This thread is great. I worked at 2 centers and a large tracon. I don’t care when people flash me handoffs, early, or late whatever. If Late, well, I probably saw the limited coming anyway. If early, I’ll take it. Doesn’t matter. Emergency, cool, I can do what I want anyway. Request, well we will see.
When people get upset about it, like my last center where everyone liked auto flash, and got annoyed if they were flashed anything but auto flash I made it my mission to flash them as early as possible to people that were delicate. Don’t like me flashing more then one at a time? Great, I’ll get everyone in the room to wait and on three we will flash everyone to you simultaneously.
I love it when people let me know where they keep their goat. It keeps this job entertaining.
jdatc, Like you I don't care when I get the flash, I'll take 'em when I want. My "Too Early" moment is the next controller flashing it to thier next controller while the aircraft are still in my airspace. My exception is when the aircraft is within ~5min of the next sector's boundary. I work a sector where I have 2.5min from crossing into my sector, to the boundary of the next. The next sector typically has no issues taking it within those 2/2.5min.
Previous Center was taught ~5min from boundary (nice wide sectors). Current Center seems to be ASAP (not as roomy, but still 4-8min in most places). ASAP has included before the receiving controller is even talking to the aircraft (more than 8min to their next boundary, and without a flash-through agreement). I find that interesting because there are people in my area that hate when a controller flashes them multiples at once.
In Z-Land , if someone is flashed 15min out, don't get pissed when you have to call for a hand-off if you flashed to a sector that was combined (at flash) then split out 10min ago, well before the limited was within my range. Also don't get pissed if I don't call saying the sector has been split...I'm not required to (unless stated by LOA/SOP).
On a side note: if my current facility did a better job of teaching us the surrounding sectors and displaying some of their boundaries, I'd do a lot more point-outs. One less radio change is one less opportunity for a pilot to go nordo. But I have no hope of this as at least two adjoing tracons' sector boundaries are not mapped correctly on my area's maps to begin with.
And like someone else pointed out it’ll all be in the EDST 20 minutes early as well.
To furth expand: If DM'd less than 20min from boundary, it'll show in EDST as soon as it's DM'd