Have you ever been verbally whipped on radio?

[201er]

Have you ever been chewed out on the radio by ATC or another pilot? Did you do something wrong? Was it deserved? How did it make you feel? Did it make you screw up or fly worse afterward from the tension it caused?

[EricJ]

I have Scottsdale tower on in my office pretty much all the time, and some of the interactions are enlightening.   They will get on somebody's case from time to time, but usually it's after either a long chain of frustrations with a pilot or if somebody does something that compromises safety.    Flying across final approach when they didn't expect you to will definitely get a conversation.

One of the most memorable was in the other direction.   A Cirrus pilot (of course) got upset because he felt like they'd made him do a 360 on downwind that wasn't necessary, and he just would not let it go.   He was essentially telling them how to do their job.    The controller was very patient and finally said they weren't going to discuss it on the radio any more and gave him a number to call, which he promised to do.    I wish I could have heard that part, too. 

[Red Leader]

No, but I have done my share of whipping. All were after landing and all were deserved.

Twice, years ago, I observed my instructor almost losing his mind over the radio to another pilot who was flying dangerously (and I mean DANGEROUSLY). This pilot took the runway while we were on short final - I saw and avoided (barely), after ignoring our radio calls and not looking for planes on approach. An hour later, this same pilot cut us off in the pattern and almost hit us. In both cases, the other pilot blew him off after the chewing and got a severe talking-to in the FBO later. I haven't heard him at the airport since.

[Max Clark]

37 minutes ago, Red Leader said:

Twice, years ago, I observed my instructor almost losing his mind over the radio to another pilot who was flying dangerously (and I mean DANGEROUSLY). This pilot took the runway while we were on short final - I saw and avoided (barely), after ignoring our radio calls and not looking for planes on approach. An hour later, this same pilot cut us off in the pattern and almost hit us. In both cases, the other pilot blew him off after the chewing and got a severe talking-to in the FBO later. I haven't heard him at the airport since.

There's a Cessna Centurion in my area that loves to cut people off on final (happened to me 2-3 times now). Last time we decided to depart the airspace and avoid the nonsense. Next time I'm going to get the tail number and figure out how to make an alert when they get within 20 miles of me.

[N201MKTurbo]

You didn't ask if you have ever chewed out ATC.

[Ragsf15e]

Kogd (Ogden) tower has been terrible for this a few times.  I came in one day and they were just screaming at a local helicopter pilot.  Very unprofessional, but also a significant detractor from everyone else’s SA.  I asked for the tower supervisors phone number and eventually talked to him (he wasn’t in the tower at the time).  

Im sure pilots (me too) do stupid stuff from time to time and a quick mention of “you missed 3 radio calls” or “when i say X i need you to acknowledge” is fine but screaming at someone is going to cause way more problems than it solves.  Get or give a phone number and deal with it when everyone is safely at zero knots.

[icurnmedic]

Only once when I didn’t say my tail # after repeating what they said. Wasn’t bad, but did open my eyes to the need for that procedure. 

[ArtVandelay]

Multiple times….
When I used the phrase “clear to cross runway” during read back of a long taxi instruction. The controller berated me for about a minute, demanding to talk to my instructor (new pilot, instructor I had just dropped off). He kept yelling until a Citation pilot shut him down. The tower was very apologetic when they handed me off.

Landed at a airport with no taxiway, so had to turn around on the runway and I had announced I was doing a full stop. Got a couple of comments from a couple of planes doing pattern work, one behind me had to do a go around. FBO shut them down.

[midlifeflyer]

I was chewed out by another pilot. I was approaching on a 45 to my non-towered home base. Another aircraft called “right downwind.” I keyed the mic and said, “Raleigh Exec is left traffic.”  Then “right base,” so I repeated. “Shut the f#$@%k up!” came the reply. “I didn’t want to declare an emergency.”

I’ll let you folks decide whether it was deserved.  Maybe I was wrongfully “playing cop.” I later captured the audio from LiveATC because it was pretty soon after the Watsonville mid-air and we are a little busier, so I was going to use it in an airport communications program. (I captured it mostly because of another communication with a different airplane once I was in downwind.)

