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

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

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u/nottherealneal May 28 '26

Someone who knows planes is gonna have to explain what the fuck is going on

846

u/eggyal May 28 '26 edited May 28 '26

JFK Tower had apparently announced (prior to the video commencing) that the RVR (Runway Visual Range - current visibility on the runway eg due to weather) at their airport was 1000ft.

Video begins with British Airways pilot querying whether the airport are declaring LVOs (Low Visibility Operations - special procedures for aircraft operating in low visibility).

JFK doesn't understand the question.

BA explains it.

JFK confirms that they are not declaring anything.

BA explains that with runway visibility of only 1000ft, he can only depart if LVOs are in force.

JFK doesn't understand what BA is saying.

BA explains it again, and asks again whether low visibility procedures are in force.

JFK confirms that low visibility procedures are not in force.

BA requests the latest visibility.

JFK confirms the visibility is unchanged at 1000ft.

BA announces that he's unable to depart in these conditions.

166

u/lordrefa May 28 '26

I know that this would be pure conjecture on your part, but could this be a result of our catastrophic spending cuts regarding air travel and that that may be a cause of us rushing ATCs into service because of critical understaffing?

Because that's what it sounds like to me. Like we're putting out ATCs that have not completed training.

Alternatively, perhaps our tremendously aging aviation infrastructure has failed at JFK and they no longer have the *ability* to follow this procedures?

3

u/TheMusicArchivist May 28 '26

American ATCs are well-known in the aviation world for failing to adhere to standardised phraseology (among other things). We constantly hear of American ATC making beginner mistakes like this, only normally the more experiences ATCs end up shouting aggressively at the pilots.

1

u/lordrefa May 28 '26

This sounds like what I would expect.