Narrative:

First of all, you can probably just file this whole report under 'complaining/bitching pilot.' I received a clearance from san-lax this month which I found to be very confusing and not user (pilot) friendly at all. I was captain on flight from san-lax on dec/xx/97, flying an airbus A320. Due to WX and winds, we were departing to the east at san and landing to the east at lax. (These 2 items alone should probably be an emergency procedure!) our first clearance for takeoff to the west was canceled and we back-taxied for takeoff on runway 9 at san. Our new clearance was '...cleared via the lnsay departure to intercept the sli 148 degree radial, to the vtu 114 degree radial, to V8, to tandy...squawk, altimeter....' for only a 26 min flight (107 mi) I thought this was an excessive amount of radial intercepts and turns. The A320 (as most romeo equipped aircraft) can easily load waypoints into the FMS, but not user friendly with a clearance such as this. I asked to 'go direct from harbr (on sli 148 degree radial) to tandy' but was denied. This 'direct' routing would have paralleled the original clearance by approximately 3 mi. Rather than taking an excessive amount of time trying to load this flight plan, we flew it manually without use of the FMS. The WX was marginal (always is when you have other problems!) and our means of flying was safe, but very busy (confusing?) for such a very short flight. I also heard no other aircraft on the frequency until handed off to lax approach control, so traffic was not a factor. This flight of 26 mins required us to use the following charts/maps to properly identify all the points and routing: lnsay 1, lo-altitude chart 5/6, ocean 1, and lax approach ILS runway 7R. Here comes my main beef! (Finally) -- most of the waypoints shown on any of these pages are not shown on any others! I have no idea why there has to be so many different waypoints for all the sids, victor rts, and arrs in this area. FAA definitely needs to be able to coordinate a better routing, especially when working romeo equipped aircraft. There was a lot of media press given to the workload of the air carrier flight at cali and the confusion of the aircrew using a glass cockpit. I don't think pilots are getting lazier (already are) or not as competent as the 'I remember when' days, but flying 'glass' does require a different mindset. It would be much safer if FAA realized this fact and took measures to update the system or eliminate some of the reasons for confusion and excessive workload that is not required.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLC OF A320 COMPLAINS OF ROUTING ON SHORT FLT WHICH REQUIRES REPROGRAMMING THE FMS. THEY FLEW MANUALLY INSTEAD OF REPROGRAMMING.

Narrative: FIRST OF ALL, YOU CAN PROBABLY JUST FILE THIS WHOLE RPT UNDER 'COMPLAINING/BITCHING PLT.' I RECEIVED A CLRNC FROM SAN-LAX THIS MONTH WHICH I FOUND TO BE VERY CONFUSING AND NOT USER (PLT) FRIENDLY AT ALL. I WAS CAPT ON FLT FROM SAN-LAX ON DEC/XX/97, FLYING AN AIRBUS A320. DUE TO WX AND WINDS, WE WERE DEPARTING TO THE E AT SAN AND LNDG TO THE E AT LAX. (THESE 2 ITEMS ALONE SHOULD PROBABLY BE AN EMER PROC!) OUR FIRST CLRNC FOR TKOF TO THE W WAS CANCELED AND WE BACK-TAXIED FOR TKOF ON RWY 9 AT SAN. OUR NEW CLRNC WAS '...CLRED VIA THE LNSAY DEP TO INTERCEPT THE SLI 148 DEG RADIAL, TO THE VTU 114 DEG RADIAL, TO V8, TO TANDY...SQUAWK, ALTIMETER....' FOR ONLY A 26 MIN FLT (107 MI) I THOUGHT THIS WAS AN EXCESSIVE AMOUNT OF RADIAL INTERCEPTS AND TURNS. THE A320 (AS MOST ROMEO EQUIPPED ACFT) CAN EASILY LOAD WAYPOINTS INTO THE FMS, BUT NOT USER FRIENDLY WITH A CLRNC SUCH AS THIS. I ASKED TO 'GO DIRECT FROM HARBR (ON SLI 148 DEG RADIAL) TO TANDY' BUT WAS DENIED. THIS 'DIRECT' ROUTING WOULD HAVE PARALLELED THE ORIGINAL CLRNC BY APPROX 3 MI. RATHER THAN TAKING AN EXCESSIVE AMOUNT OF TIME TRYING TO LOAD THIS FLT PLAN, WE FLEW IT MANUALLY WITHOUT USE OF THE FMS. THE WX WAS MARGINAL (ALWAYS IS WHEN YOU HAVE OTHER PROBS!) AND OUR MEANS OF FLYING WAS SAFE, BUT VERY BUSY (CONFUSING?) FOR SUCH A VERY SHORT FLT. I ALSO HEARD NO OTHER ACFT ON THE FREQ UNTIL HANDED OFF TO LAX APCH CTL, SO TFC WAS NOT A FACTOR. THIS FLT OF 26 MINS REQUIRED US TO USE THE FOLLOWING CHARTS/MAPS TO PROPERLY IDENT ALL THE POINTS AND ROUTING: LNSAY 1, LO-ALT CHART 5/6, OCEAN 1, AND LAX APCH ILS RWY 7R. HERE COMES MY MAIN BEEF! (FINALLY) -- MOST OF THE WAYPOINTS SHOWN ON ANY OF THESE PAGES ARE NOT SHOWN ON ANY OTHERS! I HAVE NO IDEA WHY THERE HAS TO BE SO MANY DIFFERENT WAYPOINTS FOR ALL THE SIDS, VICTOR RTS, AND ARRS IN THIS AREA. FAA DEFINITELY NEEDS TO BE ABLE TO COORDINATE A BETTER ROUTING, ESPECIALLY WHEN WORKING ROMEO EQUIPPED ACFT. THERE WAS A LOT OF MEDIA PRESS GIVEN TO THE WORKLOAD OF THE ACR FLT AT CALI AND THE CONFUSION OF THE AIRCREW USING A GLASS COCKPIT. I DON'T THINK PLTS ARE GETTING LAZIER (ALREADY ARE) OR NOT AS COMPETENT AS THE 'I REMEMBER WHEN' DAYS, BUT FLYING 'GLASS' DOES REQUIRE A DIFFERENT MINDSET. IT WOULD BE MUCH SAFER IF FAA REALIZED THIS FACT AND TOOK MEASURES TO UPDATE THE SYS OR ELIMINATE SOME OF THE REASONS FOR CONFUSION AND EXCESSIVE WORKLOAD THAT IS NOT REQUIRED.

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.