By a controller, no. Not even when I’ve made a mistake. Not even at a Bravo.

 

[aviatoreb]

One time I flew out of KMMU Morristown and the controllers are very busy in the area since it is generally in the vicinity of all the NYC traffic.  About 10 years ago.

I had an IFR flight plan despite severe clear as I often do in such airspaces and I picked it up on the ground.  I waited for the controller to have time then he read it to me and I read it back, and it was reasonably complicated but I got it correctly.  Then I departed and talked to the area controller who immediately was balling me out for going in the wrong direction and was just pissed at me and ordered me to hold in a circle pattern essentially in place which I did and I was polite.  What was depressing is I indeed was doing correctly upon departure as the original flight plan given to me.  He asked me where I was going and I told him the way point and he told me that was stupid and I should know what I am doing and he is too busy to deal with clueless pilots. I didnt loose my calm and stayed cool and was beginning the penalty hold he put me into.  This is 2 min after departure and essentially within a minute of checking in with the controller.   I thought I was about to get the phone number  - I didnt talk back rudely and I was not speaking confused in anyway, but at that point another pilot, thankfully who had been listening to the whole thing including had heard me on the ground before I departed, and it was a CFI, spoke up and spoke on my behalf and said he heard the whole thing with the other controller and said indeed I was given those instructions and I was doing as ordered.  AT that point the controller calmed a bit and told me to hold and he would get back to me and I confirmed I would hold.  He left me in penalty laps no kidding for like 20 min then came back with an entirely different flight plan that seemed as if it was designed to be extra complicated and out of my way just to shove it to me, but I politely copied, read it back and then complied.  10 min later I was out of that controllers zone and on to the next controller and asked me why I had such a weird flight plan and shortly thereafter gave me something much more direct.

I guess controllers can have a bad day too or a chip on their shoulder.  It was an escalated situation and if I had come back angry right back at him I bet I would have gotten the phone number.  That said, it was all on tape and I was confident that the controllers had made a mistake between themselves and I was good.

[Shadrach]

8 hours ago, N201MKTurbo said:

You didn't ask if you have ever chewed out ATC.

Asked for a number to call twice. Chewed out a controller on freq once (later regretted). 

[N201MKTurbo]

14 minutes ago, Shadrach said:

Asked for a number to call twice. Chewed out a controller on freq once (later regretted). 

Just don’t do it at your home drome. They can carry a grudge for a long time.

[EricJ]

3 hours ago, aviatoreb said:

I guess controllers can have a bad day too or a chip on their shoulder.  It was an escalated situation and if I had come back angry right back at him I bet I would have gotten the phone number.  That said, it was all on tape and I was confident that the controllers had made a mistake between themselves and I was good.

I got to attend one of the tours of our local TRACON, which was fun and educational.    During the tour it came up about the occassional beat down from ATC, and they guys giving us the tour said, "yeah, it's really just one guy here," and most of us spontaneously replied something along the lines of, "yeah, we know the voice." 

[dkkim73]

This conversation made me recall the following snippet I saw a month or so ago. Controllers are human, too : 

 

 

[0TreeLemur]

LOL ROFL!   I heard a controller say more or less that to someone else, but in a much less New York way.  I learned from that- never say Kilo.

The bit about the supervisor not being qualified and subsequent argument throughout the facility was rich!   

[0TreeLemur]

Between moving back to the US from Australia in 2002 and buying our first Mooney in 2017 I did no flying except as a passenger in big aluminum tubes. After getting my 10-hours of insurance required dual, I went flying in our C to continue scraping the rust off.   While flying VFR near class C I called the approach frequency, who I had a very hard time hearing.   Because I couldn't hear them well, and because I was rusty, my replies where pretty "non-standard".   Some young turd on the frequency decided to have fun and give me $hit for not using standard phraseology.   I've got t-shirts older than this turd, and when I soloed he didn't exist.   Frosted my a$$.   I said nothing.  I'm over it now, and I don't know how someone would belittle another pilot on frequency.  Who's training these guys?

