Well, since my first solo in 1957 I have tried unsuccessfully to be a perfect pilot and I have now admitted defeat.
I have to admit that on two occasions in my professional career I have got airborne without actually receiving take-off clearance. Anyone else out there done the same?
A lot of these events involve a frequency change such as Ground to Tower or Approach to Tower.
I can remember coming down finals on a very busy night at Cologne. We were told to change to Tower. No answer. (It transpired that the tower had suffered a power failure). We made a go-around and reconnected with Approach.
Subsequently, the chap in the Tower indignantly told me that he had been flashing a Red Light at me with his Aldis lamp. I suppose that would have covered his a*se at the subsequent board of inquiry but how in God's name would he expect us to have seen his Aldis lamp signals?
Most pilots have no idea where the tower actually is on a major international airfield and who the hell would look for it anyway at night?
I am sure that the captain involved is very embarrassed.
Let he who casts the first stone.....it must be wonderful to be perfect.