A while back, a controller at RDU International spoke in a robotic Cylon voice, using all official phraseology including “tree” and “fife” for “3” and “5.” We though he was trying to show everyone up and be a model of correctness.
One night, I was practicing instrument approaches with a safety pilot, and that controller called us with a familiar warning:
“N1234A, be advised of a similar sounding call sign, N1234B.”
He gave the other aircraft a similar call, then promptly gave me an instruction with the wrong call sign.
I wasn’t completely sure, so I didn’t respond. The other aircraft didn’t either.
After a pregnant pause, the controller called me with the correct N-number:
“Did I use the wrong call sign?”
Whereby I responded:
“Yes. Yes, sir, you did.”
He broke his robotic cadence into a friendly whine:
“Awwwwwwww, I hate it when I do that.”
We felt vindicated!
Dan K.
