Author Topic: ATC Comedy  (Read 30179 times)

Offline michaelt747

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ATC Comedy
« on: January 23, 2006, 10:41:27 PM »
Hey guys,

A couple of weeks ago, i was browsing through the forum/discussion board and i came across a post that had an audio clip of a British Comedian (Im pretty sure he was an ATC too).  Ive searched and searched and i cant seem to find the clip...does anyone know what im talking about, and could anyone point me in the right direction?

Thank A lot

Mike



Offline kimbers_2080

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ATC Comedy
« Reply #1 on: January 28, 2006, 01:38:42 PM »
Hiya Mike,
               I think I know the clip you're talking about,I posted it a few months ago. Go to the ATC/Aviation Audio Clips section and look for a post that says Classic 'John Moments' from KBOS,click on that post and about half way down that page you'll see an audio clip called ATC Humour,I think that's the one you mean.

The guy's name is David Gunson and believe it or not,he's not actually a comedian. He used to be an ATC in the 80's (now retired) at Birmingham airport in the U.K. When he retired he started doing 'after-dinner speeches',he's absolutely hilarious and is now in great demand in the U.K as an after-dinner speaker. The clip is a small 'taster' from a 50 minute speech he gave to a room full of bankers and accountants about ATC and flying,and it's the only time his speech has ever been recorded. It's from his 1 and only 'album' called 'What Goes Up,Might Come Down'.

If ya enjoy it and want to hear more,please let me know. I've managed to rip the album down to a 5.71MB file which is just about managable enough to send. I had to rip it at low quality to get the file that small,but it's still very listenable.

Cheers,

Ian.

Offline michaelt747

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ATC Comedy
« Reply #2 on: January 28, 2006, 03:09:07 PM »
THAT IS IT!!!!

thank you...wow...that guy is hilarious....

I would absolutely love to hear the rest of it.

my email is:  michaelt747@gmail.com

thanks again!

Mike

Offline 55brianb

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Re: ATC Comedy
« Reply #3 on: March 08, 2006, 08:28:50 PM »
Quote from: kimbers_2080
Hiya Mike,
               I think I know the clip you're talking about,I posted it a few months ago. Go to the ATC/Aviation Audio Clips section and look for a post that says Classic 'John Moments' from KBOS,click on that post and about half way down that page you'll see an audio clip called ATC Humour,I think that's the one you mean.

The guy's name is David Gunson and believe it or not,he's not actually a comedian. He used to be an ATC in the 80's (now retired) at Birmingham airport in the U.K. When he retired he started doing 'after-dinner speeches',he's absolutely hilarious and is now in great demand in the U.K as an after-dinner speaker. The clip is a small 'taster' from a 50 minute speech he gave to a room full of bankers and accountants about ATC and flying,and it's the only time his speech has ever been recorded. It's from his 1 and only 'album' called 'What Goes Up,Might Come Down'.

If ya enjoy it and want to hear more,please let me know. I've managed to rip the album down to a 5.71MB file which is just about managable enough to send. I had to rip it at low quality to get the file that small,but it's still very listenable.

Cheers,

Ian.


Just fantastic!!!

I managed to get a tape of this when I worked as a Traffic Control Officer at Belfast International (Aldergrove) in the late 1980s.  It's been lost over the years but Amazon have the CD - just ordered one!!  

Happy days!!  :)

Offline SeeAndAvoid

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« Reply #4 on: March 09, 2006, 02:00:49 AM »
Hello all, first post....
It was fun listening to that guy John in Boston.  From my years in flying and controlling, it's pretty obvious things run fast and loose on tower/ground freqs compared to others.  Just when that kind of thing gets going on one of my (Center) freqs, a supervisor comes by and says "knock it off".  I prefer to be on first name basis with some of my regular pilots, but do I get written up (a lot) whenever a tape is pulled for not using callsigns.  That's the sad reality of it in the ATC world, mine anyway.

Great site, Chris

Offline lpower

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« Reply #5 on: March 09, 2006, 11:42:25 PM »
listened to that clip, absolutly hilarious, would love to hear it all.

My email = lorcanpower@hotmail.com

if someone has a link to the full thing i would appreciate it, thanks

Offline captkorndog

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« Reply #6 on: March 10, 2006, 01:38:06 AM »
I, too, would appreciate hearing the whole thing - this is great!

My email: HemisphereCEO@aol.com (or) KS_Weber777@hotmail.com

Offline lpower

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« Reply #7 on: March 10, 2006, 04:01:19 AM »
i found a link to the complete recording, its fantastic. Enjoy!

http://www.edxg.de/atc/atcspeech.mp3

Offline medik06

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Funny clip
« Reply #8 on: March 10, 2006, 06:18:05 AM »
awesome clip lpower, HILLARIOUS  :D , i had a good chuckle... good job.... thanx

Offline Fra

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ATC Comedy
« Reply #9 on: March 10, 2006, 11:53:05 AM »
Since the topic is ATC humor, I think you'd like this, I read it on another ATC page.
   

