Short Final

Gemini Sparkle

Key Takeaways:

  • Early flight training at uncontrolled airfields involved simulating tower communication for taxi clearance.
  • An instructor stopped a trainee who began taxiing without first "calling" for clearance.
  • The trainee humorously responded by yelling "Clear!" out the pilot air vent, misinterpreting the simulation.
See a mistake? Contact us.

When I was learning to fly in 1967 in Merced, Calif., we had no control tower. We were taught that after engine start-up, we should pretend to call the tower for taxi clearance.

Another pilot trainee started his engine, then immediately started to taxi. The instructor stopped him and advised that he had forgotten to call for clearance.

The trainee thought for a second, opened the pilot air vent, and, over the roar of the engine, yelled, “Clear!”

Sign-up for newsletters & special offers!

Get the latest stories & special offers delivered directly to your inbox

SUBSCRIBE

Please support AVweb.

It looks like you’re using an ad blocker. Ads keep AVweb free and fund our reporting.
Please whitelist AVweb or continue with ads enabled.