On the Air: March 2017

Flying our Cessna Caravans into Chicago OHare daily, frequently provides some interesting situations. Our redline is 175 knots and most of our planes can only do 150 knots in level flight. The controllers there are absolutely amazing and do what they can to make use of the fact that we are small and nimble. Here are a couple examples.

Editorial Staff

Thursday, February 09, 2017 at 12:00 AM ET

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Key Takeaways:

The article presents various humorous and sometimes quirky anecdotes from pilots about their interactions with air traffic control.
Common themes include ATC misunderstandings of aircraft types and pilots' witty responses or deliberate unusual communications.
Pilots often encounter unique challenges, such as navigating busy airports efficiently, leading to memorable exchanges with controllers.
It also highlights the discovery of clever and culturally-themed navigation fix names on aviation charts.

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On a recent flight from Caldwell, NJ (KCDW) to Rockland, ME (KRKD) in my Baron, I heard on the frequency that a jet pilot was unable to find a fix that the controller saw on his departure route and had given to the pilot. When the pilot questioned the presence of the fix on the chart, the controller came back with, “I just don’t know, these things were written by someone with a strange sense of humor.”

Jim LaBagnara
Caldwell, NJ

Several years ago, I was flying into St. Petersburg during the NCAA Final Four. There was quite a bit of traffic and the Goodyear blimp was circling the domed stadium in which the games would be played, about one mile from the field. On the way into Albert Whitted Field, I had the following exchange: