Short Final

Last week, my wife and I heard this radio exchange while flying across Texas: San Angelo Approach:“Cardinal XXX, you got time for a quick question?” Cardinal XXX:“Sure.” SJT Approach (in a deep Texas drawl):“Is there somethin’ special about your flight today? Special cargo or something?” Cardinal XXX:“Nope.” San Angelo Approach:“They just have you on a […]

During the early ’70s, Pappy Wilkes, a former Piedmont Airlines DC-3 captain, was flying a pressurized Queen Air 88 along the east coast of Florida. He had been cleared to climb to 15,000. Being hot and heavy, the 88 was very slow climbing. An impatient ATC controller asked Pappy when he expected to reach his […]

I was flying through New York’s air space one typical busy Friday afternoon. The controller on 124.07 was shotgunning instructions out to a dozen or more airplanes when a flight instructor grabbed the frequency and started requesting multiple practice approaches into Danbury (CT), thoroughly describing each missed approach and the path to the next approach. […]

Several years ago, a large jet flown by a famous British airline was approaching New York for a landing at JFK. They were still at their cruising altitude of FL 350 and had been asking New York Center for a lower altitude continuously for several minutes. New York Center was very busy and obviously had […]

I was listening to O’Hare ground one claggy fall night, and several arriving flights were being sent to the penalty box due to delays. One arriving flight protested, saying they were promised their gate would be open. Ground:“Flight 123, proceed to the box.” Flight 123:“But we were promised — !” All of a sudden, several […]

I fly from a small air field outside Johannesburg, South Africa. When I had less than ten hours experience, I thought it would be a great idea to fly to one of the larger (controlled) air fields closer to Johannesburg to refuel. I requested joining and landing instructions from the tower. Very nervously. Tower requested […]

My son an I were departing SNS one evening in a Cessna 182 with my son at the controls and his two-year-old daughter in the back seat. We were cleared for take-off, climbing out, passing through about 1,000 feet when my granddaughter announced she needed to go to the bathroom. My son gave me that […]

Heard on climb-out shortly after taking off behind a Bonanza A36: Bonanza:“Departure, this is Bonanza 12A. Ahh, we just got started here but need to come back.” Departure Control:“Bonanza 12A, understand you want to return to the field.” Bonanza:“Affirmative. 12A.” Departure Control:“Bonanza 12A, do you need any assistance?” Bonanza:“No. We just left the dog in […]

The Swiss Air Force PC-7 aerobatic team was returning in nine-ship Formation to Locarno Magadino Air Field (LSZL) some years ago. Team Leader:“Locarno Tower, Turbo 947 nine-ship inbound to split overhead.” TWR Operator:[Gives clearance to enter and split and to report on downwind individually.] Then … Pilot 1:“Number One downwind.” TWR:“Number One, report final — […]

This was one of those days when everyone was getting a bad ride and trying to find a smooth altitude. Everyone was bugging ATC about the ride. As we were coming north off the coast of Florida on our way back to JFK from Montego Bay, a Cactus flight came on and, after complaining about […]