Short Final: Medical Transport

I was heading to Palm Springs from San Diego on an IFR flight plan. I heard another pilot call in for an IFR clearance and it went something like this:

Transport 1234: “SoCal Approach we’d like an IFR clearance into San Diego.”

SoCal: “How many souls are on board?”

Transport 1234: “We have two pilots but also 3 legs, 2 arms and 2 kidneys. We are on a medical transport mission moving body parts.”

When it was my turn to check in, I said, “N155DJ level niner‑thousand. For the record we just have two whole people on board.”

I’ve never heard a controller bellow out a laugh like he did.

Marty Goodman
San Diego, CA