Short Final: Engineering To Bridge

Editorial Staff

Monday, January 17, 2022 at 07:29 PM ET

Verified

Key Takeaways:

A pilot contacted Minneapolis air traffic control after a period of silence.
The pilot's call was to check if the controller was still there.
The controller responded with a humorous, science fiction-themed reply referencing "carbon-based units" and a "tricorder."
The exchange highlights the lighthearted communication sometimes found in air traffic control.

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I was flying from Salt Lake City, Utah, to Fargo, North Dakota, one evening recently. As we approached the Dakotas, it got rather quiet on Minneapolis Center.

Predictably, after about 10 minutes of silence, somebody checked to make sure things were all well.

Unknown aircraft: “Minneapolis Center. Still there?”

Without a pause the controller responded: “Engineering to Bridge. Aye, Captain. Tricorder readings indicate carbon‑based units still infest the planet.”

Frank Bowlin

Aptos, California