CLT North Ramp
 

Is it just me or is Jimmy starting to lose it?

He's been goin nuts the past few weeks, he's giving instructions to sometimes as many as 3 or 4 aircraft at a time without pausing for acknowledgement. He's a good guy, but I get the feeling he could use a vacation. It seems I'm hearing that sentiment from a few guys I've been working with lately too.

This Jimmy guy must be quite the character down there. I've only been to CLT once so far and had to hold on the north ramp because, shockingly, we had a wheels up for JFK. Anyway while sitting there listening to the ramp I was amused at how many people simply referred to him as "Jimmy" over the freq. He was doing a solid job though getting all the Express aircraft in and out.

Well when they find another person to pick up his off time, then yeah, but until then we owe it to the guy for workin hard, and appreciating the importance of moving a/c around. Remember they cant see but a few areas of the ramp, and thats through cameras. There is a method to his madness.

Yeah i've noticed it too.
But just the other day he sent us to 18L when we were supposed to go to 18R. And then 18R when we were suppose to go to 18L. Ground corrected us and told us to go to the other runway both times. This happened on the same day too. Not that i really cared but still...

Shouldn't you have known which runway you should be going to, based on your SID transition? Things that make you go hmmmmm.

Yeah Jimmy is a nice guy but he just needs to simply give the instructions and quit trying to micro manage everything so much. That would take alot of the hassle away from the job. The entire ramp system in CLT is poorly ran. They need to just hire a crew to that does only ramp control.

Having seperate freqs for inbound and outbound ramp on the main side is a PITA as well. I'd like to hear what the guy going in the other direction is doing at Charladelphia.

I used to be in and out of CLT quite a bit, now i'm mostly up north. Hillbilly Philly has become such a pain that i was happy to spend my time in LGA. The ramps, North and South have a horrible layout and people driving in and out of everywhere doesn't help. CLT has become quite the charlie foxtrot.

I love when jimmy comes up to the cockpit and says howdy, he looks like a trucker.

Uhhh your transition doesn't tell you what runway you'll take off on. You have to guess based on which direction you'll be flying. In which case we did but i already explained all that.

We just started using new RNAV departures, so that is most likely why Jimmy is getting confused on what runways to send people to.

Frankly I don't need to read back a ramp instruction unless I'm confused. There are some of the controllers that will not issue an instruction without first saying your call sign, then waiting on your to respond.

(blue streak 321....Yea go ahead for bluestreak 328)
Grrrr, I'm here just spit it out.

I'll take Jimmy at his worse, over any of the others at their best. (Except for one mainline ramp guy, who even Jimmy looks up to.)

Things seem to have gotten better now that RPA is on the mainline side.

Why do you say that? Jimmy is a cool guy, but that north ramp is the most unprofessional place I've ever had to deal with. Does anybody over 12 fly for PSA? I'm all for having fun at work, but sometimes it's embarassing to listen to what goes on over there.

I have NO ideal what the hell you're talking about...:rolleyes:

The people at PSA are 12.
Republic stops 100FT short of where they are told to holding up everything.
MESA is constantly on North Ramp calling in their times. (and Lieing about them)
Main Line does what ever the heck they feel like i.e. cutting people off and not responding to ramp when they are called on it.
Peidmont yells at others on the radio for being in their way.
JetBlue has no idea what is going on EVER
Luftansa departure is times just perfectly to back up both sides of the ramp when they push.
The rampers drive the baggage carts in front of moving aircraft.
Besides Jimmy ramp controllers have no idea what is going on. I was told to "Follow that CRJ over there".
I am just waiting for another two planes to bend metal on the ramp.

Jimmmmmmmmmmmmay and the BBQ joint in the main food court are the only redeeming things about CLT. Well, those and Jamba Juice. And Starbucks every 200 or so yards.

