Heard over rural Massachusetts.
Cherokee XYZ (tremulous voice): “Albany Approach, Cherokee XYZ five miles northeast of Pittsfield at 3500 feet, requesting fight following to Kilo Oscar Romeo Delta.”
Silence: all on frequency were contemplating the Cherokee, a student pilot at the controls, attempting the impossibly long flight to Chicago and then penetrating the O’Hare airspace.
Cherokee XYZ (even more tremulous voice): “Albany Approach, Cherokee XYZ six miles northeast of Pittsfield at 3500, requesting flight following to Kilo Oscar Romeo Delta”.
Longer silence: All on frequency, including the controllers, were now attempting to contain various forms of laughter. Eventually a different voice, one steeped in confidence and experience came on.
Cherokee XYZ: “Approach, XYZ 8 northeast Pittsfield requests advisories at 3500 to Orange Mass, Kilo Oscar Romeo Echo”. (KORE is an uncontrolled rural field slightly different from its near namesake.)
Albany Approach: “Cherokee XYZ squawk 4350, I show Orange 38 miles to your east.
And we were all left wondering what sage words of wisdom might just have been imparted by the instructor to his diligent student. Oh, to have been a back seat passenger in that Cherokee.
Daniel Spitzer
