March 9, 2009 Short Final

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It happened a couple of years ago in France, at La Ferté-Allais (LFFQ) near Paris, a quite busy GA airport. A few planes were lined up for take-off behind a plane with a female student pilot and her instructor performing an apparently very long checklist. It had already taken 5 to 10 minutes, and the line was extending. (All dialogs below happened, of course, in French.)

TWR:
"F-ABCD, are you ready for departure?"

F-ABCD:
"Not yet, Fox Charlie Delta."

[Several minutes passed.]

Unidentified Voice (presumably an impatient pilot in the line) :
"Nails should be dry by now ... ."

TWR:
"Who said that?"

[Dead silence, but after another couple of minutes, Fox Charlie Delta finally called "Ready for departure."]

Armand Linkens
via e-mail