Page 16 - Volume 18 Number 8

The new controller opens our discussion by announcing we have commuter turboprop traffic at 12 o’clock, 1,000 feet above us, also inbound to LAX, and gives us a heading of 070 for vectors to the 24R ILS. When we have the traffic in sight, he asks if we can do 300 knots. Not a problem for the Lear, and we zip under the turboprop. We take this expedited handling as a good omen, and so again ask, “how about vectors for the 24L ILS, we’re going to Atlantic”. The controller replies with a clipped, “Can’t do it, have three 757s lined up inbound”.Passing Van Nuys, we slow to 180 knots to fit into the queue and shortly thereafter get the expected right turns to intercept the ILS. In looking at the taxiway chart for Runway 25R on the iPad, we can see that an early left turnoff might save us a long trip on the ground. So, when the tower clears us to land, we announce our intentions to makea left turnoff, no later than high speed exit Zulu (about halfway down the runway). We are told “negative, land long and exit at the end, or no earlier than taxiway AA.” We acknowledge, but, when the mike is no longer keyed, add “Shoot! That turnoff will put us as far as you can get from the FBO and still be on the airport, literally five miles.” In addition, to get there we will have to cross three very-active runways, in spite of earlier reassurances. At LAX, sometimes what you want is not what you get.We make exit AA as instructed, and come to a stop four feet above the ground, surrounded by a sea of concrete. When there is a rare break on the frequency, ground control tells us to taxi on AA (about 200 feet), hold short of 24L, “read back only the hold-short part”, and change to tower. The landing lights for aircraft inbound to that runway extend way out to what must bePalm Springs, and it’s a good five minutes before the tower can clear us to cross. A frequency change to ground follows with quickly-issued instructions to taxi on AA to Bravo, left on Bravo, right on Uniform, hold short of 7L, and change to tower, “read back only the hold short part”. We work our way there, then wait another five or six minutes while an endless stream of Boeing 737s land. We are then are told to expedite across 7L, hold short of 7R and change to a different tower frequency. Again, there is a trail of airliners and about six minutes pass before we are cleared to cross 7R. More of this follows, until we finally cross 25L, turn eastbound on Alpha and head toward the FBO. Thirty minutes after landing, with 24 minutes of flight time on the Hobbs, we enter the ramp at Atlantic.The next morning, our passengers arrive at 10 AM and we are assigned the nearby runway 25L for ourHampton Aviation Inc.Half Page4/C Ad14 • TWIN & TURBINEAUGUST 2014