I was flying from Jacksonville, North Carolina, to College Park, Maryland, on an IFR flight plan to go to a Redskins game. It was a CAVU day. The following exchange took place somewhere southeast of Richmond:
Washington Center: “Skyhawk 68E, traffic two o’clock, 10 miles, westbound, 500 feet above.”
Skyhawk 68E: “Negative contact, but I’m looking.”
Washington Center: “Piper 123, traffic 10 o’clock, 10 miles, northbound, 500 feet below.”
Piper 123: “Negative contact, but we’re looking too.”
A few minutes pass.
Washington Center: “Skyhawk 68E previously called traffic is now one o’clock, 3 miles, and my monitor has your course merging in two minutes.”
Just as the two of us are passing each other:
Skyhawk 68E: “Washington Center I have traffic on TCAS and in sight.”
Washington Center: “Piper 123 also has you in sight and wants you to know there’s some dirt on top of your right wing.”
Skyhawk 68E: “Thank you Center, and please tell the Piper that his nose tire looks a bit low.”
We all had a good laugh about it.
John Podraza Jacksonville, NC
