coolest Atc instruction ever
 

So grabbed a quick lesson before they closed down the airspace yesterday !

"follow the group of harvards in, err give yourself plenty of room , they're are pretty slow!"

I ended up following a beautiful group of RCAF Harvards in the circuit

All 7 of them in a line in front of me

Possibly the coolest thing I have ever seen/ done as a student pilot !

And I managed to nail the landing , added bonus !

Just wanted to share .... I'm really enjoying this flying stuff ;)

Reminded me of my very first solo, had just turned downwind when all of a second I heard "Delta Mike Yankee Charlie Charlie, entering the circuit for a touch and go, Downwind Runway 28". My first thought was: "that's where I am". The second thought, hot on the tails of that one was: Where the F*** is he? Has he got me in sight?" The third thought, as I saw he was at my 1 o Clock, about 1 nautical mile ahead was: "****, he's a mike, that means slow flying for me....."

It all adds to the enjoyment, managed to do half a circuit at less than 60 knots, gain some spacing and bring the Echo in for a passable landing which all boosted my confidence no end..... Hope the experience boosted yours too!

It sure did boost my confidence. The airspace was crazy busy with everyone trying to get in before the shut down, that means spectators and airlines alike.
Cue poor little me trying to get some circuit practice in on 08. At one point my instructions were as follows

• expect 06, I can't get you in on 08
• no thats not going to work , fly a full field circuit
• no make a turn to the south now
• ok, now I need you to turn east
• keep the east turning going
• extend back out over humber bay
• pull up and go around

all in one circuit. I'm fairly close to soloing. The good news is that my instructor is convinced I can handle whatever ATC and traffic throw at me. The bad news is, yet another lesson where we couldn't get the spacing to practice emergency procedures

For me the best ones were:

'Park next to the Liberator' (at Duxford. I've got a photo of the result!)

'Traffic is a pair of Tornadoes in your six o'clock, range 2 miles' (approaching Marham overhead. By the time I spotted them they were in my 12 o'clock, descending in front of me. I was pottering along at 90kt in the club 152...)

Tim

There's somtimes some cheating that goes on for a first solo. On my second first solo (when retraining after many years of not flying) I got an orbit instruction on downwind ... not something normally given to first solos, ATC is more likely to get the other guy out of the way instead.

On checking with the instructor after landing, the instructor had been in the tower, had discussed the issue with the controller, and had told the controller that in his opinion I could cope with it.

coolest Atc instruction ever
 

expect 06, I can't get you in on 08
no thats not going to work , fly a full field circuit
no make a turn to the south now
ok, now I need you to turn east
keep the east turning going
extend back out over humber bay
pull up and go around

Wow thats good RT not what you would want or need going solo!

Flying in an 8 ship helicopter formation in Germany in the 90s routing round Nuremburg zone low level to avoid the airport.

Nuremburg ATC: Army formation if you wish you can fly direct overhead the airport in front of the tower.

Dont mind if i do

floppy :ok:

coolest Atc instruction ever
 

I don't remember the last time I flew a " standard circuit"
It seems there's always something! I've extended , orbited , overshot , turned crosswind half way down the runway and so on

I just found it amusing when I was "#1 for the runway " but had 7 planes in front of me !

It's all good fun though !

Once I was not able to find a grass strip south of Hamilton, Ontario, and asked the tower for a DF steer to point me the right way. He replied: "I've got a better idea, hang on.... The Lancaster is comiing up behind you, He'll pass you on your right, and lead you there". And the Lanc did!

coolest Atc instruction ever
 

Now that is pretty cool

At a small Bavarian airfield many years ago:

"German Air Force, you're number two to land behind a Cessna 172".

"German Air Force" was a Transall. I was flying the 172. It was my shortest landing ever.

German air force jet holding for his display slot at an RAF airshow.

Tower: "German Air Force xxx, you are cleared into the circuit. Caution, the Hurricane and Spitfire are positioning behind you."

GAF: "I hope they know the war is over?"

On final to Maui Kahului in a rental 172 "American xxx. Continue approach you're number 2 to the 172 filling your windshield"

A couple of years ago heading south and working Newcastle Radar. "G-XX Traffic information. Traffic in your 11:00 same height reciprocal heading approx 1 mile distant. Report traffic in sight. Oh and get your camera, it's the Vulcan and he has two playmates". Sure enought the Vulcan passed to port with a Typhoon on each wing tip and reporting that he was visual with the light aircraft traffic. Fantastic!

Rateone

This wasn't an ATC instruction but a pilot request, and it was only cool to this fixed wing pilot because he was a PPL student in a helicopter:

"G-XX, request back-track finals."

I had traffic information on the BBMF Lancaster whilst learning for my PPL. Whenever I see it now I always think of that view I had from about 1,000ft above through a brief gap in the clouds.

Not too long ago whilst in a rented C172 waiting to takeoff at a busy commercial airfield I had the instruction: "After the landing A320, line up and wait". As a low houred PPL used to A/G from a grass airfield, I suddenly felt very grown up!

One busy Friday evening I was flying the Navajo from YVR. I was told that a 747 was on a 3 mile final and to line up and wait. As I pulled on the runway the 747 was all lit up and looked both very big and very close:uhoh:. As soon as I lined up I started bring up the power an at the first syllable of "cleared for takeoff" I was rolling. The tower seeing me bolt said " I betcha you thought that 747 was going to squash you like a bug ! " :O

I had requested a Special VFR across London one Sunday afternoon, this was a good few years ago and was told to report at Crystal Palace for onward clearance to Denham. This I did and got the reply "Resume your own navigation and report Denham in sight". On handover to Denham having some what deviated from the direct route at times, the controller said I hope you enjoyed yourself. Shame we can't still do this!

can i turn you on at 5 miles
 

What an invitation, when Biggin Hill got is ILS and the lady controller was on duty.

Can not think what my response was...(honest)..

Next best, at Gatwick....... follow the Virgin...........................

glf

Some years ago I was working radar at Filton when a PA38 called out of Cardiff, flying up the Severn for a look at the (then) new Severn Bridge. He was at 3000. I had other traffic inbound which, having arrived early, had cancelled his IFR plan & descended VFR to also have a look at the bridge. I told the PA38 to watch for traffic closing from behind & 1000 below, deliberately giving him no further information. He did push for more, though. All I said was "you'll know it when you see it. Hope you've got a camera."

A few minutes later I got "OH MY GOD!!! I HAVEN'T GOT A CAMERA!!!"
as Concorde appeared under his nose. :)

ap

Prestwick a year or two ago. I was taxying a Cessna 152 for departure. Doing the same thing along the taxiway at 90 degs to the one I was using was a slightly bigger, to say the least, USAF Hercules. This produced the following: Tower to USAF "Give way to the Cessna crossing the taxiway!" That made my day and I still smile when I think about it. :D :D :D :ok: