ACR LTT TRACK DEVIATION AND ALT EXCURSION DUE TO FLT CREW MISINTERP OF APCH CTLR COM.

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AFTER ASKING FOR CLRNC TO A VISUAL APCH; FORT SMITH APCH CTL'S ONLY ANSWER WAS; 'ROGER.' WE WERE #2 FOR LNDG AT THIS TIME; AND WITH THE APPARENT CLRNC FOR A VISUAL; BEGAN A LEFT TURN TO BRING OUR ACFT ONTO BASE LEG. AT THIS POINT APCH CTLR BARKED OUT TO US; 'TURN RIGHT; HDG 060 DEGS; MAINTAIN 3000' MSL !!' AGAIN WE ASKED; THIS TIME FOR CLARIFICATION PURPOSES; 'ARE WE NOT CLRED FOR THE VISUAL;' AND ALSO STATED THE #1 LNDG TFC WAS IN SIGHT. THIS CTLR'S RESPONSE WAS; 'JUST BECAUSE I SAID 'ROGER;' DID NOT MEAN 'AFFIRMATIVE'.' AGAIN; CLRNC FOR THE VISUAL APCH WAS ISSUED; AND WAS SET TO TWR. LNDG MADE WITH NO FURTHER INCIDENT. I FEEL THAT 'ROGER' AND 'AFFIRMATIVE' HAVE BEEN ALLOWED TO PASS FOR THE SAME PURPOSE FOR MANY; MANY YRS; AND CANNOT THINK BACK ON ANOTHER INCIDENT WHERE I MISTOOK THE INTENT OF A 'ROGERED' OR 'AFFIRMED' CLRNC. FORT SMITH OBVIOUSLY USES CTLRS WITH VERY LITTLE EXPERIENCE AT THE SCOPE; AND WHEN RUSHED OR PRESSURED BY MULTIPLE TFC THEY SAY THINGS THAT THEY DON'T MEAN; ARE NOT LEGAL; OR AT THE VERY LEAST VERY DIFFICULT AND FRUSTRATING TO COMPLY WITH. HAVE NO ANSWERS TO THIS; OTHER THAN WHEN FLYING THROUGH AREAS THAT WE KNOW HAVE TRNEES AT THE SCOPE; JUST THROW THE SCHEDULE OUT THE WINDOW; SLOW DOWN AND LISTEN; LISTEN; LISTEN. A LOT OF IT WILL GIVE A YOU A GOOD LAUGH! BUT; WHERE DO WE COMPLAIN WHEN SAFETY IS COMPROMISED BY A CTLR WHO DOESN'T KNOW WHAT TO SAY? CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING: RPTR COUNSELED ON PHRASEOLOGY AND THAT CTLR COULD NOT GIVE A CLRNC WITH JUST A ROGER OR AFFIRMATIVE. HE STATED THIS WAS JUST 1 EXAMPLE AND THAT THEY HAVE HAD OTHER NON STANDARD COM AT FSM. THEIR CHIEF PLT HAS TALKED WITH THE SUPVR AT FSM AND THEY ARE WORKING WITH THE TRNEES AND THE SITUATION HAS IMPROVED.