Short Final: Maintain 200 Knots

One beautiful day in Atlanta Center, Smiley, a well‑known character at the TRACON, was the final approach controller and was assigning everyone 180 KIAS to the marker. Atlanta Center: “Corporate…

One beautiful day in Atlanta Center, Smiley, a well‑known character at the TRACON, was the final approach controller and was assigning everyone 180 KIAS to the marker.

Atlanta Center: “Corporate 123 say speed.”

Corporate 123: “160 … Ahh I mean 180.”

Atlanta Center: “Corporate 123 maintain 200 knots. Your 180 is 20 knots slower than everyone else’s.”

Lawrence Marquez

Collierville, Tennessee