Short Final: Say Parking

Gemini Sparkle

Key Takeaways:

  • A student pilot, flying into Bishop International Airport, was cleared to land and instructed to contact ground control.
  • When asked by ground control to "say parking" (meaning to state their parking destination), the student pilot literally responded with "parking."
  • This overly literal interpretation and response to a standard Air Traffic Control (ATC) instruction caused amusement among the tower staff.
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A while ago, I was flying into Bishop International Airport in Flint, Michigan, as a student pilot when I was cleared to land.

Bishop Tower: “Cessna 1234, cleared to land 18.”

Me: “Cessna 1234, cleared to land 18.”

Bishop Tower: “Cessna 1234, contact ground 121.9.”

Me: “Cessna 1234, contact ground 121.9.”

Me: “Ground, Cessna 1234.”

Bishop Ground: “Cessna 1234, say parking.”

Me: “Cessna 1234, parking.”

When Bishop Ground came back on line, you could hear everyone in the tower laughing.

Lenny Ljuljduraj
Romeo, MI

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