Tower: "Delta 351, you have traffic at 10 o'clock, 6 miles!" Delta 351: "Give us another hint! We have digital watches!"

"TWA 2341, for noise abatement turn right 45 Degrees." "Centre, we are at 35,000 feet. How much noise can we make up here?" "Sir, have you ever heard the noise a 747 makes when it hits a 727?"

From an unknown aircraft waiting in a very long takeoff queue: "I'm f...ing bored!" Ground Traffic Control: "Last aircraft transmitting, identify yourself immediately!" Unknown aircraft: "I said I was f...ing bored, not f...ing stupid!"

Control tower to a 747: "United 329 heavy, your traffic is a Fokker, one o'clock, three miles, Eastbound." United 239: "Approach, I've always wanted to say this.... I've got the little Fokker in sight."

A DC-10 had come in a little hot and thus had an exceedingly long roll out after touching down. San Jose Tower noted: "American 751, make a hard right turn at the end of the runway, if you are able. If you are not able, take the Guadalupe exit off Highway 101, make a right at the lights and return to the airport."

A military pilot called for a priority landing because his single-engine jet fighter was running "a bit peaked." Air Traffic Control told the fighter pilot that he was number two, behind a B-52 that had one engine shut down. "Ah," the fighter pilot remarked, "The dreaded seven-engine approach."

Allegedly, a Pan Am 727 flight waiting for start clearance in Munich overheard the following: Lufthansa (in German): "Ground, what is our start clearance time?" Ground (in English): "If you want an answer you must speak in English." Lufthansa (in English): "I am a German, flying a German airplane, in Germany. Why must I speak English?" Unknown voice from another plane (in a beautiful British accent): "Because you lost the bloody war."

Tower: "Eastern 702, cleared for takeoff, contact Departure on frequency 124.7" Eastern 702: "Tower, Eastern 702 switching to Departure. By the way, after we lifted off we saw some kind of dead animal on the far end of the runway." Tower: "Continental 635, cleared for takeoff behind Eastern 702, contact Departure on frequency 124.7. Did you copy that report from Eastern 702?" Continental 635: "Continental 635, cleared for takeoff, roger; and yes, we copied Eastern... we've already notified our caterers."

One day the pilot of a Cherokee 180 was told by the tower to hold short of the active runway while a DC-8 landed. The DC-8 landed, rolled out, turned around, and taxied back past the Cherokee. Some quick-witted comedian in the DC-8 crew got on the radio and said, "What a cute little plane. Did you make it all by yourself?" The Cherokee pilot, not about to let the insult go by, came back with a real zinger: "I made it out of DC-8 parts. Another landing like yours and I'll have enough parts for another one."

Allegedly the German air controllers at Frankfurt Airport are renowned as a short-tempered lot. They, it is alleged, not only expect one to know one's gate parking location, but how to get there without any assistance from them. So it was with some amusement that we (a Pan Am 747) listened to the following exchange between Frankfurt ground control and a British Airways 747, call sign Speedbird 206. Speedbird 206: "Frankfurt, Speedbird 206 clear of active runway." Ground: "Speedbird 206. Taxi to gate Alpha One-Seven." The BA 747 pulled onto the main taxiway and slowed to a stop. Ground: "Speedbird, do you not know where you are going?" Speedbird 206: "Stand by, Ground, I'm looking up our gate location now." Ground (with quite arrogant impatience): "Speedbird 206, have you not been to Frankfurt before?" Speedbird 206 (coolly): "Yes, twice in 1944, but it was dark,...... and I didn't land."

Allegedly, while taxiing at London's Gatwick Airport, the crew of a US Air flight departing for Ft. Lauderdale made a wrong turn and came nose to nose with a United 727. An irate female ground controller lashed out at the US Air crew, screaming: "US Air 2771, where the hell are you going?! I told you to turn right onto Charlie taxiway! You turned right on Delta! Stop right there. I know it's difficult for you to tell the difference between C and D, but get it right!" Continuing her rage to the embarrassed crew, she was now shouting hysterically: "God! Now you've screwed everything up! It'll take forever to sort this out! You stay right there and don't move till I tell you to! You can expect progressive taxi instructions in about half an hour and I want you to go exactly where I tell you, when I tell you, and how I tell you! You got that, US Air 2771?" US Air 2771: "Yes, ma'am," the humbled crew responded. Naturally, the ground control communications frequency fell terribly silent after the verbal bashing of US Air 2771. Nobody wanted to chance engaging the irate ground controller in her current state of mind. Tension in every cockpit out around Gatwick was definitely running high. Just then an unknown pilot broke the silence and keyed his microphone, asking: "Wasn't I married to you once?"

It was a really nice day, right about dusk, and a Piper Malibu
was being vectored into a long line of airliners in order to land at Kansas
City.
KC Approach: "Malibu three two-Charlie, you're following a 727,
one o'clock and three miles."
Three-two-Charlie: "We've got him. We'll follow him."
KC Approach: "Delta 105, your traffic to follow is a Malibu, eleven o'clock and three miles. Do you have that traffic?"
Delta 105 (long pause and then in a thick southern drawl): "Well...I've got something down there. Can't quite tell if it's a Malibu or a Chevelle, though."

