Narrative:

I flew from ny to anchorage, ak, with another pilot in my small aircraft. Neither of us are high time pilots but we are both instrument rated. We arrived in anchorage on the 5TH afternoon, tired. Anchorage has numerous airports in the vicinity. We elected to head for international and informed the controller there, well in advance, that we were coming in from the north for landing. He told us to follow the east bank of the river and he would get back to us. He didn't. After waiting quite some time and feeling confused by all the airports we could see, we called and asked for a heading. The controller said to fly to lake hood, and then turn right at the post office. We both searched but could find neither lake hood nor the post office. I was at the controls, the other pilot who was working the radios, called and explained that we were from ny, and unfamiliar with the territory, and couldn't spot the lake let alone a post office, and again requested a heading. The controller then became very annoyed and rude and started lecturing us on the fact that we should land and get a map and find out where everything was in that area, and that everyone there knew where the post office was. We would have been happy to land but he still hadn't given us a heading and we were getting very close to the airport. After what seemed like an endless silence, the controller came back on the radio, and in a curt tone, gave us directions and told us on what runway to land. We did, grateful to be down, but angry at the treatment we had received. 2 days later, taking off from anchorage on the return journey, I was told by another controller to stay below 1200 ft until after I passed the 'peanut farm.' of course no peanut farm was visible to us. After informing the controller that we were strangers, he at least immediately told us which heading to fly and how long to stay below 1200 ft. I am writing not only to point out the first controller's rudeness, but because I believe these kinds of directions are downright dangerous. The first controller's refusal to help put us and perhaps other pilots in the air at risk. At no other airport is one directed to fly to a post office or a peanut farm, or any other local landmark. It is totally unprofessional. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following: the reporter stated she had written a letter to the FAA headquarters and had received a call and followup from the FAA facility. Reporter was informed by the analyst that in the future, flying into an unfamiliar airport, let the controller know you are not a local pilot. Reporter was informed it is standard for control towers to use local landmarks as reporting points. Reporter stated the controller was very busy.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ATC HANDLING CTLR BEHAVIOR UNPROFESSIONAL.

Narrative: I FLEW FROM NY TO ANCHORAGE, AK, WITH ANOTHER PLT IN MY SMA. NEITHER OF US ARE HIGH TIME PLTS BUT WE ARE BOTH INST RATED. WE ARRIVED IN ANCHORAGE ON THE 5TH AFTERNOON, TIRED. ANCHORAGE HAS NUMEROUS ARPTS IN THE VICINITY. WE ELECTED TO HEAD FOR INTL AND INFORMED THE CTLR THERE, WELL IN ADVANCE, THAT WE WERE COMING IN FROM THE N FOR LNDG. HE TOLD US TO FOLLOW THE E BANK OF THE RIVER AND HE WOULD GET BACK TO US. HE DIDN'T. AFTER WAITING QUITE SOME TIME AND FEELING CONFUSED BY ALL THE ARPTS WE COULD SEE, WE CALLED AND ASKED FOR A HDG. THE CTLR SAID TO FLY TO LAKE HOOD, AND THEN TURN R AT THE POST OFFICE. WE BOTH SEARCHED BUT COULD FIND NEITHER LAKE HOOD NOR THE POST OFFICE. I WAS AT THE CTLS, THE OTHER PLT WHO WAS WORKING THE RADIOS, CALLED AND EXPLAINED THAT WE WERE FROM NY, AND UNFAMILIAR WITH THE TERRITORY, AND COULDN'T SPOT THE LAKE LET ALONE A POST OFFICE, AND AGAIN REQUESTED A HDG. THE CTLR THEN BECAME VERY ANNOYED AND RUDE AND STARTED LECTURING US ON THE FACT THAT WE SHOULD LAND AND GET A MAP AND FIND OUT WHERE EVERYTHING WAS IN THAT AREA, AND THAT EVERYONE THERE KNEW WHERE THE POST OFFICE WAS. WE WOULD HAVE BEEN HAPPY TO LAND BUT HE STILL HADN'T GIVEN US A HDG AND WE WERE GETTING VERY CLOSE TO THE ARPT. AFTER WHAT SEEMED LIKE AN ENDLESS SILENCE, THE CTLR CAME BACK ON THE RADIO, AND IN A CURT TONE, GAVE US DIRECTIONS AND TOLD US ON WHAT RWY TO LAND. WE DID, GRATEFUL TO BE DOWN, BUT ANGRY AT THE TREATMENT WE HAD RECEIVED. 2 DAYS LATER, TAKING OFF FROM ANCHORAGE ON THE RETURN JOURNEY, I WAS TOLD BY ANOTHER CTLR TO STAY BELOW 1200 FT UNTIL AFTER I PASSED THE 'PEANUT FARM.' OF COURSE NO PEANUT FARM WAS VISIBLE TO US. AFTER INFORMING THE CTLR THAT WE WERE STRANGERS, HE AT LEAST IMMEDIATELY TOLD US WHICH HDG TO FLY AND HOW LONG TO STAY BELOW 1200 FT. I AM WRITING NOT ONLY TO POINT OUT THE FIRST CTLR'S RUDENESS, BUT BECAUSE I BELIEVE THESE KINDS OF DIRECTIONS ARE DOWNRIGHT DANGEROUS. THE FIRST CTLR'S REFUSAL TO HELP PUT US AND PERHAPS OTHER PLTS IN THE AIR AT RISK. AT NO OTHER ARPT IS ONE DIRECTED TO FLY TO A POST OFFICE OR A PEANUT FARM, OR ANY OTHER LCL LANDMARK. IT IS TOTALLY UNPROFESSIONAL. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH REPORTER REVEALED THE FOLLOWING: THE RPTR STATED SHE HAD WRITTEN A LETTER TO THE FAA HEADQUARTERS AND HAD RECEIVED A CALL AND FOLLOWUP FROM THE FAA FACILITY. RPTR WAS INFORMED BY THE ANALYST THAT IN THE FUTURE, FLYING INTO AN UNFAMILIAR ARPT, LET THE CTLR KNOW YOU ARE NOT A LCL PLT. RPTR WAS INFORMED IT IS STANDARD FOR CTL TWRS TO USE LCL LANDMARKS AS RPTING POINTS. RPTR STATED THE CTLR WAS VERY BUSY.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 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.