ACR LTT COMPLAINT ABOUT ATC HANDLING OPERATING IN AND OUT OF ACV.

Narrative

THE 2 SPECIFIC INCIDENTS DESCRIBED BELOW ARE INDICATIVE OR NORMAL OPS AT ACV DURING IMC CONDITIONS. ONE SPECIALIST IS PARTICULARLY BAD. WHILE ON THE ILS 32 TO ACV; I HEARD ACV FSS TELL ANOTHER COMPANY ACFT 'TAXI INTO POS AND HOLD AS SOON AS COMPANY (ME) CROSSES THE THRESHOLD SO WE CAN GET YOU RIGHT OUT.' THE CAPT OF THE OTHER ACFT ASKED ACV FSS IF THEY HAD THEIR CLRNC YET. THEY WERE TOLD THAT 'WE'RE WORKING ON IT.' AS WE CROSSED THE THRESHOLD; BEFORE WE HAD MADE GND CONTACT; ACV FSS ANNOUNCED 'LTT X WE'RE CANCELLING YOU OUT; LTT Z CLRED TO...' HE THEN ADDED 'CLRNC VOID IF NOT OFF IN 30 SECS.' WHEN WE TAXIED OUT FOR THE NEXT LEG; ACV FSS ASKED US IF WE COULD BE OFF IN 2 MINS OR LESS. THIS WAS LESS THAN 30 SECS INTO OUR TAXI. WE TOLD THEM PROBABLY NOT. 1-1 1/2 MINS LATER WE TOLD HIM WE WERE READY TO COPY OUR CLRNC. HE THEN GAVE US THE CLRNC WITH A VOID TIME IN 60 SECS. 60 SECS LATER OUR F/A WAS JUST SITTING DOWN. ACV FSS CANCELLED OUR CLRNC AT THAT POINT. SO; WE ASKED HIM TO GET US A NEW TIME. HE ALMOST IMMEDIATELY RESPONDED THAT WE NOW HAD ANOTHER 30 SECS TO GET OFF. ALL THE PLTS I TALK TO REQUEST THAT THEY BE GIVEN THE CLRNC WITH A HOLD FOR RELEASE. ACV FSS ALWAYS SAYS THEY WILL TRY; BUT ZSE WON'T DO THAT. I'VE TALKED TO ZSE AND THEY'VE SAID THAT THEY DON'T WITHHOLD ISSUING THE CLRNC BECAUSE OF A RELEASE. I FIND IT FRUSTRATING AND UNSAFE TO BE PUSHED LIKE THIS. WE NEED TIME TO SET UP THE RADIOS AND PLAN OUR DEP. W/O THE CLRNC WE CAN ONLY GUESS--AND WE ARE GOOD GUESSERS (FORTUNATELY)! MY POINTS ARE THESE: PLTS NEED TIME TO SET UP FOR DEP--ESPECIALLY IN IMC. 30-60 SECS IS NOT ENOUGH TIME TO SAFELY SET UP FOR DEP AND DEPART. AN FSS CANNOT NOR SHOULD THEY TRY TO CLR AN ACFT TO 'TAXI INTO POS AND HOLD.' AN FSS MUST WAIT FOR THE PLT'S CALL CANCELLING IFR BEFORE RELAYING THE MESSAGE TO ATC. HOWEVER; WHEN I'M SOLIDLY ON THE GND AND AM IN NO DANGER OF A GO AROUND; I DON'T MIND. I HAVE THE FEELING THAT THE STAFF OF ACV FSS; ESPECIALLY THE ONE SPECIALIST; ARE FRUSTRATED ATC CTLRS.