[MikeOH]

1 hour ago, dkkim73 said:

This conversation made me recall the following snippet I saw a month or so ago. Controllers are human, too : 

 

 

Hilarious!

But, I'm calling fake...this has got to be some kind of joke (even says ATCMemes in the corner)

[PeterRus]

1 hour ago, dkkim73 said:

This conversation made me recall the following snippet I saw a month or so ago. Controllers are human, too : 

Totally uncalled for if real (might be edited). 

[Will.iam]

i was flying one day under the class B and i generally tune up approach and check in so they have radio contact with me but since I’m not in their airspace not required. But this controller once he identified which of the many ADS-B contacts, proceeded to tell me I was the one that made a Jet go around on an approach at a satellite airport and that i should not have been flying in that area. To which i replied Since I’m not in your Bravo airspace there should not be a traffic separation issue unless they flew out of controlled airspace. you did not just vector a jet outside your bravo airspace did you? Not another word was said. 

[hubcap]

I recently had a “small” issue. When the controller asked me for my approach request, I requested vectors for the ILS. The controller set me up on a reciprocal heading to parallel the inbound course. I was going along and started getting ready to get a heading from the controller when a new controller popped up on the frequency. I waited a bit and by that time I am a little over 15 miles out going the wrong way so I key the Mike up and let the controller know I have a request. He asks me my request and I told him I am ready to turn inbound. He kind of blew the heck up and told me “If you have a problem with the service I will give you a phone number and we can discuss it off frequency.” I replied that I didn’t need a phone number I just want a heading. He cleared me direct to the IAF and repeated his BS about me not being happy with the service I could call him. 
 

I hope he had a better day after he blew up on me.

[PMcClure]

Once, taking off from Orlando executive on an IFR flight plan in visual conditions, a controller told me to maintain @ or above 2000' on runway heading. If you know the area, you know that Orlando (MCO) arrivals are right over departures and arrivals from Orlando Executive. And I could clearly see the airliners descending overhead. I asked twice for him to clarify and the second time he flew off the handle. I responded with "unable". A few seconds later a 2nd controller came on and told me to remain at or below 2,000. 

I am sure the guy made a mistake and was probably having a bad day. But not much room or error in this area, especially had it been in IMC. 

[aviatoreb]

5 hours ago, EricJ said:

I got to attend one of the tours of our local TRACON, which was fun and educational.    During the tour it came up about the occassional beat down from ATC, and they guys giving us the tour said, "yeah, it's really just one guy here," and most of us spontaneously replied something along the lines of, "yeah, we know the voice." 

Really?!!

[Ibra]

"I have but I was busy flying aircraft in Bravo", N1NR 

[Schllc]

Sometimes you do something that isn’t ideal, sometimes they are having a bad day.  
I can’t say I’ve never done anything wrong, but no majors screwups, and I don’t ever argue with them. I may ask them to repeat if I think they erred, but figure if it’s a problem I can call later and talk on the phone. 
Recently there was a home controller who told me to take the runway without delay. 
I did proceed without delay, but I have to align my nose wheel once turning 90deg onto the runway and before punching the throttles.   My nose wheel is steered hydraulically and you can’t see it from the cockpit, so what may look like stopping is just me inching forward a few times to make sure it’s straight. It was maybe one or two seconds of time before starting my roll. Well, he completely lost his cool when I was well into the takeoff roll and started yelling about my “delay”.  I asked him to stop yelling at me during a critical phase of flight, but he kept it up until I politely asked him to stop for a moment and to continue fussing at me when I was stabilized. It didn’t stop him so I just stepped on him, saying I was going to departure. 
When I got home I called his boss, they said I was not the first person to have this issue and they would listen to the tapes. I don’t know if they did or not, but they announced his separation the following week. 
They are human and make mistakes as well.

[dkkim73]

3 hours ago, MikeOH said:

Hilarious!

But, I'm calling fake...this has got to be some kind of joke (even says ATCMemes in the corner)

It does sound potentially like a parody. The end is funny, too, with the change in tone and "thank you." Maybe they're taking advantage of my east coast stereotypes