Daddy! What did you do?!!!

On Aug 25, 12:40 am, EridanMan wrote:
Wow, ok, I think this might almost be worth an entirely new thread
but...

"With Request".

I have heard repeatedly, from multiple instructors and fellow pilots,
that this is a major pet-peeve of ATC, and unless they are in a good
mood, almost guarantees that they will simply dismiss you as a "Timid
weekend flyer" (Not my words, please don't kill the messenger!!)

Generally I would take such advice with a grain of salt, if it weren't
for the large variety of (in my opinion) very skilled, experienced,
and professional pilots who had all provided the _EXACT_ same advice:

(and from now on, I'm paraphrasing)

They all say the same thing... "With request" is akin to "asking for
advice", I.E. "I'm not sure if I need X service or not, so I'm going
to take your airtime and ask you if your willing to give it to me...
But its not that important".

I really don't care what a controller thinks of me. In fact, he should
be more concerned about what I think of him. I am the customer, not
him, and the customer is always right. If he wants me to talk to him
then he can put up with my idisyncracies or he can quit being a
controller, because I really don't need him.

You get some controllers who blather on forever and you can't get a
word in edgewise. In such a case, I am not going to initiate my call
with some long request. I am going to wait until he has time to take
my request. There is nothing wrong with saying "with request" in such
a case.

Methinks too many pilots are a little too self-conscious when dealing
with authority, forgetting that they are the pilot in command. I don't
have a need to impress controllers with my ability.