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On the Air – February 2022

Gemini Sparkle

Key Takeaways:

  • Pilots encounter humorous and sometimes sarcastic exchanges with Air Traffic Control (ATC), from ground speed inquiries during strong headwinds to accommodating personal greetings between family members.
  • Unpredictable flight conditions, such as severe wake turbulence from preceding heavy aircraft or extraordinarily strong headwinds, can lead to intense in-flight experiences.
  • The aviation landscape includes unique and occasionally amusing details, like creatively named waypoints on instrument approach procedures.
  • Pilots may receive unusual or dramatic warnings from ATC, such as instructions to avoid military airspace due to "missiles" during training exercises.
See a mistake? Contact us.

Years ago before GPS, when we only had two VORs, we were westbound against an extraordinarily strong headwind in a Cherokee, talking to St. Louis Approach. Through breaks in the clouds I could see that the big trucks on the Interstate below were making better time than we were. It was obvious we weren’t going to make our original destination. So we were looking at our charts, and trying to calculate a good location for a fuel stop with our usual one hour reserve. I asked Approach if they had a ground speed on us.

St. Louis Approach responded, “Sure. Do you want it in one digit or two?”

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