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On the Air Classic—November 2024

Gemini Sparkle

Key Takeaways:

  • The collection of anecdotes highlights various humorous and unexpected radio exchanges between pilots and air traffic controllers, such as a controller mimicking birds or a pilot confirming a train as "traffic."
  • These stories demonstrate that even in the serious environment of aviation, there's room for lighthearted banter and camaraderie, leading to laughter in the cockpit and tower.
  • The article showcases the human element and friendly interactions within the aviation community, from playful remarks about hard landings to reminders about local customs like using "grüezi."
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I was a new controller and just assigned to my first duty station, Falcon Field in Mesa, Arizona. I had a pretty good working relationship with my crew mate. It was slow and we had the radios on the speaker so we could use handsets instead of wearing headsets.

Out of nowhere we got a report of birds on the north side of the field flying south. So as is required of us, my crew mate starts making a cautionary statement for birds INVOF the airport. As he is doing this I screamed as loud as I could, “CAW CAW CAW.”

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