Know before you launch!

[RDoug]

Gee, when I was at D-M we didn't have an ATIS.

 

[ClarkGriswold]

You should hear US passenger airlines overseas. Straight up embarrassing.

Holy crap, you should have heard this united pilot last week in NRT. They shut 34L down due to a bird strike and were holding everyone at the gate until the runway was clear. This woman called like 6 times asking for clarification, it was exhausting. Other pilots were even trying to help her understand but NOPE. Ugh.

It's also cringe worthy when you hear one of your own drop the heavy with every transmission in these places. Bruh, we're by far the smallest damn thing here!

 

[ClarkGriswold]

Listening to guard in the DC area is amazing.

Between China and Japan. Hands down.

 

[NovemberEcho]

Or:
...with victor.
Whiskeys current, advise when you have it.
We’re grabbing whiskey now
*atc proceeds to read whiskey on air*
.....

I do that a lot. I may not realize it changed until someone checks in with it so I'll read it out loud to everyone else.

 

[Nark]

Between China and Japan. Hands down.

Trust me, it's much more entertaining in northern Iraq. But same idea.

 

[Screaming_Emu]

Between China and Japan. Hands down.

“This has been Chinese Territory since ancient times!”

 

[CFI A&P]

Another one of my favorites is Nassau approach.

"Nassau, N1234, ten thousand with bravo."

"Last station calling Nassau, say again."

"Last station calling N1234, say again."

"Last station calling Nassau, say again."

"Go for N1234, I was on the landline."

In a confused voice: "N1234 descend and maintain 3,000 and expect a visual to runway 14."

 

[ahw01]

Another one of my favorites is Nassau approach.

"Nassau, N1234, ten thousand with bravo."

"Last station calling Nassau, say again."

"Last station calling N1234, say again."

"Last station calling Nassau, say again."

"Go for N1234, I was on the landline."

In a confused voice: "N1234 descend and maintain 3,000 and expect a visual to runway 14."

Did you clear yourself?

 

[CFI A&P]

Did you clear yourself?

Nah, Nassau is notorious for using last station calling say again. Sometimes you'll hear pilots on frequency trolling them by saying last station calling N12345, say again.

 

[Screaming_Emu]

Nah, Nassau is notorious for using last station calling say again. Sometimes you'll hear pilots on frequency trolling them by saying last station calling N12345, say again.

Maybe it would be a good idea to speak slower and use ICAO English then?

 

[CFI A&P]

Maybe it would be a good idea to speak slower and use ICAO English then?

That would be too easy. Yea yea yeah mon.

 

[bucksmith]

Easy.

"Have the numbers"

Checking in with the "one minute weather". Never had a problem.

 

[Dexter]

"Center, Airline 123."

Go ahead.

"Yes, uh, Center, Airline 123 with a request"

Say request.


I hear controllers like this

 

[Richman]

Information Sierra now current.

Lolz....well played, sir!

 

[z987k]

Maybe it would be a good idea to speak slower and use ICAO English then?

While this is a big gripe we have of American carriers abroad, you would hope that a country with English as the native language could understand conversational English.

 

[Deleted member 27505]

You’ll just call back and ask us if we have it anyway.

“Level 6,000 with airport information Zulu, request gps 8 approach”
“Roger, let me know when you have Zulu”
*facepalm*

Worse is checking in with approach to an AWOS airport:
"6000 with the one minute at KXYZ for the visual."
"Roger, let me know when you get the weather and what approach you'd like."
Uh, alrighty then.

 

[texas_pilot]

You're screwed now, just FYI......

Watch for the black Crown Vics to pull up.

The Vic's are gone, more agents in the tinted out 'Burbs'.

 

[mrivc211]

Unfortunately some stereotypes exist for a reason...

This morning after departing LAS we overhead a GA pilot that launched out of SGU asking about flying over the Grand Canyon to center. The exchange started like this and didn't get much better...

"Hey there center, can I just overly the Grand Canyon? I thought it'd be on ma Garmin but it isn't, ain't there some special routes or VFR corridor I can do?"

Guess I could've been like that GoJet pilot in the other thread and keyed the mic to say something snarky , but we just shook our heads and listened in amazement at his ignorance and center's patience. Kudos to the controller for being magnanimous.

So a little PSA for anyone flying into unfamiliar environs for the first time, do your research first and learn about any applicable rules or special operating aspects. By all means, ask questions as needed but at least be mildly informed for the good of us all.

But people don't care about learning what they need to know, all they care about is how cheap they can get their rating for. They'll learn the regs after they get their license.

 

[Autothrust Blue]

It's also cringe worthy when you hear one of your own drop the heavy with every transmission in these places. Bruh, we're by far the smallest damn thing here!

“Ah didn’t come here to fly anything smaller”

 

[fholbert]

I sure don’t consider myself the smartest pilot but when I hear stories like this my ranking increases. I’m now number 11 from the bottom.

Been there, done that. He should get the $8.00 special Grand Canyon chart like the rest of us. I don’t think it’s changed this century.