Short Final

Gemini Sparkle

Key Takeaways:

  • An air traffic control (ATC) exchange at Lawrence coordinated two aircraft, with an ultralight voluntarily climbing out to allow another aircraft, Arrow Eight Two Xray, to land first.
  • The tower cleared Arrow Eight Two Xray to land, adding a caution about "mowing in progress" on the right side of the runway.
  • The Arrow Eight Two Xray pilot responded humorously, interpreting the "mowing" caution as a physical obstacle to "duck under the lawn mower."
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Heard at Lawrence, Massachusetts:

Tower: “Arrow Eight Two Xray, slowest possible speed. Traffic ahead is an ultralight on a half-mile final.”

Ultralight: “Tower, we’ll climb out so he can land.”

Tower: “Roger, climb and maintain 1700, runway heading. Arrow Eight Two Xray, cleared to land, caution, mowing in progress, right side of runwav.”

Arrow: “Roger, duck under the lawn mower ahead and avoid the one on the ground, cleared to land, Arrow Eight Two Xray.”

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