April 25, 2011 Short Final

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I was a controller at Albany Georgia tower back in the '70s, and a Cherokee was on downwind, with the instructor introducing his student to radio procedures. Fortunately for me, their intercom locked on for a bit and I got all the dialog between the student and the instructor. It went like this:

instructor:
"Say 'Albany tower.'"

student pilot:
"Ah — Al-Albany tower?"

instructor:
"'This is Cherokee 76 Whiskey.'"

student:
"This is — is — Ch-Cherokee — ?"

instructor:
"'76 Whiskey.'"

student:
"Seven — 76 Whiskey?"

instructor:
"'We are on left downwind for runway 22, touch and go.'"

student:
"We are on — ?"

instructor:
"... 'Left downwind for 22.'"

student:
"Left down-downwind —"

instructor:
"... 'Downwind for 22, touch and go.'"

student:
"I don't want to learn to fly no more!"

Richard Pike
via e-mail