This is not a ghosting appeal.
Hi! Being a Grade 5 with over 3000 hours, I consider myself a very frequent Infinite Flight pilot who flies long hauls inbound to the IFATC schedule on a daily basis.
About half an hour ago, I just finished my medium haul to KJFK (it is on schedule for Sunday). In the ATIS the controller gave 13L/R and 4R as landing runways. The winds were 03008kts so It was a perfect chance for me to practice a nice crosswind landing. I was inbound from the north, tuned in to tower and requested 13L. A few planes had landed before me on 13R but none were currently on approach ahead of me.
The tower however, ordered me to enter straight in runway 4R. How is that a valid insturction? Ok lets give the controller benefit of doubt, maybe he was planning something for an aircraft behind me which I did not understand. But I was supposed to be number 1 on approach. Both 13L and 13R were available yet he told me to enter 4R. And how in the world do I enter straight in to a runway I am on opposite heading to? The instruction should have been either enter downwind or base. Some of you might say I should have responded with “unable”, but I have never in my entire IF career used that button, and I never intend to. I always try to believe that there must be a valid reason for whenever I receive strange instructions since ATC is monitoring the entire airspace. My thinking is limited to my aircraft and immediate surroundings. However, sadly today that was not the case.
Once I was established on the ILS, he cleared 2 aircraft inbound from the south to enter straight in 4L, whereas 4L was not an active landing runway according to the ATIS, it was being used for departures only.
Lastly, as soon as my wheels touched down, I got a message to expedite my exit. I hadn’t even rolled out yet. There was literally nobody behind me at all, let alone on short final.
My request is to the IFATC supervisors to take note of this feedback regarding poor controller performance. No pilot flying on expert server deserves to have such a disappointing end to their flight.
I decided not to tag or mention the controller in question intentionally, as not to make this a public shaming thread. If an IFATC supervisor is interested, I would be more than happy to send them the controller name via PM.
Blue Skies and Happy Landings to all!
Regards,
Amaar Viqar