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Happened to me 2 days ago.
Me :" ACFT, Say your heading" Acft : " 075" Me : "Turn right heading 100" Acft : "Thank you, that's almost a direct XXXXX" One minute later: Me : "ACFT, turn right heading 105, to avoid military activity" ACFT : " No, I don't agree, the ZZZ zone is not active on Sundays" Me and my colleague both look at our wrist-watch. Me : "ACFT, today's Sunday, direct XXXXX" Two minutes later : Me to my colleague : "Do I tell him he should turn right 5 degrees to fly direct XXXXX ?" |
This must be the greatest ATC tranmission ever !!
During the bush war in Rhodesia in the 70's the Rhodesian Airforce mounted a raid on a terrorist camp over the border in Zambia.
The is the ATC transmission :D:D “Lusaka Tower, this is Green Leader. This is a message for the station commander at Mumba from the Rhodesian Air Force. We are attacking the terrorist base at Westlands farm at this time. This attack is against Rhodesian dissidents and not against Zambia. Rhodesia has no quarrel, repeat, no quarrel, with Zambia or her security forces. We therefore ask you not to intervene or oppose our attack. However, we are orbiting your airfield at this time and are under orders to shoot down any Zambian Air Force aircraft which does not comply with this request and attempts to take off. Did you copy all that?” Lusaka tower replies that they have understood, and ask whether civil aircraft are still cleared to land. Green Leader asks them to wait half an hour or so. The impression given is very much that the Rhodesians are totally in control of the situation. And when Lusaka tower was asked by the incoming Kenya airways jet who had priority, Lusaka tower simply replied "I think the Rhodesians do". |
Cheap Flights :-)
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I fly a flexwing microlight, and back in February I flew into Dundee. Its fair to say that after over an hour and a half exposed to the airflow at -10C I was chilled to the bone! Perhaps the cold had spread to my brain and ears, as after I had landed the conversation with ATC went like this:
Me: G-KX cleared active, request taxi to parking ATC: I think we can fit you in, how long is your span? (I thought this was a strange thing to ask, but perhaps he literally meant 'fit me in' a parking slot somewhere), so I replied: Me: Err, about 34 feet? ATC (slowly and clearly): How long are you STAYING? (followed by muffled laughter on calls from other aircraft). :rolleyes: |
LOL I think I'd have fallen for that one as well to be honest.
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Not really "funny" as such, but kind of funny the arrogance some ATCO:s show.
Me: For your information, there is a big flock of birds on the ground at the approach end runway 27R TWR: Silence Me: Repeated myself as above TWR: Confirm you are ready for departure Me: Negative, repeated myself as above TWR: Yeah I don't know what they are up to Me: Neither do I, so I am sure approaching aircraft would like to know This was a US airport, I know EU-OPS requires an immediate report as soon as a potential bird hazard is observed. |
Many years ago I was taking off from Lusaka (4,000ft asl) on a hot day at noon in a fully loaded C206. Took forever to take off.
Right after take off controller says.. : XXX we were wondering if you were driving or flying to destination. :bored: |
Cologne Airport ATIS Information "India" YouTube - ATIS Information Cologne Airport
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Cologne Airport ATIS Information "India" YouTube - ATIS Information Cologne Airport YouTube - Funny KVNY (Van Nuys, CA) ATIS |
The other day...
We were in a Diamond MEP on an IR training sortie, doing a low-drag, high-speed ILS app into a major international airport as to not hold up the traffic behind.
ATC: AB-CDE report speed Student: 150kts AB-CDE ATC: A-DE reduce to 130kts, traffic ahead is an Avroliner on a 3 mile final. Poor guys in the Avro...must have had 'em faces all red :\ Needless to say we had a giggle. |
<< I think we can fit you in, how long is your span?>>
I never heard it called that before!! |
Pa28 pilot:" xxx TWR final,full stop."
Passenger: " Did'nt know you had to put the punctuation in." (The landing was rubbish.) |
ATC: AB-CDE report speed Student: 150kts AB-CDE ATC: A-DE reduce to 130kts, traffic ahead is an Avroliner on a 3 mile final. |
I was in the jumpseat when this exchange happened, many moons ago on JP Flight to MUC.
JP was cleared to taxi to the gate and happily doing so. ATC: JPxxx, you vere cleared for taxi, not takeoff. Slow down, now!..:ok: Don't think anyone replied as we were too busy rolling on the floor!! :} |
During my on the job training:
Me: (fresh from the simulator) Callsign, do you have the A330 now taxiing ...right in front of you in sight? Pilot: Are you joking? Is there any way we wouldn't? Me: Well..taxi behind. *bright red faced* (overheard on the frequency) ATC: Callsign(A330) hold short of the runway, light aircraft on final. Pilot of A330: You expect a heavy to wait for the ppl? to which the student pilot promptly replies "A pilot is not born in the A330 sir." :D A friend of mine, while on OJT, talking to a Swedish airline, coming direct from Sweden. (Location indicator starts with ES.. can't remember the exact airport) Our language is Greek, but we use English at the RT. ATC: Vacate the runway to the right, contact Ground xxx.x, Buenas Dias. Pilot: *long pause* Erhm..To the right... buenas dias. My friend was so proud, it took me a couple of minutes to stop laughing and explain to him that the location indicator ES was not for Espana = Spain. :p |
Even before my retirement I'd lost track of the number of languages spoken at Maastricht UAC. As a matter of courtesy, (and of our linguistic superiority) airlines were greeted in their own language. This all went well - until a rather stressed out German trainee greeted an Aeroflot flight with "Gross Britannia" in stead of "Do svidanya"
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Heard on a US Midwest centre frequency today:
Airliner: Centre, Delta xxx requesting FL280 Controller: Unable - traffic opposite direction F-15 FL280 Airliner: We got tone Controller: I know who my money's on... |
Going back in time (to 1971) to my first solo X Country - Middleton St. George (MME) as it was then, to Yeadon (LBA) - can even remember the aircraft - G-AXUA Beagle Pup 100.
Approaching LBA, lots of radio traffic so desperately trying to tell them I was approaching. It became clear the reason for the delay was an American voice with a call sign MATS XXX - later realised US military (saw the aircraft on the ground) presumably flying ice cream into the nearby Menwith Hill Earth Station. He'd probably flown the Atlantic and had just about enough aviating for the day. Seems the tie up was that he was trying to negotiate a straight in, but ATC was having none of it. I managed to jump in with a call and was given #1 to land. US friend came back with another request for a straight in but he was told no, you are #2 to land, following the Beagle Pup 100. This didn't go down well, so another call was made pleading for a straight in. Controller clearly drew himself up to his maximum height and said "MATS, negative straight in, you are #2 - unless you are declaring an emergency!" Came back lightning fast, in a broad Texan accent "Sir, every time I fly, its an emergency...". Laughter from the Controller - straight in given and I was demoted to #2 to land. OD |
Comm failure
In Male international Airport, Maldives we have a lot seaplanes. They land and depart from a lagoon just next to the RWY on the eastern side. The dep/landing lanes are designated as Northbound left/right or Southbound left/right. The following is true. I was the the TWR controller.
TMF: Ready for departure NL. (North left) Me: TMF wind xxxxx NL cleared for take off. Few minutes after departure TMF: TWR TMF we have a comm failure, req to land SL. ME:!!!!!!!! |
Wouldn't NL become SR ?
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