Short Final: Keeping It Simple

New York airspace can be intimidating, and the controllers are not exactly known for having a slow, patient approach to communicating with incoming traffic. Years ago, I was eavesdropping on one of the many approach/departure frequencies one day as I was skirting underneath the Class B airspace in my V-tail Bonanza. A business jet crew arriving from the north seemed uncertain about the controller's machine-gun-pace directions to follow the Hudson River southbound past Manhattan, then turn left for their arrival at JFK International.

Bizjet: “Uh. I’m not exactly sure which is the Hudson and which is the East River.”

ATC: (pause) OK. (speaking slowly) Do you see all the great big buildings out there in front of you? Keep those tall buildings to your left side until you get to the end. Then turn east.”