Short Final

Gemini Sparkle

Key Takeaways:

  • A pilot was asked by air traffic control if he had a transponder on board.
  • The pilot misunderstood "transponder" and responded with a humorous answer.
  • The pilot's response was "No. Just the wife and I, headed to Phoenix."
  • The anecdote highlights the potential for miscommunication in aviation.
See a mistake? Contact us.

Back in the 1970s, when transponders were just starting to be used, a pilot contacted Tucson Approach Control. Approach asked him if he “had a transponder on board.”

To which the pilot responded:
“No. Just the wife and I, headed to Phoenix.”


Burke McClure

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