Flight Planning

After a VFR departure from a satellite airport, I called TYS approach. Me:“Knoxville, Cheyenne 1234 is off Morristown for a clearance to Nashville.” Approach:“Squawk 2345.” Me:“O.K., squawking 2345.” [A bit of a pause.] Approach:“Cheyenne 1234, squawk Oscar November.” I fixed the problem right away. Billy Chandler

Welcome to the start of the Holiday Season-Thanksgiving, Chanukah, Christmas, New Year-the highest stress time of the year. Welcome to the season of intense pressure, spoken and unspoken, to make the flight you’re planning to be with your family. Before you start saying that Scrooge was the more caring member of my family, the point […]

I was on my way back to Chicago Midway after delivering some freight out east. “It was a dark and stormy night” with scattered thunderstorms and few airplanes. I was with Cleveland approach when this call came through. Something Something Yankee:“Cleveland, this is Something Something Yankee. How do you hear?” Cleveland:“Loud and clear. How me?” […]

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.” […]

AVweb’s weekly foray into all that is going on in aviation revealed news of EASA certification of a new Airbus helicopter, a free ForeFlight manual, the identity of the keynote speaker at Redbird Migration next week and availability of a free insurance review. The European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) certified the new EC135 T3/P3 by […]

Pilots may presume that we now have access to accurate terrain maps nationwide, but in some remote areas, maps may be based on incomplete data or inaccurate observations that are decades old. “Mars is better mapped than the state of Alaska,” Steve Colligan, president of E-Terra, an Anchorage mapping firm, told The Washington Post recently. […]

As the fall colors peak nationwide and Halloween approaches, the fly-ins continue at full throttle. Our weekly review of SocialFlight revealed a pumpkin drop at an airport birthday bash, two chili cook-offs and a classic fly-in breakfast. To celebrate its 70th birthday, there will be a full-scale fly-in at the North Omaha, Nebraska Airport Sunday […]

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 […]