Short Final: Flying ‘Down Under’ Does Not Qualify As Inverted Flight

The story I wrote yesterday about Airservices Australia recruiting (poaching?) experienced U.S. controllers reminded me of my experience flying a Cessna Skyhawk over Australia’s Great Barrier Reef with my wife in our “PK” period (pre-kids), which makes it at least 23 years ago. I could have taken a lengthy checkout flight and then we would have gone off on our own (and gotten lost). Or we could just consider our sightseeing flight a “lesson” with an instructor/tour guide.

So, that’s what we did. Poor Leslie got to sit in back and experience most of the Barrier Reef scenery through the tiny black-and-white viewfinder of our video camera.

I was able to decipher most of the comms from ATC that I overheard, but was surprised when the next controller in the queue responded to the instructor’s check-in in a clearly American accent. My sideways glance at the instructor led him to tell me that it wasn’t uncommon for Americans—particularly military vets—to take on controller jobs Down Under.

Just for fun, I asked to respond to the next call.

I don’t remember what the exchange was, but I responded with some decidedly U.S. shorthand phraseology, with a slight military flavor (I’d done enough flying around Air Force and Navy bases on the East Coast to have some insight). Maybe I said, “Rog” or maybe I just added a bit of Chuck Yeager, West Virginia twang to “A-firm!”

To my great disappointment, the guy didn’t miss a beat. And topping it off, I made a three-bounce landing—on camera.