Short Final

It was Saturday afternoon some years ago at our mid-sized, midwestern airport.Things were hopping. Air Guard jets were shooting landings on the long runway, airliners were arriving and departing, two or three aircraft were in the pattern practicing, transients were coming and going, and then there was my friend and me in a 1945 65-HP J-3 Cub doing touch and goes. After four landings, blissfully unaware of the consternation our extremely slow speed was causing, we asked the tower on our handheld radio: …Cub 843 would like a right turn out of the pattern. … Controller (exasperated): Right turn, left turn or straight out approved. I don’t care. Just please, please get out of my way!”

It was Saturday afternoon some years ago at our mid-sized, midwestern airport. Things were hopping; Air Guard jets were shooting landings on the long runway, airliners were arriving and departing, two or three aircraft were in the pattern practicing, transients were coming and going, and then there was my friend and me in a 1945 65-HP J-3 Cub doing touch and goes.After four landings, blissfully unaware of the consternation our extremely slow speed was causing, we asked the tower on our handheld radio,

Us: "Cub 843 would like a right turn out of the pattern."
Controller (exasperated): "Right turn, left turn or straight out approved. I don't care. Just please, please get out of my way!"


James Hartley