Sometimes perspective is everything.
Several years ago I was flying into OSH in the late afternoon, second in line for runway 27 behind a warbird on straight in. As everyone who flies into OSH during convention knows, there are three colored dots on the runway that help separate aircraft so the controller can land three on the same runway at the same time. The conversation went something like this:
Tower: Warbird, cleared to land, runway 27 on the “Green” dot.
Warbird: Ahhh … which one’s the “Green” dot.
Tower: Well, it’s not the “Red” one and it’s not the “Orange” one.
Warbird: With the glare, they all look the same.
Tower: Oops, sorry, it’s the first one. Cleared to land, runway 27, on the first dot.
Short Final…
Key Takeaways:
- During a landing at OSH, a warbird pilot struggled to identify colored runway dots due to glare.
- Air Traffic Control adapted their instructions from referring to a specific color (e.g., "Green" dot) to a clearer positional description ("the first dot").
- The incident highlights how different perspectives or conditions can necessitate flexible and adaptable communication, underscoring that "perspective is everything."
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