That ramp is a major Charlie Fox. AWAC pilots wondering why the F nobody is taxing on the yellow lines, Piedmont guys taxing Dashes at Southwest speed around the horn on the NE side, PSA pilots going BLUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUE every flipping chance they get and Republic guys absolutely lost when they were thrown right into the fire at the bottom of the alley. That and you automatically make 15 extra minutes anytime a heavy is parked on the corner of D and wants to park or push.

Not to knock your rant awtoo115 but Republic got out of that north ramp death trap! Mesa runs in an out of those horrible E gates. Ever wonder why people don't like it up there, because the instructions come from children trapped in adult bodies. To set the record straight even the north ramp is considered uncontrolled which means if I am bigger I do what I want....as long as not careless and reckless that is!

lol i'm doing that next time i fly just for you! :p

I haven't been to Hillbilly Philly since early November, but knock yourself out...

Oh btw, does everyone realize that we're paid by the minute? every second counts boys and girls, i dunno about you but i gots bills to pay

Yea I used to get aggravated at the whole design of the N. Ramp. (the real problem is lack of pavement).

Now I just sit back, relax, and watch the circus.

Yeah i don't understand why some CA's get so ****ed!?!?!?!?:confused:

The place is a mess... but it can be fun at times. I used to hate when we had to park the 170 on E 13 and use stairs, when the very next gate had a CRJ hooked up to a jetway... don't take this the wrong way guys, but that did not make much sense. Now we are "blocking the yard" on the other side (laughs).

You are right, that never did make any sense to me.

Nor does it make any sense to give a CRJ 200 a Jetway over a 700 or 900. The steps on the 700/900 are super steep.

I had heard we were damaging jetways due to the height they had to go to for the 170s. That might be why the lower jets get the jetways at times.

That is correct.

That takes me back to the good ol' billy madison days, life was simpler then, Chris Farly roamed the earth and people liked the counting crows....

clt wants to be a big boy airport. they should really try to go back to the basics and it would make things a lot better

Absolutely. I'm amazed that Mesa does just fine with their 747s on the north ramp but RPA's A380s were just unable fit anywhere up there. That's why they held short of the spots by 100 yards and were unable to leave the yellow line.. :rolleyes:

Entertaining to see those morons raising dad's blood pressure on the mainline gates now in passing.

Long live Jimmy. He knows how to get er done.

except mesa.

i love parking on 16-18...money makin gates! acars the out time, sit back and relax while everyone taxiis around behind you

If you had an "interaction" with another airplane (like the A320 in DCA and IAD), you can bet you will be hung up if you are the one off the yellow line. CLT's ramp is the wild west at times. I've seen a -900 edge the nose in traffic just like an aggressive merge in rush hour. It can be done, but sooner or later someone is going to rub paint. Of course CLT is NASCAR country and rubbin's racin'.

:confused:

Anyway, if CLT is so bad then what the hell do you poindexters do on a slammed in day at LaGuardia? The only paint that's going to get rubbed is when you're blocking the yard and forcing planes to squeeze around you.

JetBlue, mainline, and even a freaking Lufthansa A340 handle the north ramp just fine in one of the most congested areas. We're glad you all are gone.

What the real problem in CLT is getting your clearance. They really need two people working the clearances one to find the clearance and one to spit it out. It seems like it takes 15 minutes or longer to get a clearance in CLT.

Not a fan of taxiing from Wilson to 18R the other day. Had about 3 changes in the taxi route to join #10 for takeoff. Glad I didn't have to deal with ramp as there were RJs going in and out every minute. Oh well, get to go back next week.

What CLT really needs is pilots to just read back the squak code like it tells you to do in the ATIS.

You got that right.

Anyone know if they've changed something with the clearance delivery in CLT recently? Seems the controllers are having much more difficulty giving out clearances the last month or two.

Yes we are. Dispatch uses older software that links in with the FAA's older setup. A new ICAO format is required to file these new RNAV departures. Our dispatch software won't work with the new ICAO format so we have to use some sort of middle man contractor. Seems that relying on a 3rd party to convert for use in the newer format is less than reliable.