On The Air: February 2013

Overheard on a typically busy Sunday morning just north of ORD in Chicago:Cessna 123BD: Chicago Approach, Cessna 123BD.Approach: Cessna 123BD, approach, say type and request.Cessna 123BD: Wed like to land at OHare.Approach: 123BD, I have no flight plan for you, say type and position.Cessna 123BD: Were a 172 over the Chicago Heights VOR.Approach: 123BD, is this a full stop?Cessna 123BD: No, wed like to do touch-and-goes.Approach (after a long pause): 123BD, we dont do touch-and-goes…

Editorial Staff

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

Verified

Key Takeaways:

Aviation communication is often punctuated by humorous misunderstandings, such as pilots mistakenly broadcasting personal calls or making unusual requests like touch-and-goes at a major airport like O'Hare.
The anecdotes highlight moments of witty banter and camaraderie between pilots and air traffic controllers, sometimes leading to frequency-wide laughter.
Controllers occasionally exhibit remarkable intuition in anticipating pilot needs or, conversely, demonstrate a distrust of automated systems, preferring human judgment.
The interactions also reveal unique aspects of the aviation community, from pilot-controller rapport to the varied familiarity different aircraft operators have with each other.

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Overheard on a typically busy Sunday morning just north of ORD in Chicago:
Cessna 123BD: “Chicago Approach, Cessna 123BD.”
Approach: “Cessna 123BD, approach, say type and request.”
Cessna 123BD: “We’d like to land at O’Hare.”
Approach: “123BD, I have no flight plan for you, say type and position.”
Cessna 123BD: “We’re a 172 over the Chicago Heights VOR.”
Approach: “123BD, is this a full stop?”
Cessna 123BD: “No, we’d like to do touch-and-goes.”
Approach (after a long pause): “123BD, we don’t do touch-and-goes at O’Hare.”
Cessna 123BD: “Oh, OK. Thanks.”

Bill McNulty
Washington DC