Thank you, John. You and G.R. Patterson are clearly contributing at the
same level. Again, I apologize for even implying that there might be
something about aviation you don't know.

Please read my last long post again and ask yourself, "Gee, I wonder what
group of USENET users Jim thinks I'm in?"

Since you felt once again to express yourself in such negative way, please
allow me to respond to your earlier emails:

Jim, you asked the question, and received many answers from people with
far
broader experience than your own, the preponderance of which disagreed
with
your opinion. These you refuse to accept. So be it.

Oh really? Actually, I think the experience metric might be in my favor for
the vast majority of the folk on this forum, Doc. What are you flying, BTW?
You've just aptly demonstrated the old line about the dangers of ASSUME'ing.
And, yes--the preponderance of people did seem to disagree with my opinion
on this controversial issue. Did it bother you at all that a few people
DIDN'T (including at least three another ATC controllers)? Did it concern
you that the question is even coming up? Instead of INSISTING that your
perspective is the only possible conclusion, have you bothered to really
read everyone's posts, and reexamine your preconceived notions about what's
right and wrong? Your rigidness and lack of mobility in your thinking is
distressing for someone who is positioning themselves as an Oracle of
Aviation. I least I had the stones to announce: "There is something about
aviation I may not know." I'm not sure people like you can even understand
that (instead, you ASSUME--there's that word again--that the only reason I
would make my initial post is to agitate all you Vanguards of Aviation
Proficiency) and then have the TEMERITY to not agree with your conclusions
while prostrate with thankfulness. Get a grip.

Try thinking of yourself as one of many many pilots who make up the entire
aviation system, instead of one pilot with an inviolable right to fly
wherever, whenever. You also ought to rethink this idea you seem to have
that you can interpret the regs as you see fit. Things will be smoother.

The regs ARE confusing, imprecise, and often contradictory. They need
interpretation badly. What is it about this you don't understand? What YOU
seem to be missing is that there are very few right and wrong answers in
aviation--especially in the regulatory domain. It's a very fluid,
convoluted, and chaotic environment. We need to get all the IQ points in
the game to try to figure out answers to the myriad of questions still out
there--for both experienced and novice pilots and controllers alike.
Questions like "Do you have to be on the extended centerline to be
considered 'on final'?" Things will be SMOOTHER if you admit and understand
this. Join the discussion with an open mind; share your ideas; but please
drop the attitude of "My way or the highway." It doesn't play in Peoria.

You strike me as a very smart amateur who just loves to second guess and
think to death little perceived cracks in the regulatory structure -- the
kind of person who gave rise years ago to all the old jokes about Doctors
and Bonanzas.

They aren't PERCEIVED cracks--they ARE cracks (with more than our fair share
of CRACKPOTs who insist on blindly enforcing a confusing disarray of
regulations without considering common sense and the requirements of
real-world flying). The comically pseudo-precise nature of the FARs is
evident to all (e.g., you can't fly unless you get "all available
information."). It is human nature that the strict engineering-types among
us LOVE the FARs (you know the kind--the guys with no people skills who
believe that everything in life has a precise set of rules, and that these
rules MUST be followed unerring without question or ALL IS LOST!). WRONG!
Life is analog, not digital, John. There is no right and wrong. All rules
and laws merely offer a set of guidelines to be used as a general model for
our behavior. Human beings make laws. Human beings are not infallible.

Proficient pilots understand and comply with the FARs, because generally
they make sense--but NEVER at the expense of interpreting them in a COMMON
SENSE way. For example, "Make Straight-in Runway X" translates to me as
"Fly direct to the airport, align yourself with the runway at a safe
distance, and land." "Report X Miles Final" translates to "Tell me when
you're five miles away from landing on your final leg to the airport." The
conjoined meaning of these two sentences DOES NOT translate to "AND THOU
SHALL GET ON THE EXTENDED CENTERLINE AT X MILES." I understand there are
many on this forum who feel otherwise (but their OPINION is not shared by an
experienced ATC Procedures Specialist, as well as the Tower Manager of the
airport in question). If it's good enough for these guys, why isn't it good
enough for you, John? Does it make you NERVOUS that one of your most
preciously-held views of the world is being challenged? That your strict
(some might say "anal-retentive") interpretation of the FARs might be OPEN
TO QUESTION? Gosh, that must be a scary feeling for you.

Later when Larry Dighera (BTW, thanks, Larry--nice hearing from you again)
gave you some more insight into my background to refute your judgemental and
offensive commentary above, you were gracious enough to apologize.

Your descriptive above exactly applies to the type of accomplished
professionals in other fields (such as physicians, or programmers) who may
well think themselves smarter than the aviation system. However, your
fine
personal commendation would outweigh what may be my misinterpretation of
the
simple printed word. If I have done so I apologize to Mr. Cumminsky.

John, I accept your apology (albeit with your veiled dig at your perceptions
of my professional community, I understood the shallowness of your
contrition). But, then you went and spoiled this "apology" with yet another
one of your non-contributory posts. Moreover, your comment about those
that "think themselves smarter than the aviation system" disturbs me. John,
I AM the aviation system (certainly, a small part of it). The "Aviation
System" is NOT merely the confusing tomes of regulations that the FAA and
other organizations produce for our mutual bewilderment. Rather, it is the
sum total of ALL the people involved--how they feel about things, and they
way they approach their respecitive responsibilities in the system. ACTIVE
controllers and pilots are the main players in the dance (BTW, how many
hours have you logged in the last year, Doc)? I encourage you to read the
thread a few more times, and reevaluate your position. I welcome your input
on this sticky issue and am willing to respect you as a fellow professional,
but only if you are willing to accord me the same priviledge.

Now, I'm going to take my own advice ("less keyboard time, more stick
time"), change my airplane's oil and go flying in beautiful SoCal.

Fair winds,

Regards, Jim

"John Gaquin" wrote in message
...

"Jim Cummiskey" wrote in message

...I've concluded my decision-making and behavior in this particular
situation to be safe, legal, justifiable, and 100% correct.

I never doubted for a moment that this would be your conclusion, Doc.