PA-44 Seminole/Turbo Seminole
Flight Crew Air Transport Pilot (ATP); Flight Crew Instrument; Flight Crew Multiengine
Flight Crew Last 90 Days 50; Flight Crew Total 2400; Flight Crew Type 1500
Situational Awareness
ATC Issue All Types; Conflict Airborne Conflict
Air Traffic Control Issued New Clearance; Flight Crew Took Evasive Action
Human Factors
I was practicing touch and goes with a PA28 ahead of me doing the same detail. After the second touch and go the Controller told me that I was turning final too far away from the runway; I told him that I was just maintaining a safe distance with the preceding aircraft and he replied saying that my separation with the other airplane was too much; that I should have been turning base sooner; and that is what I did afterward; but obviously did not work; I ended up going around as I was too close to the PA28 on final. As I did not feel safe; requested a full stop landing and had a conversation with the controller afterwards. He tried to convince me on the phone that I should fly my airplane slower when following a Piper Warrior on final; but seemed not to understand that if I maintain the same airspeed as a C152 or PA28 I would be flying my airplane against the Pilot Operating Handbook and probably have control issues. Another fact that stated was that if I am turning base with a tailwind component; I should also reduce my airspeed; probably not being aware of that lift depends on True Air Speed (TAS) and not on Ground Speed (GS). It is obvious for me that this ATC in particular has very little understanding of basic airplane aerodynamics and could result in a safety issue.
A PA44 conducting practice pattern maneuvers was instructed by ATC to reduce the spacing between himself and preceding traffic that resulted in a required go around; the reporter questioning ATC's knowledge of aircraft performance characteristics.