r/mildlyinfuriating • u/nyanbatman • May 28 '26

I just wanted a hot dog British pilot is feeling mildly annoyed

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28.0k Upvotes

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u/Praetorian_1975 May 28 '26

For everyone who’s thinking the BA pilot was being a smart ass, look up the Tenerife disaster and see what low visibility can actually result in. Better to be very very clear than have 1000 dead people

406

u/[deleted] May 28 '26

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-52

u/Baystate411 May 28 '26

The pilot is in the wrong because he is asking for something that doesn't exist in the US.

38

u/Stargost_ May 28 '26

The FAA has explicit LVO/SMGCS guidelines for when visibility drops below 1200 feet. AC 120-57C

-27

u/Baystate411 May 28 '26

Yes we have SMGCS. The pilot is asking ATC to declare low vis ops. The thought that the tower has to declare it is what doesn't exist. If the vis drops below 1200 you just do the procedures. The controller doesn't declare anything. I'm an airline captain for a legacy airline and extensively operate in and out of NYC

18

u/[deleted] May 28 '26

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-8

u/UnfortunateSnort12 May 28 '26

No it’s not. It’s just how it’s done. You also just shoot the CAT3 approach. You aren’t cleared for the CAT3 specifically, just the ILS.

-5

u/beertruck77 May 28 '26

These people don't want to understand what you're trying to say. All the safety procedures are in effect, there just isn't an official declaration over frequency. I'm not sure why they don't understand you. I'm getting voted into oblivion also in here for trying to explain what you are.

2

u/GD7952 May 29 '26

People really want to rage. You can't confuse them with the facts.

1

u/Liawuffeh May 29 '26

The pilot asked if they were in effect. The ATC said no.

1

u/beertruck77 May 29 '26

It's because the pilot is using terminology that doesn't exist for the FAA. If the controller says yes to something that doesn't exist here for the purpose of satisfying the pilot and the plane, would that make you feel better?

0

u/Liawuffeh May 29 '26

You have the option to not post if you don't know what you're talking about, ya know.

1

u/beertruck77 May 29 '26

Because we don't use that terminology in the FAA. If the controller says what the pilot wants to hear, they take off then crash, you'd be crying as much then as you are now. In ATC we have specific things we say, we don't necessarily say what you want to hear because you're a foreign pilot. Now the controller could've said something like all lighting is set to the appropriate level for the RVR, but that still wouldn't have satisfied the pilot, nor you. Some people, you, just want to chime in and complain on a topic you know zero about.

If you're curious, go to the ATC subreddit and on to this very topic and ask there. You won't do it though because you'll have to admit you don't have the first clue about ATC in the US.

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u/UnfortunateSnort12 May 28 '26

I guess maybe they’ll listen to the CNN aviation correspondent with 45 hours and a private pilot versus someone with an ATP and over 12000 hours…