Narrative:

*Reporter makes complaint of the airport at alb wherein vectors are unnecessarily long and prolonged, taking any planning away from flight crew and creating a high workload and delays. WX is sometimes encountered while on radar vectors which do not take into account the aircraft's speed but compensated by long vectors only. Reporter's flight was on a VFR flight plan and was planning a visual to another runway, other than the active runway. Tower would not approve and placed them on a vector, towards the WX they were trying to avoid. They busted a cleared to altitude of 6000 thinking 5000 had been given due to the confusion they felt existed. Pilot states that aircraft are taken well outside of the arsa and that after a 10 hour day this excessive coordination and vectoring is too much. In talking with controllers at the facility it is felt that they think the facility is mismanaged and have to await the retirement of the supervisor before things can change. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following: reporter states that he is in the pilot's union and is on the ATC committee. He has had meetings with the pilot group and the controller group re this situation. A systems analyst is now there at alb and feels the was the rest of them do, that the vectors are too excessive and that multiple runway use could facilitate traffic. Delays run as long as 7-8 minutes on the average due to vectors. The comment was made that the traffic seems to flow more easily and more accommodation is made when the 'chief' is off duty. A letter to the chief had been sent by the reporter but in his words was 'shot down'.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: EXCURSION FROM ASSIGNED ALT.

Narrative: *REPORTER MAKES COMPLAINT OF THE ARPT AT ALB WHEREIN VECTORS ARE UNNECESSARILY LONG AND PROLONGED, TAKING ANY PLANNING AWAY FROM FLT CREW AND CREATING A HIGH WORKLOAD AND DELAYS. WX IS SOMETIMES ENCOUNTERED WHILE ON RADAR VECTORS WHICH DO NOT TAKE INTO ACCOUNT THE ACFT'S SPEED BUT COMPENSATED BY LONG VECTORS ONLY. REPORTER'S FLT WAS ON A VFR FLT PLAN AND WAS PLANNING A VISUAL TO ANOTHER RWY, OTHER THAN THE ACTIVE RWY. TWR WOULD NOT APPROVE AND PLACED THEM ON A VECTOR, TOWARDS THE WX THEY WERE TRYING TO AVOID. THEY BUSTED A CLRED TO ALT OF 6000 THINKING 5000 HAD BEEN GIVEN DUE TO THE CONFUSION THEY FELT EXISTED. PLT STATES THAT ACFT ARE TAKEN WELL OUTSIDE OF THE ARSA AND THAT AFTER A 10 HR DAY THIS EXCESSIVE COORD AND VECTORING IS TOO MUCH. IN TALKING WITH CTLRS AT THE FAC IT IS FELT THAT THEY THINK THE FAC IS MISMANAGED AND HAVE TO AWAIT THE RETIREMENT OF THE SUPVR BEFORE THINGS CAN CHANGE. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH REPORTER REVEALED THE FOLLOWING: REPORTER STATES THAT HE IS IN THE PLT'S UNION AND IS ON THE ATC COMMITTEE. HE HAS HAD MEETINGS WITH THE PLT GROUP AND THE CTLR GROUP RE THIS SITUATION. A SYSTEMS ANALYST IS NOW THERE AT ALB AND FEELS THE WAS THE REST OF THEM DO, THAT THE VECTORS ARE TOO EXCESSIVE AND THAT MULTIPLE RWY USE COULD FACILITATE TFC. DELAYS RUN AS LONG AS 7-8 MINUTES ON THE AVERAGE DUE TO VECTORS. THE COMMENT WAS MADE THAT THE TFC SEEMS TO FLOW MORE EASILY AND MORE ACCOMMODATION IS MADE WHEN THE 'CHIEF' IS OFF DUTY. A LETTER TO THE CHIEF HAD BEEN SENT BY THE REPORTER BUT IN HIS WORDS WAS 'SHOT DOWN'.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of August 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.