July 6, 2009 Short Final

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Many years ago, I had just landed at Cairns in Far North Queensland, when an incoming DC-9 called over the radio:

DC-9:
"Cairns Tower, TN 123. Request a wheelchair to meet the flight on arrival. It's the Captain's last landing."

Tower responded appropriately. I thought this was too good to miss, so I stayed on the air. Eventually the DC-9 appeared, touched down, and bounced spectacularly before finally getting under control and rolling through.

DC-9 (a different voice this time) :
"Tower, can you make that 98 wheelchairs?"

Terry Wesley-Smith
via e-mail