Short Final: Flying ‘Down Under’ Does Not Qualify as Inverted Flight

The story I wrote yesterday about Airservices Australia recruiting (poaching?) experienced U.S. controllers reminded me of my experience flying a Cessna Skyhawk over Australia’s Great Barrier Reef with my wife in our “PK” period (pre-kids), which makes it at least 23 years ago. I could have taken a lengthy checkout flight and then we would have gone off on our own (and gotten lost). Or we could just consider our sightseeing flight a “lesson” with an instructor/tour guide.

So, that’s what we did. Poor Leslie got to sit in back and experience most of the Barrier Reef scenery through the tiny black-and-white viewfinder of our video camera.

I was able to decipher most of the comms from ATC that I overheard, but was surprised when the next controller in the queue responded to the instructor’s check-in in a clearly American accent. My sideways glance at the instructor led him to tell me that it wasn’t uncommon for Americans – particularly military vets – to take on controller jobs Down Under.

Just for fun, I asked to respond to the next call.

I don’t remember what the exchange was, but I responded with some decidedly U.S. shorthand phraseology, with a slight military flavor (I’d done enough flying around Air Force and Navy bases on the East Coast to have some insight). Maybe I said, “Rog” or maybe I just added a bit of Chuck Yeager, West Virginia twang to “A-firm!”

To my great disappointment, the guy didn’t miss a beat. And topping it off, I made a three-bounce landing – on camera.