Narrative:

After departure from west palm beach, fl, in an atx jet (with passenger aboard) and en route to phl at cruise altitude of 43,000' and still +/-400 mi from our destination, we were directed to descend to 37,000' as part of an early descent to our destination. Since such an early descent would have created a minimum fuel situation upon our arrival in the philadelphia area, we requested that the descent be at pilot's discretion and explained to the controller that we were a turbojet and not a fan jet and that the higher fuel consumption at lower altitudes would be a problem and that in lieu of having to make a premature stop for fuel we would prefer to inform ATC of a revised plan wherein we would cancel IFR at 18,000' in our descent into phl in hopes that such action would relieve ATC of a problem in handling us with a normal descent instead of the premature one ATC wanted. We also informed ATC that we could change our destination to jfk, follow that descent profile to below 18,000' at which point we would cancel IFR and proceed to phl VFR as another means to accomplish the same goal. ATC then reclred us to maintain 41,000' and handed us off to the next controller, that sector then cleared us to jfk with new routing. When we were ready to begin our descent to jfk we relayed to the controller our intent to cancel IFR thru 18,000' and to proceed to phl VFR, he replied that he had no time for this 'damned nonsense' and that he was going to report us to the FAA. We explained to him that our flight planning for fuel requirements was based upon following the normal descent profile called for on the published STAR including a normal departure from cruise altitude and that if other requirements were published or known to us, we would have planned accordingly. He then told us to maintain radio silence, descend below 18,000', squawk 1200 and leave the frequency. We continued VFR, received a TCA clearance and landed at philadelphia with proper fuel reserves. We recommend that ATC personnel be informed of the various capabilities of different types of jet aircraft especially non-fanjet types and that unreasonable demands not be imposed unnecessarily on aircraft in flight, that either allowances be made for fuel critical aircraft or that information be published that would alert flight crews of such aircraft that other than normal restrictions apply along specific routes, so that flight crews can plan accordingly.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PLT OF SMT JET OBJECTS TO SO CALLED EARLY DESCENT BECAUSE OF FUEL PENALTY ON HIS PARTICULAR ACFT.

Narrative: AFTER DEP FROM WEST PALM BEACH, FL, IN AN ATX JET (WITH PAX ABOARD) AND ENRTE TO PHL AT CRUISE ALT OF 43,000' AND STILL +/-400 MI FROM OUR DEST, WE WERE DIRECTED TO DSND TO 37,000' AS PART OF AN EARLY DSCNT TO OUR DEST. SINCE SUCH AN EARLY DSCNT WOULD HAVE CREATED A MINIMUM FUEL SITUATION UPON OUR ARR IN THE PHILADELPHIA AREA, WE REQUESTED THAT THE DSCNT BE AT PLT'S DISCRETION AND EXPLAINED TO THE CTLR THAT WE WERE A TURBOJET AND NOT A FAN JET AND THAT THE HIGHER FUEL CONSUMPTION AT LOWER ALTS WOULD BE A PROBLEM AND THAT IN LIEU OF HAVING TO MAKE A PREMATURE STOP FOR FUEL WE WOULD PREFER TO INFORM ATC OF A REVISED PLAN WHEREIN WE WOULD CANCEL IFR AT 18,000' IN OUR DSCNT INTO PHL IN HOPES THAT SUCH ACTION WOULD RELIEVE ATC OF A PROBLEM IN HANDLING US WITH A NORMAL DSCNT INSTEAD OF THE PREMATURE ONE ATC WANTED. WE ALSO INFORMED ATC THAT WE COULD CHANGE OUR DEST TO JFK, FOLLOW THAT DSCNT PROFILE TO BELOW 18,000' AT WHICH POINT WE WOULD CANCEL IFR AND PROCEED TO PHL VFR AS ANOTHER MEANS TO ACCOMPLISH THE SAME GOAL. ATC THEN RECLRED US TO MAINTAIN 41,000' AND HANDED US OFF TO THE NEXT CTLR, THAT SECTOR THEN CLRED US TO JFK WITH NEW ROUTING. WHEN WE WERE READY TO BEGIN OUR DSCNT TO JFK WE RELAYED TO THE CTLR OUR INTENT TO CANCEL IFR THRU 18,000' AND TO PROCEED TO PHL VFR, HE REPLIED THAT HE HAD NO TIME FOR THIS 'DAMNED NONSENSE' AND THAT HE WAS GOING TO REPORT US TO THE FAA. WE EXPLAINED TO HIM THAT OUR FLT PLANNING FOR FUEL REQUIREMENTS WAS BASED UPON FOLLOWING THE NORMAL DSCNT PROFILE CALLED FOR ON THE PUBLISHED STAR INCLUDING A NORMAL DEP FROM CRUISE ALT AND THAT IF OTHER REQUIREMENTS WERE PUBLISHED OR KNOWN TO US, WE WOULD HAVE PLANNED ACCORDINGLY. HE THEN TOLD US TO MAINTAIN RADIO SILENCE, DSND BELOW 18,000', SQUAWK 1200 AND LEAVE THE FREQ. WE CONTINUED VFR, RECEIVED A TCA CLRNC AND LANDED AT PHILADELPHIA WITH PROPER FUEL RESERVES. WE RECOMMEND THAT ATC PERSONNEL BE INFORMED OF THE VARIOUS CAPABILITIES OF DIFFERENT TYPES OF JET ACFT ESPECIALLY NON-FANJET TYPES AND THAT UNREASONABLE DEMANDS NOT BE IMPOSED UNNECESSARILY ON ACFT IN FLT, THAT EITHER ALLOWANCES BE MADE FOR FUEL CRITICAL ACFT OR THAT INFORMATION BE PUBLISHED THAT WOULD ALERT FLT CREWS OF SUCH ACFT THAT OTHER THAN NORMAL RESTRICTIONS APPLY ALONG SPECIFIC ROUTES, SO THAT FLT CREWS CAN PLAN ACCORDINGLY.

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.