As an aviation geek, I love listening to air traffic control audio, and always enjoy the VASAviation YouTube channel, which does a great job covering interesting air traffic control interactions.
While I usually focus on situations involving airlines, here’s a rather noteworthy general aviation interaction. It seems that the same air traffic controller has been “featured” on VASAviation twice in a couple of weeks, and that’s not a good thing.
In this post:
San Carlos Airport’s stressed out air traffic controller
San Carlos Airport (SQL) is located in the Bay Area, and describes itself as “a friendly community airport.” It’s a popular general aviation airport, so it gets a lot of student pilots. You’d hope that air traffic controllers would be a little patient with them, but it seems that one air traffic controller at the airport lacks patience, to put it mildly.
With the most recent incident, a student pilot is in the pattern (with an instructor onboard), and is asked to report another aircraft in sight. The pilot says he’s looking for the traffic, and the controller impatiently responds “it’s important that you find these guys as quickly as possible.” At this point the controller tells the pilot he needs to make a full stop landing (rather than a touch and go), and says “if you wanna go somewhere else, sir, I’m working too hard.”
At this point the instructor chimes in, and tells the air traffic controller (very politely) “we were looking directly into the sun so you gotta kinda manage your expectations for what we’re able to do.”
The controller doesn’t take that well, and says “I have to manage mine and it’s a full stop landing only, you’re done.” The instructor says “I’ll be happy to talk about it later,” to which the controller responds “no, there’s nothing to talk about.”
The instructor continues to be very friendly, saying “I totally understand that you’re working really hard, we appreciate everything you do, but I need you to mark the tape in case we have to talk about this later.” That’s not well received.
You can listen to the entire interaction for yourself below.
Then just a couple of weeks earlier, the same air traffic controller got in an argument with another pilot, which you can hear for yourself below.
This controller seems overworked, but…
In the first video, you can hear the air traffic controller talk about how he’s stressed and is working an eight hour shift all on his own in the tower. Being an air traffic controller is no doubt an incredibly challenging job, and the current staffing shortages only make matters worse. It’s a stressful job during the best of times, and an even tougher job when you’re working more than you should.
While I sympathize with this controller, having a bad attitude with pilots won’t actually make you feel any better. It’s not like he’s reducing his stress by being a jerk. Rather he’s just being unnecessarily condescending, saying how he doesn’t have time for student pilots, etc.
Fortunately for every controller like this, there are multiple controllers who are professional and courteous. It just seems like this guy might want to reflect on whether this is the right career path for him.
Bottom line
It’s rare that the same air traffic controller is featured on VASAviation twice in a couple of weeks, but one controller at San Carlos Airport has that distinction. It’s very clear he’s stressed, so on some level this simply reflects the air traffic controller shortage we continue to have…
What do you make of these ATC interactions?
A normally fine person can have a bad day, make a very poor choice, and be a real ass. A person with character can own that an straighten up.
When such action occurs repeatedly from a person whose responsibility is to serve others and look out for their safety -- and occurs again in these bombastic and arrogant ways -- it is just the same with an ATC as when it occurs with a pastor,...
A normally fine person can have a bad day, make a very poor choice, and be a real ass. A person with character can own that an straighten up.
When such action occurs repeatedly from a person whose responsibility is to serve others and look out for their safety -- and occurs again in these bombastic and arrogant ways -- it is just the same with an ATC as when it occurs with a pastor, a teacher, a physician, or a politician: the person lacks oversight (or a conscience) and they become a law to themselves and need to be taken down a few steps.
This guy has no business controlling aircraft anywhere. How he made it thru training is beyond me.
I have worked ATC for decades, from FAA to three contract companies. Serco was the worst of the contractors by far and I only stayed for a few months during 2020 when everything was insane. They refused to pay well enough to attract people, and the government was fine with it. It's well known in ATC that you'd have to be truly retarded to accept an offer from them. They run ATC Zero ops and...
I have worked ATC for decades, from FAA to three contract companies. Serco was the worst of the contractors by far and I only stayed for a few months during 2020 when everything was insane. They refused to pay well enough to attract people, and the government was fine with it. It's well known in ATC that you'd have to be truly retarded to accept an offer from them. They run ATC Zero ops and the government lets them keep the contracts and maybe even pocket the money they're saving. Regardless, they're a British company and are screwing over the American taxpayers hardcore.
The worst part is that they're providing a service to enhance safety, but paying less than other companies, and running almost no manning, so they're making the skies less safe just to take home some extra change...it certainly isn't going to the line controllers.
Actually, I guess that the worse part is that the government is fine with it, and no one complains other than a few reddit posts.
Having worked for both the FAA and Serco, I know what the problems are. The Serco controller is making about 50% of what a FAA makes. Training for FAA takes up to 16 months, Serco only trains for 30 days. This controller isn’t using “continue down wind, I will call base”. That is a simple thing to do to insure separation. Bottom line, you get what you pay for.
A shortage of their own making. They only hire 2x a year. There are many candidates waiting for a chance.
I’m a contract tower controller who worked for Serco for 10 years. In all my time with the company, there was always a vacancy advertised at San Carlos. It’s hard to keep staffed because the controllers there are living in one of the highest cost of living areas in the country, and are getting paid peanuts as compared to the FAA controllers in towers that flank SQL and PAO.
So the guy is likely...
I’m a contract tower controller who worked for Serco for 10 years. In all my time with the company, there was always a vacancy advertised at San Carlos. It’s hard to keep staffed because the controllers there are living in one of the highest cost of living areas in the country, and are getting paid peanuts as compared to the FAA controllers in towers that flank SQL and PAO.
So the guy is likely working solo or has very little additional staffing to support him, and he’s doing his best to survive. I get it and I’m giving the guy the benefit of the doubt. Been there, different airport.
As controllers, our handbook (FAA Order 7110.65) gives us the means to stop and start practice approaches (T/G pattern falls into this) as necessary to accommodate itinerant traffic. While I can’t condone the method or the attitude, maybe this is what the guy is doing, in order to survive and give service to his other customers.
Food for thought……
Not just at SQL with an attitude but also SFO which has one controller who also has a terrible attitude.
Longtime CFI here... remember there was a CFI in the right seat; an entirely competent one from what we can tell. None of this is the student's fault; "too many students" cannot be the issue here.
Grouchy/angry ATC isn't anything new. For years Boise ATC was famous for angry controllers... the story was (I have no idea if it was true) that Boise was an FAA punishment posting.
Interesting rumor, but absolutely not true. The FAA has no power to change a controllers duty station as a form of punishment.
That is my home airport and I myself have tangled with this very controller. The airport is currently closed for runway rehab, and I can only hope that he's no rotated somewhere else (or to a new profession) when it reopens in October.
Write a letter to the FAA and Serco. That’s the only way to make a change. It’s obvious this controller will not change. He is in over his head.
That picture showing a interchange, is not the Bay Area nor San Carlos. That's the I- 110 /I-105 interchange in S. Los Angeles, California. I should know, I was raised 2 miles east of this particular interchange. The Hills that are in background is located in Harbor City section of Los Angeles near San Pedro ( L.A. Harbor).San Carlos is exactly 425 miles north of Los Angeles.
Agreed. If the guy can't handle a few GA planes, what's gonna happen when there's REAL trouble??
This controller has been very friendly whenever I flew from San Carlos in/out of or in the pattern. Certainly he seems to be stressed about something on those days. Time for IMSAFE checklist?
My brother makes a point of taking his students there to experience what "bad ATC" sounds like.
If this controller doesn't have the cognitive ability to deal with student pilots, he shouldn't be at SQL.
So, in the aviation spirit of looking for root causes and not blaming specific individuals, I wonder if part of this is precisely due to the airport having a lot of student pilots (as you mention)? I'm assuming that contracts and staffing levels are set by number of takeoffs and landings, with no real consideration for how much mental energy each one actually takes.
I'm pretty sure that directing a student pilot takes a lot...
So, in the aviation spirit of looking for root causes and not blaming specific individuals, I wonder if part of this is precisely due to the airport having a lot of student pilots (as you mention)? I'm assuming that contracts and staffing levels are set by number of takeoffs and landings, with no real consideration for how much mental energy each one actually takes.
I'm pretty sure that directing a student pilot takes a lot more hand holding and attention than an experienced pilot. Plus those student pilots probably make a lot more rookie mistakes and other stuff that can quickly become dangerous when you're so close to SFO airspace. So I bet that after a while, even the patient controller can start getting testy.
