Short Final: Approach Performance

Editorial Staff

Monday, October 26, 2020 at 12:13 PM ET

Verified

Key Takeaways:

During an instrument training flight, a pilot and their instructor received unusual praise from air traffic control for their VOR approach.
The accomplished instructor was surprised by the compliment, noting they had never received such praise before.
The anecdote became a humorous story shared among pilot friends at their home base.

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Not long ago during my instrument training, my very accomplished instructor and I were doing a VOR 14 Approach at Mansfield Lahm Regional Airport (KMFD). After completing the missed approach the tower controller came on the radio to say, “That was a very good job on the approach.”

Somewhat surprised my instructor said, “Gee they have never said that when I’ve made an approach.”

I comforted him by telling him what a great instructor he is and that the tower controller really knows his stuff.

We had great fun with this at our home base with our pilot friends.

Robert Neiderhouser

Mt. Vernon, OH