Short Final

Several years ago, not long after earning my private pilot certificate, I departed the Burlington/Alamance Regional Airport, North Carolina, where I was based. My intent was to make a circuit around the outside of the Raleigh‑Durham Class C airspace and return to Burlington to land. Unsure how to ask for flight following for such a […]

One day I landed at Snohomish County Airport (Paine Field), Washington, after doing some practice approaches in nice actual benign IMC. After I had landed, tower kept me on their frequency as I taxied to the hangar. Just before shutting down, they asked: “N30322, when did you break out?” To which I replied, “I don’t […]

One day while doing an Angel Flight between Santa Monica Airport and Prescott Regional Airport, I heard the following on center frequency: Aircraft checking in: “The last controller said you were the best in the area.” Los Angeles Center: “He’s not lying.” Stephen Bobko‑Hillenaar Carefree, Arizona

When traffic was diminished initially in the pandemic, it sure seemed different flying into New York airspace, with far fewer airplanes and fewer grumpy controllers. In fact, some were actually courteous with terms like “thank you” and such finding their way into transmissions. And then there was this exchange between New York Approach and another […]

As a CFI, I recently had the opportunity to attend a Mooney Pilot Proficiency Program at KSMX, Santa Maria airport, up the coast from Los Angeles. We were told that we could do approaches—but no landings or touch and goes—at nearby Vandenberg Space Force Base (KVBG). We thought this would be a great opportunity. Once […]

My friend had just completed his Pulsar XP kit, flew off the required hours, got it signed off, and asked me if we could fly to Oshkosh as a flight of two. We refueled in Jolliet, IL, and he took off first. The speedy Pulsar was quickly miles ahead of my Tripacer as we flew […]

In the early 1980s, when I was an admissions recruiter for East Coast Aero Technical School (now part of the National Aviation Academy network) at Hanscom Field in Bedford, Massachusetts, I was on my way to nearby Beverly Airport to represent ECAT at an Aviation Day event. On the seat next to me in the […]

I fly in the High Desert of Southern California. We often get very strong, gusty winds. While practicing approaches, I heard this interaction between tower and a C-17 crew, also practicing. Tower: “…wind 200 at 25 gusting to 37, cleared for the option Runway 17.” C-17 pilot after acknowledging information: “Does the wind always blow […]

I was flying a Lear with a callsign of Coyote going into Midland, Texas. Me: “Fort Worth Center, Coyote 123, request EASYY for the straight‑in Runway 28 in Midland.” Center: “Coyote 123, cleared direct EASYY.” Me: “Direct EASYY, thank you. That’ll make it easy for 28. (Laughter)” Later… Center: “Coyote 123, contact Midland approach. Ya’ll […]

One beautiful day in Atlanta Center, Smiley, a well‑known character at the TRACON, was the final approach controller and was assigning everyone 180 KIAS to the marker. Atlanta Center: “Corporate 123 say speed.” Corporate 123: “160 … Ahh I mean 180.” Atlanta Center: “Corporate 123 maintain 200 knots. Your 180 is 20 knots slower than […]