I definetely side with you on waiting for 10 minutes for jets to takeoff, however being a CFI now, I don't have to worry about that HOBBS.
And you don't necassarily have to get the clearance while the engines running, you can just turn on the master and get it while doing the preflight. As for the controllers, I've seen the bad and the good. Your right, the bad can get pretty ugly, but the good is also really great!
A few months ago the clouds rolled in and it rained. Well, by 8pm the clouds were completely gone and I saw a perfect chance to go hit the pattern. When I got up there, no one was in the pattern, nor were there any jets landing. The controller, as bored as she was, advised me that if I had any special requests, I should ask for them now. hehe. So I asked her if I could take off from 19L and simulate an engine failure at 500ft and try to attempt a turn around and land on the opposite runway(01L). She said, "knock yourself out". So after the first run I nearly killed myself because I misjudged the maneuver completely, I managed to somehow put it down on 01L or 19R reversed. There was just something really weird about watching a Southwest 737 on a 5 mile final and me climbing upwind in its direction. ehehehe, of course I quickly turned, but it was weird to see that. I tried it about 3-4 times and I pretty much became the entertainment for the night in the tower. But it was actually a good learning experience because that same real life accident happend where someone lost their engine from Sunrise and they attempted to turn back and enver made it. They ended up planting the wing first on 01L. Its in the NTSB files which I read. Anyways, SNA rules!
Tower: C4853L theres a B757 on a 4 mile final, theres an addition B757 between the runways and B737 on the roll, report them in sight".
Me: aaaaaahhhhhhhh, got'em in sight, (GULP) 53L.
Tower: Roger, caution wake turbulence for the traffic, you are cleared for the option 19L, wind is 220 at 5!
Me: Doh!
