Not long ago during my instrument training, my very accomplished instructor and I were doing a VOR 14 Approach at Mansfield Lahm Regional Airport (KMFD). After completing the missed approach the tower controller came on the radio to say, “That was a very good job on the approach.”
Somewhat surprised my instructor said, “Gee they have never said that when I’ve made an approach.”
I comforted him by telling him what a great instructor he is and that the tower controller really knows his stuff.
We had great fun with this at our home base with our pilot friends.
Robert Neiderhouser
Mt Vernon, OH
We were returning in our Phenom 300 from New Jersey to our home base in San Jose, California (KSJC). The weather was good but west of the Rockies was pretty rough the whole way. One commercial pilot heading north from the SoCal area called ATC and said, “You said the rides from 300 to 380 were experiencing chop, so we’d like to request 260 or 280 for a smooth ride.”
The controller came right back with, “I definitely did not say anything about smooth rides.”
Daniel Sternbergh
San Jose, CA
I know your readers enjoy approaches with humorous or cleverly named waypoints. The ILS RWY 28 at Cleveland Hopkins International airport is a beauty, either written by a spurned suitor or a wary significant other.
Starting at the IAF, the waypoints in order are YYESS JHENY WHONT GETTT FOOLD.
They made me smile.
Victor Vogel
Selinsgrove, PA
While traversing westbound, south of Chicago’s class Bravo, in our Cessna Cardinal, a Delta flight inbound to O’Hare International was about to cross over us.
Chicago Approach: “Cardinal 1234, traffic 11 o’clock and 3 miles northbound 1000 feet above you, is a 737.“
Me: “Traffic in sight.”
Chicago Approach: “Delta 5678, traffic 2 o’clock and 3 miles westbound at 8000 feet is a Cardinal. Maintain visual separation. Maintain 9000 until passing the Cardinal. Passing the Cardinal, descend and maintain 7000.”
Delta 5678: “Roger, maintain 9000, miss the Cardinal, then descend 7000. ”
Daniel Eberl
Iowa City, IA
A couple of weeks ago, I was looking at weather in preparation for a local flight. As I reviewed all the data from the local area including pilot reports, I saw the following PIREP from a Cessna 172 who had been flying in the area:
FL025/TP C172/TB CONT MOD CHOP/RM ITS LIKE BEING A BEACHBALL AT A NICKLEBACK CONCERT UP HERE TODAY
It was a great word picture of conditions. I decided not to be a beachball.
Tom Pflug
Omaha, NE
Overheard on Austin Approach:
AA123: “What’s going on down there? That’s the second time we’ve been vectored through the localizer!”
This was followed by a long pause.
AUS Approach: “Previous controller no longer a factor.”
Paul Millner
Berkeley, CA
A careful reading of this PIREP (screen shot in ForeFlight) suggests that someone was having a bit of fun with the aircraft type.
William Cole
Petaluma, CA
Returning from Oshkosh 2019 (“Air‑ Venture” has not quite captured the imagination), while going through security at the Appleton, Wisconsin, airport (KATW), the TSA officer asked me if I had cheese or sausage in my carry on. I must have given a quizzical look and the officer said: “Oh that’s a Wisconsin thing.”
Well, we all had a good laugh about that.
Luca Bencini-Tibo
Weston, FL
