On The Air: December 2019

Thankfully, I have never had to respond to those foreboding words from ATC: ...say souls on board. However, I do remember one flight, where I might have had trouble explaining myself if they had requested that information.

Editorial Staff

Thursday, December 05, 2019 at 12:00 AM ET

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Key Takeaways:

A pilot humorously described a flight where he had seven "souls" on board a Cessna 172, including his pregnant wife with twins, while remaining under gross weight.
The RNAV (GPS) RWY 11 approach at Quakertown, PA (KUKT) airport features waypoints named after characters and phrases from the science-fiction movie "The Day the Earth Stood Still."
A Southwest Airlines captain, leading an all-female flight crew, made a humorous announcement stating the plane had "no cockpit" but a "hen house."
Another pilot shared a crude but humorous personal anecdote about how he determines his crosswind landing limits.

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Thankfully, I have never had to respond to those foreboding words from ATC: “…say souls on board.” However, I do remember one flight, where I might have had trouble explaining myself if they had requested that information.

Several years ago, my family and I went on a scenic flight in a Cessna 172. With my wife and kids on board, and a reduced fuel load, we were still under gross weight. It was a perfect day for all seven of us to enjoy a flight around western Washington. That’s right, seven. How did we manage to stuff seven souls into a C172?