Short Final: Hyperdrive

Gemini Sparkle

Key Takeaways:

  • A pilot was discussing his impending arrival at an outlying airport, noting it would likely close before he got there.
  • When the pilot jokingly suggested he'd need "hyperdrive" to make it on time, the Potomac Approach controller immediately approved the request.
  • The anecdote highlights the unexpected and delightful sense of humor sometimes displayed by air traffic controllers.
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One night the Potomac Approach frequency was not very congested. I overheard a pilot talking with the controller about his impending arrival at an outlying airport just at the tower’s 9 p.m. close.

Pilot: “I think they’ll be closed by the time I get there.”

Potomac Approach: “I don’t know. You might just make it.”

Pilot: “I don’t think so. Not unless I put it into hyperdrive.”

Potomac Approach (responding immediately): “That’s approved.”

Sometimes the controllers have a wonderful sense of humor.

Reid Ashe
Winston‑Salem, North Carolina

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