Short Final: Hold Your Horsepower

Editorial Staff

Wednesday, February 21, 2024 at 08:01 PM ET

Verified

Key Takeaways:

A female air traffic controller with an "appealing" voice cleared an aircraft for takeoff after ground fog.
When asked for intentions, the male flight instructor replied, "Dishonorable," likely as a humorous or flirtatious remark.
The controller humorously retaliated by instructing the aircraft to "hold your present position—indefinitely."

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From sister publication IFR Magazine’s “On the Air” letters page:

A female tower controller at a flight-school airport was known to have a sultry voice that the young male instructors found … appealing. On one occasion, she advised one of the school aircraft that had been waiting for ground fog to dissipate:

Controller: “Cessna Five Mike Fox, weather is now clear with 2.5 miles visibility in fog. State your intentions.”

Instructor: “Cessna Five Mike Fox … Dishonorable.”

After a brief silence on the frequency, she replied: “Cessna Five Mike Fox, hold your present position—indefinitely.”