Unicom: 02/06

Where Are You Going?
Your recent commentary (Editor’s Log, December 2005) ending with “...you can’t count on ATC to even know who you are and where you’re going” is so totally true it’s scary.

It reminded me of an incident that happened to me a couple of years ago. I had filed from Palwaukee, Ill., to Detroit Lakes, Minn., with a “direct” request. The standard departure for Runway 16 out of PWK is a hard right turn to a 360-degree heading. As I rolled out on 360 and went to Departure, I was given a further turn to 040. I thought that was for traffic, as I often have to go north toward Milwaukee before going northwest toward Minneapolis.

My next instruction, however, was to p...