Short Final

It was a number of years ago, so it’s OK to tell the story now … Chicago Approach was famous for a lack of tolerance for VFR pilots. One controller would say things like, “Flight Following? Yeah; here ya go: turn heading 270 and call back when you’re in Iowa. I don’t have any time […]

I was flying home to Oakland, talking to Travis Approach when they called traffic at 10 o’clock, three miles, converging, same altitude unverified. I noted the N number from ADS‑B, and did a quick look up on “N‑Numbers” on my phone. I use Post River Software, which contains the entire FAA database within the app. […]

Recently we have been flying into Statesboro, Georgia, several times a year on family business. We have noted how often we take off or land in bad weather at that particular airport. If it’s clear for our arrival, it’ll be solid IMC for departure, or the other way around. The last time we were there, […]

On a flight to Purdue University in my Piper Seneca, I was cleared for a right base to Runway 23. With a number of student pilots training at Purdue, the following exchange occurred: Tower: “300DE execute a left turn for spacing, student traffic on final.” Me: “300DE left turn for spacing.” Tower: “300DE, I said […]

I fly a Cessna Conquest and when I announce myself to air traffic control, sometimes they hear Citation, and I usually correct them so they know I can’t cruise at FL 430.The other day I was doing practice approaches at my home airport, and a student was on the tower frequency with me. Me: “Conquest […]

Holding short of Runway 27 at Eastern Iowa Airport in Cedar Rapids, for an hour’s flight to the “Third Thursday” fly‑in at Mason City (KMCW), we heard a Cirrus SR‑22 cleared for takeoff on 27, cleared direct to Mason City. Neither my airplane partner nor I could see any Cirrus on the taxiway, but we […]

At the end of a five‑hour final leg of a cross‑country trip from the West Coast to Michigan, I was very much ready to stop and stretch my legs. I was descending from 17,000 over Lake Michigan towards Traverse City. I broke out of clouds at the edge of Wisconsin and could see the other […]

A few years back, we were three miles out from landing at our local towered airport, when we had the following exchange with our local tower: Tower: “Cirrus 12345, go around. Delta 1234, cleared to land.” We went around and lined up to land. At what seemed the very last minute, the tower called us […]

Departing Buckeye for Flagstaff, the Phoenix Departure controller was obviously a stickler for standard communications. Phoenix: Two Seven Victor, Squawk Fife Tree Tree Tree. Us: Okay, squawking five and the forest, Two Seven Victor. Phoenix (chuckling): 27V, Radar contact, cleared on course, maintain VFR. David Bunin

Years ago when it was one of those typical Midwest spring days where the turbulence was ferocious down low, but the headwinds seemingly doubled for every thousand feet of altitude. We were south of Chicago in a Warrior westbound at 4000 feet, talking to South Bend Approach, when our passengers started turning green. Reluctantly, I […]