behind larger, faster jets.
In the US, where we're simulating, VFR Practice Approaches are an optional service that can be denied by ATC on a workload permitting basis, just like Flight Following. Multiple IFR approaches in a row can not be "denied" per se, but just like in the real world you will be delayed until the system can figure out a slot for you. During a large event like Friday Night Ops, it's a faux pas to try and do something workload intensive such as multiple approaches into the main arrival airport. We are all volunteers working an event that mimics the real arrival rates of these airports normally staffed by dozes of controllers who spent literal years training to work single positions.
The question for you should be, "what is more important?" Did you need the approaches or to fly into PHL. If you needed the approaches, flying into a satellite airport that was fully staffed and less busy would satisfy you. If you wanted to fly into PHL, then a single approach is the option you have.
A real example of this happened to me a few months back IRL. It was IMC and calm, a good opportunity to replenish my IFR currency by shooting approaches. I ended up sitting on the ground holding short for a half hour before getting a take off clearance, and was held multiple times to be sequenced into the airport behind larger, faster jets.