Air Traffic Control Fully Certified
Communication Breakdown
ATC Issue All Types; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Published Material / Policy
General None Reported / Taken
Procedure
A Piaggio called for taxi from the FBO Ramp and stated he needed a run up. As per APA's orders; I instructed the aircraft to 'Taxi to the North Run Up Area via Alpha' and did not issue a runway to expect for departure as instructed by my ATM and FLM. The aircraft was IFR and taxied into the ramp at A1 and did not pull into the North Run Up area which is in the A1 ramp but it is not marked or charted and I'm done forcing aircraft to move to a small white dashed line painted box area within the A1 ramp that is not charted or marked other than the dashed lines. The aircraft called ready for departure and I informed the aircraft that I was working on their IFR release and did not issue any other instructions because his sequence may change. I received the release from D01 and I then instructed the Piaggio to taxi to Runway 17L via Alpha and the aircraft was not there. As I was calling out to him; he was moving out of the ramp to the Runway 17L hold short bars and calling the Tower. I informed Local Control that he did not receive a runway assignment and taxi instructions and the Local Control informed the pilot. This is an everyday occurrence. We taxi people using confusing phraseology and to an area next to the departure runway and all of the itinerant aircraft thinks they are going to that runway even though they have not received taxi instructions to that runway. We use this phraseology just to get away from not using 'Hold Short' instructions and getting the required read back. I want to be able to use the ramps that I already have available to me. I want to be able to use the .65 and not this confusing APA invented phraseology. Other controllers use excessive phraseology to get the aircraft to comply with the ATM's intentions. We force aircraft to do their run ups in uncontrolled ramps because we have lost huge ramps areas next to Runway 17L and 35R thanks to the ATM. These aircraft are put in danger by doing run ups next to uncontrolled vehicles; pedestrians and debris. STOP THIS PROCEDURE! GIVE US OUR RAMPS BACK! USE HOLD SHORT INSTRUCTIONS AND GET THE REQUIRED READBACKS!!!!!
APA Controller expressed concern regarding the locally mandated taxi procedure that allegedly is not in compliance with ATC national requirements and confuses pilots.