Short Final

As a 16-year-old student pilot I was on a short night flight from Hershey to Capital City airport (KCXY) in Harrisburg, PA. I was told on initial contact to “report a three miles final for runway 26.” Me: “Piper xxx is three-mile final runway 26” Tower: “Negative Piper xxx…you’re 4.5 miles out. We’ve got the […]

A couple of years ago, flying into ZRH (Zurich, Switzerland), just the day after the landing fees increased once more, we heard the following conversation while on hold between a Cessna 172 on final and the controller. It was a busy day with lots of commercial traffic. Controller: Cleared to land runway 28; winds calm, […]

On a recent flight from San Antonio to Fort Stockton the center frequency got very quiet. Me: “Center you still there?” Center (after a few seconds): “Yeah, it’s slow but they won’t let me go home” Jack Ogle

Many years ago while flying into MFR (Medford, OR) as a newly minted pilot from a non-controlled airport I was nervous to say the least.I got a right downwind entry clearance but I absentmindedly entered an extended left downwind. Tower: “Experimental 123xy, okay left downwind will work just fine too, and cleared for left base […]

It was my first time flying into OSH after7 hours of hand flying a Skyhawk. Tower: “Welcome to OSH” Me:“I’m not a virgin anymore” Silence It was like a reflex. Kenneth Larson

On a busy day at my home airport LXT I was flying in the pattern with several other airplanes ahead of me. Pilot on rollout: “Traffic landing at Lee’s Summit be advised – there is a turkey on the runway.” Departing pilot:“Impossible, I’m already at 200 feet!” Gus Schlegel

A couple of years ago I was waiting as number one for takeoff at a towered airport. Tower: “Cessna 12345 cleared for takeoff runway 25.” Cessna 12345:“I’ll just wait on that aircraft on short final.” Airplane on final: “I appreciate that!” Tower:“I appreciate it too!” Greg Fowler

On a corporate flight from Utah to Southern California, Center informed us of traffic, opposite direction and above. While flying in RVSM territory 1000 feet is plenty of clearance but still looks close. Learjet: Nice tie. I guess you had to be there but it was humorous to me at the time. Michael Hollister

A couple years ago, an airship moored at Orlando Executive Airport for an event. The area where airships moor is in an area used by helicopters as a practice area.One day, a student was using the practice area & an airship was also moored in the practice area. The student called the tower for takeoff […]

During helicopter primary flight training at Fort Wolters, TX in 1970 a long, loose line of TH-55 helicopters, some with solo students, some with instructors, were returning from afternoon training. Student: (In broken Vietnamese) Wolthers Tower,Osage 1234 entering extended down wind for landing. Wolthers Tower: Osage 1234, negative entry, you are entering traffic from wrong […]