14-01-2006, 08:18 PM
Yes, while we try to maintain a level of professionalism there come times when we “let our hair down” and have fun, either with one another or with
the pilots. For anyone who has seen ‘AIRPLANE!’ I’m sure you’ll get the humor of it:
I was at work last week and had a C-130 bouncing in my tower pattern with the call sign RANGER. He had been bouncing for a bit and being the only
aircraft in the pattern I couldn’t help but to respond to a transmission he had made with a deadpan “Roger, Ranger.”
The same aircraft as part of his pattern work was conducting a radio check in the air and asked me if I heard a squeal or buzz in the background. I
said no, I only hear the sound of the props in the background. He said that is a good noise, the kind they like to hear.
About 4 years ago when I was training on a new position in radar I was listening in to the controller I was relieving who had an aircraft conducting
an arcing approach to our airfield with the NAVAID located midfield for the runway in use. The approach controller called the inbound information to
the tower as:
Sixteen miles west on the twelve mile arc is…
Once had a trainee under me who wasn’t well versed in aircraft recognition. We had a helo inbound and the trainee did the courtesy “wheels should be
down” transmission to which the pilot replied:
Yup, skids down and welded!
the pilots. For anyone who has seen ‘AIRPLANE!’ I’m sure you’ll get the humor of it:
I was at work last week and had a C-130 bouncing in my tower pattern with the call sign RANGER. He had been bouncing for a bit and being the only
aircraft in the pattern I couldn’t help but to respond to a transmission he had made with a deadpan “Roger, Ranger.”
The same aircraft as part of his pattern work was conducting a radio check in the air and asked me if I heard a squeal or buzz in the background. I
said no, I only hear the sound of the props in the background. He said that is a good noise, the kind they like to hear.
About 4 years ago when I was training on a new position in radar I was listening in to the controller I was relieving who had an aircraft conducting
an arcing approach to our airfield with the NAVAID located midfield for the runway in use. The approach controller called the inbound information to
the tower as:
Sixteen miles west on the twelve mile arc is…
Once had a trainee under me who wasn’t well versed in aircraft recognition. We had a helo inbound and the trainee did the courtesy “wheels should be
down” transmission to which the pilot replied:
Yup, skids down and welded!
Controllers do it best, just ask a pilots wife!