Maybe a report from someone like you is just what they are waiting for so they have an excuse to take action?
I like your optimism there!
You can always depend on it 
The problem is same in any large organisation. Probably 99% of ATCOs (in N Europe at least) are completely professional. This is way above the “corporate standard”. But if there is a bad one, then clearly nobody is doing anything about him, presumably because they can’t, or don’t want to, or it’s too expensive to do it so management doesn’t want to tackle it. It is certain that all his colleagues know all about it.
IMHO, phoning the guy, or the unit, apart from being difficult due to numbers not published, will achieve nothing because he knows what he is doing and won’t change, and if you call the unit they will close ranks.
I like your optimism there! 
I think the minimum one should do is file a mandatory occurrence report, which is better than doing nothing at all.
More details here: https://www.skybrary.aero/index.php/Mandatory_Occurrence_Reporting
Today we had one more RTF conversation with München Radar that is unbelievable. There was a forecast about embedded CBs. We were just handed over by Vienna and were on an avoidance heading at FL200. The Munich ATCO sent us back towards the clouds. We requested 20 degrees to the right. The ATCO asked for the the exact position of the CB. We replied that we’re not radar equipped and have to stay out of the clouds. He asked if we are IFR licensed. Affirm. Then he asked if we speak German. Affirm. He said to us in German, that it makes life form him very hard if we have to avoid every CB all the way to Mannheim. We replied that we need avoid anyway. He gave in and handed us over shortly after.
I ask my self what is this guy doing for a day job?
@Terbang it must have been the same guy I got here. Most people missed that thread because it was yet another trip report…
Completely out of order…
Sadly the video doesn’t have ATC sound track on it. The combination of the video and the audio would have been quite amazing. I put a comment in that video at around the right location. He was the last Munich frequency before the handover to Vienna so that probably narrows it right down. Everybody in his office will know exactly who it is.
IMHO, phoning the guy, or the unit, apart from being difficult due to numbers not published, will achieve nothing because he knows what he is doing and won’t change, and if you call the unit they will close ranks.
“One is only boss in their own house…”
Actually that is what I got as reply when want to avoid rain while IFR in Bristol CAS going to Cardiff: find your way OCAS then ask by yourself again for entry to others zone but it was put in a nice way than ARC reply to the OP
From what I inderstand if you are happy to go for lower levels (mostly vacant for ifr or vfr) then you can fly any heading you like…
ATC can allow almost anything in their area of responsibility. But when you are heading towards another sector they must try and coordinate something with the guy/girl working that sector.
One is only boss in their own house…
May I just say that though I do not fly IFR, on the occasions I have had weather issues VFR, almost without exception, ATC have been VERY helpful. Generally allowing access to airspace without restriction, often when having previously been given specific routings or even asking to remain clear, those instructions have gone straight out of the window pretty much immediately, replaced with variations of “Do what you want now, tell me if you need x, y or z”…
Regards, SD..
bookworm wrote:
While on the one hand, it’s appropriate to expect a certain amount of flexibility from ATC, as one gets with convective weather, I would suggest that you not expect ATC to rearrange the entire traffic flow of W Europe to give you the routing you require to avoid icing at your planned levels.
I agree with that and didn’t want to be brisk and say it so directly (austrians are too diplomatic hehe).
When requesting heading avoidance I always try my best in estimating for how long, based on what I see and what I get on ADL. The estimates are always “at least 30 miles” or more – this gives you some room (10 minutes or so) to re-evaluate the situation and ATCO has some additional info on your intentions. I don’t remember I’ve ever been declined when asking weather avoidance (climb, descent or heading).
Yesterday I was flying in Turkey on usual spring day close to Black Sea – which means a lot of build-ups with their tops rising during the day, starting at FL120 at 10 a.m. though FL200 at 1 p.m. and exceeding FL300 later. Is it possible to make visual avoidance? Yes. Is it smart to enter embedded stuff? No.
Take a look on attached pictures (no radar coverage of Turkey on ADL, only IR), taken at FL180. You can guess the size of the cell – it was visible from FL180 but flying lower it was embedded.
I think everyone would do well to remember that ATC has two jobs to do, and in that order: keeping aircraft at a safe distance from each other, and to provide a safe and expeditious route so people can fly where they want.
ATC decides what is required for separation, and the crew decides what is safe and expeditious.
So as a pilot, I should normally avoid second guessing the controller – I don’t know hat else is going on beyond what I can hear on frequency.
And controllers should avoid second guessing crew. They don’t know what is going on in the cockpit.
