Narrative:

I am reporting to you in the interest of safety. On the day in question, I filed a local IFR flight plan for the purpose of maintaining currency and proficiency under instrument flight rules (practice approachs). Upon requesting my clearance, ground control told me that they would not allow practice approachs today because of 'short staffing.' this has happened to me several times in the past, but this is the first report I've filed for this situation. I am getting fed up with this and something needs to be done. I usually choose to fly on weekends so I don't have to mix it up with the airline and corporate traffic in and out of this airport, this usually causes delays either for them or myself. The part that makes this more interesting is the fact that I was willing to fly up to the cleveland area and practice there, however, when I got there they also told me I could not practice approachs in their airspace. I consider myself a reasonable individual, but what do I have to do to stay current, fly halfway across the country to an approach control that actually would like to provide a service and do their job! Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter said he has been in contact with and has a good rapport with the facility. Reporter stated he is aware of the problem of staffing as it was explained to him but indicated something must be done to provide for overtime when circumstances require more shift coverage. Reporter said since filing the report he has not had the problem but indicated it would probably occur again. Reporter indicated a reluctance to stir the pot by going to the region or washington about the staffing overtime problem.

Related reports:

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: RPTR ALLEGED THE FACILITY WOULD NOT ALLOW PRACTICE APCHS DUE TO SHORT STAFFING.

Narrative: I AM RPTING TO YOU IN THE INTEREST OF SAFETY. ON THE DAY IN QUESTION, I FILED A LCL IFR FLT PLAN FOR THE PURPOSE OF MAINTAINING CURRENCY AND PROFICIENCY UNDER INST FLT RULES (PRACTICE APCHS). UPON REQUESTING MY CLRNC, GND CTL TOLD ME THAT THEY WOULD NOT ALLOW PRACTICE APCHS TODAY BECAUSE OF 'SHORT STAFFING.' THIS HAS HAPPENED TO ME SEVERAL TIMES IN THE PAST, BUT THIS IS THE FIRST RPT I'VE FILED FOR THIS SIT. I AM GETTING FED UP WITH THIS AND SOMETHING NEEDS TO BE DONE. I USUALLY CHOOSE TO FLY ON WEEKENDS SO I DON'T HAVE TO MIX IT UP WITH THE AIRLINE AND CORPORATE TFC IN AND OUT OF THIS ARPT, THIS USUALLY CAUSES DELAYS EITHER FOR THEM OR MYSELF. THE PART THAT MAKES THIS MORE INTERESTING IS THE FACT THAT I WAS WILLING TO FLY UP TO THE CLEVELAND AREA AND PRACTICE THERE, HOWEVER, WHEN I GOT THERE THEY ALSO TOLD ME I COULD NOT PRACTICE APCHS IN THEIR AIRSPACE. I CONSIDER MYSELF A REASONABLE INDIVIDUAL, BUT WHAT DO I HAVE TO DO TO STAY CURRENT, FLY HALFWAY ACROSS THE COUNTRY TO AN APCH CTL THAT ACTUALLY WOULD LIKE TO PROVIDE A SVC AND DO THEIR JOB! CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR SAID HE HAS BEEN IN CONTACT WITH AND HAS A GOOD RAPPORT WITH THE FACILITY. RPTR STATED HE IS AWARE OF THE PROB OF STAFFING AS IT WAS EXPLAINED TO HIM BUT INDICATED SOMETHING MUST BE DONE TO PROVIDE FOR OVERTIME WHEN CIRCUMSTANCES REQUIRE MORE SHIFT COVERAGE. RPTR SAID SINCE FILING THE RPT HE HAS NOT HAD THE PROB BUT INDICATED IT WOULD PROBABLY OCCUR AGAIN. RPTR INDICATED A RELUCTANCE TO STIR THE POT BY GOING TO THE REGION OR WASHINGTON ABOUT THE STAFFING OVERTIME PROB.

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.