Last week, while helping a friend move his airplane from El Monte airport to Hawthorne airport, we were on approach into El Monte when I heard the aviation equivalent of “Who’s on First”:
El Monte Tower:
“Helicopter 11 Alpha, say parking.”
Helicopter 11A (heavy foreign accent) :
“Uh, please repeat.”
El Monte Tower:
“Helicopter 11 Alpha, say parking.”
Helicopter 11A:
“Alpha, Parking.”
El Monte Tower (using a slow, deliberate tone) :
“Helicopter One-One-Alpha: Say parking on El Monte Airport.”
Helicopter 11A:“Parking on El Monte airport, Helicopter 11 Alpha.”
A slight pause in the interchange, and then:
Helicopter 11A:“11 Alpha requesting take-off with left downwind departure.”
I landed uneventfully, dropped off my friend at his hangar, and taxied back out for take-off. When I was cleared for take-off and while taxiing onto the runway, I asked:
(Me, to the Tower):
“Do you suppose that guy in the helicopter ever figured out who’s on first?”
El Monte Tower (uproarious laughter in the background) :
“I doubt it.”
Bill Allen
via e-mail
