ATC Mischief

We had a lot of fun in Miami.  Yes we ate too much turkey but I also got to show my Dad the Baron and take a nature hike with the kids.  Heading North I figured I would get a new routing based on our trip down.  I was again surprised when I filed ARKES TRV V3 OMN and the computer said that's what I'll get.

When I called ground, he informed me that the computer had my expected route but he couldn't give that to me. the ARKES departure was no longer allowed.  I had to either file the Miami 8 or to SHANC.  He said I needed to refile, he couldn't do anything.  Usually the computer generates a new route if you file something it doesn't like or the controller will update it if they don't like it.  I was a bit taken aback, I have never been told that it is my problem to fix it or to re-file. 

Re-filing is not a big deal so I tried to take a shortcut. I filed HWO CRG. Usually the computer chuckles and says yeah right and puts in the correct route. Today it cleared me direct, maybe it was in a good mood after eating a bunch of turkey.  Ground called to tell me this and said no way... He also said I needed to file T208 after SHANC. Armed with a bit more knowledge and now familiar where they wanted me to go, I said give me a minute. I filed SHANC T208 SUUGR which the computer and ground liked and we were soon on our way.

Miami is getting interesting, for example to get our departure I needed to accept the Sheridan departure which is only found on one FAA website and as far as I can see not officially published.  Too many FAA secret handshakes if you ask me.  Also looking at it all again safe at home, the Miami8 is not very useful North bound as you are supposed to head over one of the VORs to the South (there is one over FLL but it then turns South). Also SHANC is not on the Miami8.

How are you supposed to know about the secret fix to file? I get it when you file your fantasy and the computer gives you reality. In this case the computer gave me what I filed but it is no longer usable?  The irony is that the final route is almost the same as the one I filed.  Just new fixes and names along the way.

A New Way

I have been flying to South Florida since at least the late 90s. You can file whatever route you like but for years it was a sure thing you would get OMN V3 MLB V437 BRIKL. basically down the coast to a Melbourne and then over the East edge of lake Okeechobee and then an intersection about 20 North of Miami.  This route kept you out of the Palm Beach and Fort Lauderdale traffic as well as under the big iron inbound to MIA. 

A few years back they got cute and changed it to OMN V3 TRV V51 PHK V437 BRIKL. This had you continuing 20 more miles on the coast before you headed to the lake. The odd thing is the computer had this new idea but every time I flew it, passing MLB I would be cleared to PHK which basically meant that even with the new route, you were still flying the old one.  

I was a bit surprise when I filed and got this: FOXAM T208 DIMBY LLNCH T345 MARKT. We are now in the GPS world and Victor airways seem passé to the computer. T routes are all the rage and defined by GPS not VORs. I was still unsure what I would really get, he computer has told me to expect one route and come time to copy my clearance and I get something else.

It’s sort of sad to not end at BRIKL. Mary and William Brickell were early Miami settlers that set up shop 150 years ago (1871) on what is now SE 5th and Brickell. Originally a swank area for the rich and then in the 80s a place for condos no one wanted, it is once again a playground for the young and a rich with great views and wall to wall condos which are highly sought after.

Tuesday was chilly and windy. As we warmed the engines I called ground and they gave me the new route, go GPS. on departure we got the standard 100 heading and departure gave us 10,000 before we got to our initial 3000 level off. Regular readers will know that we bucked 40 knot headwinds on our last trip. Today we had up to 40 on the tail. Yes a tailwind really does exist.

We also had mostly clear weather with just a few clouds offshore. The visibility was close to 100 miles looking down the coast but as we neared our destination there was some smoke off to the East.  As usual they made us come down earlier than I like but we still had 20 knots on the tail and with the new route, the controller let us go from MARKT direct FRDDY which is the initial to GPS 10R. 1R was in use so we expected a circle to land. As we turned final, we were at 2000, the plate had us maintain 1600 until the next fix but the controller gave us 1500 for traffic. This was a bit odd. as once you are on an approach you should follow the altitude guidance of the plate.  The controller can take you lower on vectors but then you are not on the approach.

I had the runway in sight so I asked if we could switch to the visual.  We were cleared for the visual which cleared up the altitude ambiguity and let us miss the other traffic. The wind was mostly down the runway at 15 so landing was easy and we had no issue turning off at our preferred taxiway at 1700 feet. We could have easily made the one at 1200 feet. I’ve been practicing.