On The Air: August 2012

Kennedy Ground (Local) is always entertaining to me, with New Yorker attitude and accent from the controllers crossed with the culture and accent of the foreign carriers. Eastern European and Asian carriers are often the most entertaining-make that schadenfreude-including this one:Ground: Malev Sixty-Seven, whats your gate tonight?Malev 67: (Ten seconds of barely intelligible faking of a response.)Ground (after a pause): Malev Sixty-Seven, my earlier transmission was a queeeesssstion ... …

Editorial Staff

Friday, August 01, 2014 at 12:00 AM ET

Verified

Key Takeaways:

Air traffic control communications are often filled with humorous misunderstandings arising from language barriers, phonetic confusions, or overly long call signs.
Pilots and controllers frequently encounter unexpected and comical situations, such as unusual aerial traffic or mistaken aircraft identity.
Despite the serious nature of aviation, these anecdotes showcase moments of lighthearted banter and personality in the interactions between pilots and ATC.

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Kennedy Ground (Local) is always entertaining to me, with New Yorker attitude and accent from the controllers crossed with the culture and accent of the foreign carriers. Eastern European and Asian carriers are often the most entertaining—make that schadenfreude—including this one:
Ground: “Malev Sixty-Seven, what’s your gate tonight?”
Malev 67: (Ten seconds of barely intelligible faking of a response.)
Ground (after a pause): “Malev Sixty-Seven, my earlier transmission was a queeeesssstion …”

Rick Sanders
San Francisco, Calif.