I'd be curious what the percentage of student pilots at this airport is, and whether it's abnormally high compared to other GA airports. Anyone can tolerate a rookie requiring extra attention and hand holding once in a while, but if that's the majority of your traffic, while your staffing level is based on how much work an "average" pilot requires, then I can see how someone can become frustrated and tired really quick.
The airport has a high percentage of student pilots, but that's standard fare for an airport like that and has been the case for decades. The real problem is that the tower is woefully understaffed. For a while SQL only had one full-time controller on staff. Fortunately, it's not quite that bad anymore, but they're still not up to the recommended minimum staffing levels, the contractor SERCO isn't doing much to help, and no one...
The airport has a high percentage of student pilots, but that's standard fare for an airport like that and has been the case for decades. The real problem is that the tower is woefully understaffed. For a while SQL only had one full-time controller on staff. Fortunately, it's not quite that bad anymore, but they're still not up to the recommended minimum staffing levels, the contractor SERCO isn't doing much to help, and no one at the FAA is officially responsible for overseeing quality control for contract towers. The local flight school has an overview of the situation here: https://sancarlosflight.com/tower-information
Regardless, this guy has no business being in the tower cab anymore, but SERCO can't afford to fire him and he knows that.
Curious... According to this job posting from 3 days ago, Serco is looking for an Air Traffic Control Specialist at San Carlos (SQL).
https://www.linkedin.com/jobs/view/air-traffic-control-specialist-san-carlos-ca-sql-with-security-clearance-at-clearancejobs-3726075247
As mentioned elsewhere in the thread, vacancies for SQL are pretty much the norm. Sheer coincidence RE: this situation.
This controller is the ATM, not just a line specialist.
This guy is in the wrong job. If a few planes in a VFR landing pattern is causing a meltdown what happens when weather rolls in? Or some guy has an emergency?
On one of those videos (I recall seeing this a couple weeks ago, at least the one with the examiner speaking back to the tower), the owner of the FBO/flight school did post in the comments and said this is all par for the course and taking it up with the tower manager (one of whom is the controller in question) is futile.
With no mandatory rest periods with someone to cover him ? Surely he still has to follow FAA regulations. It’s illegal to work an 8 hr shift as he implies no break.
This controller is awesome! He’s all like “You better find that traffic right now or I’m canceling the rest of your pilot training flight!!!” He’s commanding some respect and letting ’em know who da boss is!!!!
Lets not forget there is a lot of Heavy traffic in and out of SFO on the 27L/R approach for the SQL to manage conflicts
This is what I came here to say. This airport is just a few miles south of SFO and a few miles further north from SJC ... and it's busy for the airport that it is. It's right across from Oracle HQ (get it? SQL!) and lots of silicon valley types learn how to fly there.
A very common joke for people there.
Unfortunately both SQL predates Oracle and is just a coincidence.
I guess one advantage of a company relying on one person to handle everything is that the person can handle it in whatever crappy way they want. They won't get fired because then the entire tower closes. And while some of these controllers are rookies who need the job, others still are retired FAA folk who are just there for some fun and some extra cash... don't expect those guys to blink if they get...
I guess one advantage of a company relying on one person to handle everything is that the person can handle it in whatever crappy way they want. They won't get fired because then the entire tower closes. And while some of these controllers are rookies who need the job, others still are retired FAA folk who are just there for some fun and some extra cash... don't expect those guys to blink if they get cut loose.
Personally, if Im too busy, I'm too busy... and how quickly a Cessna gets another Cessna in sight isn't going to be the straw that breaks the camels back.
Contract tower controllers have always been underpaid and under recognized, now we're adding understaffed to the mix....and the FAA is definately going down the same path.
It's important to note that this is a contract tower, not staffed by FAA, but by "certified" controllers hired by an outside vendor, who I believe in this case is SERCO.
Agree that this is definately worth mentioning!
The proper way to handle this is take it off the air and refer the matter to the local FSDO. Going directly to the controller or vendor is useless and when vvv contacting the FSDO, call and write with the letter being cc'd to the FSDO manager. Enough of these complaints will bring results.
I see an anger management class in this controllers future.