Returning IFR from Opa-Locka (KOPF) to our home airport F45, we overheard this exchange.
Cherokee 123 Alpha Bravo: “Miami Center, Cherokee 123 Alpha Bravo, 20 SW 3000 feet. Request flight following, Stuart, KSUA.”
Center: “Cherokee 123 Alpha Bravo, roger. Do you require an IFR clearance? We’re showing below VFR minimums in your area.”
Cherokee 123 Alpha Bravo: “Nah. We’ll be ok once we get outa these clouds.”
Mark Nowicki
Jupiter, Florida
I recently heard this on Palo Alto tower frequency.
Cessna 33A (rolling off the runway after landing): “Palo Alto Tower, Cessna 33A, we think we hit a squirrel on the centerline during landing.”
Palo Alto Tower: “Thank you 33A. Cherokee 56X (who was behind the Cessna on final), caution for possible debris on runway centerline.”
Cherokee 56X: “Debris on centerline not a factor. Student pilot on solo. I never land on the centerline anyway.”
Nadav Eiron
San Jose, California
Flying from St. Petersburg, FL (KPIE) to Ohio State University airport (KOSU) in Columbus on New Year’s Day in 2009, the day the Buckeyes were to play Oregon in the Rose Bowl, JAX Center handed off my Bonanza to Atlanta Center.
Bonanza 61A: “Atlanta, Bonanza 61A, 9,000.”
Atlanta: “O-H. Athens altimeter 30.12.”
Bonanza 61A:” I-O 30.12 in Athens. 61A.”
Atlanta (Laughing): “I told my buddy that you’d do that!” (as the O-H-I-O cheer made it to the aviation airwaves).
Ken Deken
Cleveland, Ohio
I had just begun the missed approach procedure while practicing the ILS for Rwy 18 at Lebanon, New Hampshire, when a Piper was entering a rather long downwind for runway 18.
Lebanon Tower: “Piper 1234, cleared to land runway 18. Be advised there is a Cessna climbing straight out from runway 18, at about 400AGL over the departure end. Advise when you have him in sight.”
Piper 1234: “Piper 1234, roger, cleared to land runway 18. And my passengers have the Cessna in sight.”
Lebanon Tower (after a brief pause): “OK, Piper 1234, let me know when you have the Cessna in sight.”
Justin Gullotta,
Brownsville, Vermont
We were in our Skyhawk over southern Maine, cruising in moderate rain left over from Hurricane Isaac, with a Caravan 2000 feet above:
Boston Center: “555 Bravo Delta, is your aircraft on floats?”
555 BD (in a solid Maine accent): “Yup, we’re float equipped!”
Center: “Given that, you’re sure making good speed.”
555 BD: “How’s that?”
Center: “Well, you’re passing a 172.”
555 BD: “We’re leaning over as far as we can!”
The Caravan proceeded over us towards Long Island and we enjoyed the banter with ATC as we followed below him on the same route.
Bill Dobson
Lothian, Maryland
My Instrument student and I had just left Osceola, WI (KOEO) for an IFR cross country to St. Cloud, MN and other airports to do approaches. As we listened, Minneapolis Approach Control was giving vectors to an IFR aircraft to avoid a VFR target that seemed to be getting in the way. As the VFR target was climbing, she had the IFR pilot descend but the VFR target would then turn and descend. The controller would then give a new heading to avoid the VFR target only to have the VFR target change course. About the time she figured things out for the IFR pilot, the VFR target would change course or altitude again. This went on for about five minutes, climb, descend, turn left, turn right, climb, turn left all the while trying to avoid the VFR target.
Finally the Controller told the IFR pilot, “He must have a magnet in his plane.”
Woody Minar
Osceola, Wisconsin
