Narrative:

Flying VFR with flight following from ZME when the controller came on the radio and said in a disgusted tone, 'aircraft X if you are not going to listen up I will not provide you with RA's, you never called in on your last frequency change and you just acknowledged a frequency change for another aircraft. I just don't have time for this sort of thing.' I did report on the last frequency change and the controller did not acknowledge my call. Additionally, when there are several aircraft on the frequency with similar call signs, it should be understandable how a radio call sign can be confused. My point here is not to excuse my actions which may have been something short of perfect, but to point out that when controllers lose their patience and start criticizing people over the radio they jeopardize safety. By jeopardizing safety, I mean that pilots that either encounter this sort of behavior or that may be listening on the frequency may avoid using RA's in the future to enhance air safety. I am an active flight instructor and I teach my students to use the VFR RA service whenever possible. There's no doubt in my mind, that should one of them encounter the air rage conduct of a similar controller, that they would be very reluctant to ever try it again. That would be to the detriment of all of us in the airspace. Recommendation: ensure controllers understand the long term safety impact of losing their patience with VFR flight following pilots and barking at them on the radio.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: VFR C182 PLT EXPRESSED CONCERN REGARDING ZME CTLR PERFORMANCE AND ATTITUDE.

Narrative: FLYING VFR WITH FLT FOLLOWING FROM ZME WHEN THE CTLR CAME ON THE RADIO AND SAID IN A DISGUSTED TONE, 'ACFT X IF YOU ARE NOT GOING TO LISTEN UP I WILL NOT PROVIDE YOU WITH RA'S, YOU NEVER CALLED IN ON YOUR LAST FREQ CHANGE AND YOU JUST ACKNOWLEDGED A FREQ CHANGE FOR ANOTHER ACFT. I JUST DON'T HAVE TIME FOR THIS SORT OF THING.' I DID RPT ON THE LAST FREQ CHANGE AND THE CTLR DID NOT ACKNOWLEDGE MY CALL. ADDITIONALLY, WHEN THERE ARE SEVERAL ACFT ON THE FREQ WITH SIMILAR CALL SIGNS, IT SHOULD BE UNDERSTANDABLE HOW A RADIO CALL SIGN CAN BE CONFUSED. MY POINT HERE IS NOT TO EXCUSE MY ACTIONS WHICH MAY HAVE BEEN SOMETHING SHORT OF PERFECT, BUT TO POINT OUT THAT WHEN CTLRS LOSE THEIR PATIENCE AND START CRITICIZING PEOPLE OVER THE RADIO THEY JEOPARDIZE SAFETY. BY JEOPARDIZING SAFETY, I MEAN THAT PLTS THAT EITHER ENCOUNTER THIS SORT OF BEHAVIOR OR THAT MAY BE LISTENING ON THE FREQ MAY AVOID USING RA'S IN THE FUTURE TO ENHANCE AIR SAFETY. I AM AN ACTIVE FLT INSTRUCTOR AND I TEACH MY STUDENTS TO USE THE VFR RA SVC WHENEVER POSSIBLE. THERE'S NO DOUBT IN MY MIND, THAT SHOULD ONE OF THEM ENCOUNTER THE AIR RAGE CONDUCT OF A SIMILAR CTLR, THAT THEY WOULD BE VERY RELUCTANT TO EVER TRY IT AGAIN. THAT WOULD BE TO THE DETRIMENT OF ALL OF US IN THE AIRSPACE. RECOMMENDATION: ENSURE CTLRS UNDERSTAND THE LONG TERM SAFETY IMPACT OF LOSING THEIR PATIENCE WITH VFR FLT FOLLOWING PLTS AND BARKING AT THEM ON THE RADIO.

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.