September 19, 2011 Short Final

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Witnessed by me as an FAA controller at Waterloo (Iowa) in the mid-'80s. The G.A. ramp is next to the terminal ramp, so these two aircraft were parked in close proximity to each other. Here is how the exchange went:

Tomahawk 86B:
"Waterloo ground: Tomahawk 86 Bravo, ready to taxi."

ATC:
"Tomahawk 86 Bravo: Roger, taxi to runway 30."

TWA 687:
"TWA 687, ready to taxi."

ATC:
"TWA 687, taxi to runway 30."

[The controller has the Tomahawk follow the DC-9.]

ATC:
"Tomahawk 86 Bravo, follow the DC-9 off your right; taxi to runway 30."

Tomahawk 86B:
"Tomahawk 86 Bravo. Roger."

The DC-9 just sat there and sat there. Finally, the DC-9 started his taxi and apologized to the Tomahawk pilot. It went like this:

TWA 687:
"Sorry about the delay there, Tomahawk; this our first time in here."

Tomahawk 86B:
"That's O.K. I'm a student pilot, too."

[Followed by complete radio silence ... .]

David Morales
via e-mail