Short Final

Overheard this exchange in Houston Center the week before Halloween 2014: Aircraft N1Q:“Houston, N1Q. 390. Good evening.” Houston Center:“Good evening, N1Q. That sure is a long N-number you got there.” Aircraft N1Q:“Yes. And it’s hard to remember, too.” Doug Fields

Heard on Columbus Approach Control on Sunday, October 19. This approach controller maintained standard phraseology – twice – then decided to just try plain English, which worked perfectly! Approach:“N1234, Say on-course heading.” Pilot:“N1234. Stay on course heading.” Approach:“N1234, SAY on-course heading.” Pilot:“N1234. Stay on course heading.” Approach:“N1234, what is your current heading?” Pilot:“N1234. Heading: 050.” […]

While a young second lieutenant at nav school at Mather Air Force Base in 1983, I was trundling along in a T-37 in the high teens on a training mission. I overheard the following conversation between an Air Force pilot and a controller who was apparently unfamiliar with the Northern California air space and the […]

One day at Spangdahlem Air Base (Germany GCA), I was working a couple of F-16s. One was on the go for his last approach. Me:“Callsign, reset transponder, squawk XXXX, and ident.” Pilot:“Roger. XXXX on the flash.” Me:“Callsign, radar contact.” [after a moment] Me:“Callsign, your ident feature appears stuck.” Pilot:“Roger.” [pause] Pilot:“How about now?” Me:“Negative. Still […]

While flying back to Arkansas from eastern Tennessee, we stopped at McKeller-Sipes Regional Airport (in Jackson, Tennessee) to take advantage of their $4.75-per-gallon low lead. Being a slow day at the field, after clearing the active, the tower told us to stay on tower frequency and gave us taxi instructions to the FBO. As we […]

I was arriving in the Washington, D.C., area with a destination of Manassas Regional in Virginia. There was a mid-morning thunderstorm that was causing aircraft, including Air Force One, to request deviations when I heard the following. After being denied a 20-degree deviation to the right to avoid weather and given an alternative of 30 […]

Doing my run-up and getting ready to depart for my first cross-country as a student, the tower instructed me to hold short. Over the radio, in a frantic voice, I heard:“Help me. Help me. I’m a student pilot on my first cross-country, and I’m lost. I’ve been flying around and around, and I don’t know […]

While traversing New York/Washington Center air space, we received a frequency change. However, when trying to check in, the frequency was congested with multiple aircraft being worked. This went on for a while. Finally there was a break, and the PM was able to check in:“Good afternoon, New York. NXXXXX — long-time listener, first-time caller; […]

True story: During my first visit to AirVenture, known as “Oshkosh,” around 1996, I brought my hand held radio to listen to the tower. I heard a guy ask one question:“Tower, can you tell me where the traffic is?” Tower responded:“Sir, their is traffic in front of you, behind you, to your left, to your […]

Last Friday, we departed Detroit City VFR northbound in my SR22 for some sightseeing and requested traffic advisories from Selfridge Approach. Shortly thereafter, we heard this exchange: Selfridge Approach:“Cessna XXX, traffic at one o’clock and two miles. A whacko.” Then a brief pause. Selfridge:“Correction: That’s a ‘Waco.’” Cessna XXX:“Maybe he’s both!” Brian Litch