Amusing ATC Videos
Fear of Landing has been terribly serious lately and I think we could all use a bit of a smile. So here’s my favourite ATC videos so far this year…
This one will be familiar to anyone who has flown into busy airspace that accepts GA aircraft. There’s always a pilot that comes onto frequency who doesn’t know how to keep it short. Note: strong language.
David Gunson’s speeches are famous all over the English speaking world. His explanation of a controller’s job has me laughing out loud every time.
This is a very well done short film (four minutes) set up as a documentary of Air Traffic Controllers. It’s not really very informational but somehow watching it made me smile with pride at the excellent job controllers do around the world.
And with that, I’m going to go outside and enjoy the lovely weather, thankful that I don’t have to sit in a small tower watching pilots make mistakes all day long!
See you next week :)
If you want the full David Gunson video (50 odd minutes) it is here:
Oooh, thanks!
I had trouble controlling my laughter – and bladder – after hearing David Gunson. Absolutely brilliant!
About the MIGs: I remember one flight across East Germany in a Cessna 310 in the 1970’s. We had to carry a Russian navigator from Berlin Schoenefeld.
We were cruising at flight level 3000 metres (FL 090 for us in the West) when the navigator (who had an incredibly strong breath smelling of borsch and garlic) spoke to ATC and told me: “you now climb to flight level 5000 metres”.
The poor little Cessna is not pressurised and we did not carry oxygen.
FL 5000 metres equals FL 150, fifteen thousand feet, so after having overcome the wall of smell from the Russian’s breath I objected.
“You now climb to 5000 metres or you see MIG… very close!”.
So guess what? We did climb and survived.
In spite of, or perhaps thanks to the borsch with garlic: so did the navigator.
Hmm. Next time I’m in the right seat helping out, I might try the borscht and garlic trick!
Surely you only need to state number of souls and fuel if you’re declaring an emergency? 0.o
No, it’s a fairly standard question. I remember the first time I was asked. I was coming into Bembridge airfield on the Isle of Wight and the radio operator asked me the souls on board. I immediately asked, “Is my approach that bad?!”
He assured me it wasn’t personal…