Short Final: Be Right Back

Monday, March 30, 2020 at 11:08 AM ET

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Key Takeaways:

The article highlights the significant emotional impact (joys and sorrows) that air traffic control routing instructions have on IFR pilots.
An anecdote illustrates a pilot's swift emotional shift from disappointment at a disregarded climb instruction to elation upon the promise of new directions from the controller.

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Every IFR pilot knows the joys and sorrows of routing. Flying home from Massachusetts one afternoon, I heard the following exchange:

NY controller: “King Air XXXX, climb and … disregard.”

Pilot: “Awwww…”

NY controller: “I’ll be right back with you.”

Pilot: “Woo‑hoo!”

Ed Fischer
Philadelphia, PA