Short Final

Gemini Sparkle

Key Takeaways:

  • An airliner's pilots were slow to respond to repeated ATC instructions, eventually admitting they were distracted by their laptops.
  • Jacksonville Center had to prompt "Airliner 123" multiple times for a response to a climb instruction.
  • The interaction ended with a humorous remark from air traffic control, comparing the pilots' laptop distraction to controllers being "on the landline."
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Overheard over the Florida panhandle this week.

Jax Center:
“Airliner 123, Jacksonville Center. Climb and maintain FL 320.”

[20 seconds later]

Jax Center:
“Airliner 123, Jacksonville Center. Climb and maintain FL 320.”

[30 seconds later]

Jax Center:
“Airliner 123, do you copy Jacksonville Center?”

Airliner 123:
“Airliner 123. Climb and maintain 320. Sorry – we were on our laptops.”

Jax Center (laughter in the background) :
“Roger that. I guess that’s going to be you guys’ version of our ‘Say again. I was on the landline.'”

Mac Tichenor
via e-mail

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