?I don?t know what he is doing up there?.....ATC Controller

[Ron Lee]

I am paying user fees now through fuel taxes. If the FAA is saving so much money in other areas, let them add more controllers or get more money from Congress. The aviation user trust fund probably has beaucoup money.

 

[Steve Brown]

It ain't broke

....... As the report provided earlier today suggests, my case in hardly unique. Sounds like ATC needs to be fixed or airspace modified...........

Your experience isn't unique.

My last flight over the LAX class B was during the big fires last year. Flying VFR at low altitudes was impossible due to smoke. I didn't want to fly through the smoke, so I ruled out filing IFR. I departed TOA to the south toward AVX, then made the northbound turn over the class B when I was high enough. On my first call up the controller response was "I don't know who you are, standby".
Once he figured out what I was doing he called back with a different attitude. By the time he handed me off, we had a "good relationship"

I don't think there is anything wrong with ATC or the airspace - legislatively

Its just habit.

Most GA pilots fly below, around, or in the LAX class B, so I think it catches controllers by surprise. Also, some may get the idea they control that airspace because most of the time they do.

Avoiding the airspace above the class B is what causes this problem so my view is opposite of what some are advocating. I say, fly over the class B whenever possible.

Avoiding legitimate airspace because it makes ATC uncomfortable, in my view, is a bad idea. Pretty soon there will be no place we can fly.

Use it or loose it.

 

[Ron Lee]

Steve, I do my part to use it. But also try to work with ATC when they want to play.

If I had to do it over again, I would fly the same route/altitude. I would clarify my intention to fly over Class B on initial callup.

 

[mannanj]

Doing????

I read somewhere that the controllers would appreciate VFR traffic to advise them on initial contact that they are "VFR". I guess it saves them time looking through their stack of IFR strips to see if they overlooked someone.