Lufthansa 34 over Cleveland Center at 3:00 in the morning.
"Cleveland Centa, Lufthansa 34 over Cleveland at flight level 39ner zero"..........no answer. The controller may have been getting a fresh cup.
"Cleveland Centa, Lufthansa 34 over Cleveland at flight level 39ner zero".......no answer.
"Cleveland Centa, Lufthansa 34 over Cleveland at flight level 39ner zero....you know, ve have vays to make you talk".

The controller working a busy pattern told the 727 on downwind to make a three-sixty--do a complete circle, a move normally used to provide spacing between aircraft.
The pilot of the 727 complained, "Don't you know it costs us two thousand dollars to make even a one-eighty in this airplane?"
Without missing a beat the controller replied, "Roger, give me four thousand dollars' worth."
Billund ATC: Gliders 82 and D5, state position and altitude?
82: Overhead Coal Lake, 6400 feet.
D5: Same position, same altitude.
ATC (cool, dry voice): So should I go get my collision report form ?

ATC: Say altitude
Pilot (feeling frisky): altitude
ATC: Say ALTITUDE
Pilot: ALTITUDE
ATC: Say 'Canceling IFR'
Pilot: Level 8000

Several planes were running up and waiting to take off, many Cessna's including a 337. With all the students and several similar call signs, the controllers were getting a tad confused. The controller finally asked: "Cessna 123YZ, are you the Skymaster?"
A slightly confused voice with an indeterminate accent replied, after a moment, "Well, my instructor says that I am very good, but I do not think that I would yet be considered the 'Skymaster.'"

A friend of mine was ferrying his Blanick to a nearby airport on the other side of some Class C Airspace. The 182 tow plane had no radio, but the Blanick did. No problem, after departing the glider called, ATC and gave their intentions to cross The Class C airspace. About halfway across, ATC requested a 90 degree right turn. My friend responded. "What do you want me do? Yell out the window?"

A crew in a Baron was taxiing at LAX back in the sixties and encountered one of the (then) new 747's. Both pilot and co- were all eyes as both aircraft approached the same intersection.
Baron: Uh, ATC, verify you want me to taxi in front of the 747.
ATC: Yeah, it's OK. He's not hungry.

Tower: Cessna N1234, be advised wake turbulence - UA 737. [pause]
Cessna: San Jose tower be advised the Cessna is ahead of the 737.
[longer pause]
Tower: UA 737, be advised wake turbulence Cessna 172.
Someone: Giggles and laughter in background.

After several unsuccessful attempts to raise the student pilot whom the tower has just issued instructions to: "You have to key in the mic...I can't see you when you nod your head."

Another student, a not too bright woman, was coming in for a landing. The radio in the FBO was set to the ground freq. It seems that she landed on the taxi way.
The ground controller told her, "please call 555-9876 after you park the plane".
She answered, "No thank you sir, I'm already married."

Cessna: Bay Approach, Cessna 12345 over South County Airport at four thousand feet, request permission to land at San Jose.
Bay Approach: Cessna 12345, Squawk 4567, and do you have Hotel? (the current SJC ATIS)
Cessna: Negative, we're going to stay with my sister-in-law.
American 123: Does your sister-in-law have any extra rooms?

Overheard by a guy giving rides: "Sorry about the rough landing, but I'm practicing for a job at SAS. Next time I'll try to loose your luggage."

I was taxiing out to the active in a 172 and I had just dialed up tower and checked the approach which was clear. The weather was 15+ vis and no ceiling. I was just about to call tower for clearance when I heard this.
ABC: London tower this is alpha bravo charlie on short final 33.
TWR: Alpha bravo charlie, negative visual contact pull up go around.
I took a good hard look for the a/c and saw nothing so I called tower and got cleared to go. I heard 2 more renditions of the "On short final" and "Pull up go around" act. On the fourth try the pilot got a bit frustrated about the wave off. It went like this.
TWR: Negative visual contact pull up and go around.
ABC: Well look out you window, I'm right bloody in front of you!
Tower came back very cool and collected.
TWR: Alpha bravo charlie look down into the centre of the runway pattern. Do you see a big white radar dome?
ABC: err....negative dome tower.
TWR: That's because you're not over London. You're over Waterloo-Wellington 50 miles north-east of my position. Waterloo-Wellington tower frequency is 125.00. I think they would like to talk to you.

ATC: Cessna 1234 What are your intentions?
Cessna: To get my Commercial Pilots License and Instrument Rating.
ATC: Cessna 1234 I meant in the next five minutes not years.

A true story from my Scottish days when a C152 pilot was asked to report his height prior to clearance to enter the zone, replied: "Flight Level Three Thousand, Seven Hundred", upon which the Controller very smartly replied, "Roger, prepare to fire retro-rockets and re-enter the atmosphere!"

C-150: Tower this is N-1234 can you give us a ground speed please?
Tower: Roger N-1234 we show you at 110 knots
Mooney: (Showing off a bit) tower this is N-5678 can you give US a ground speed please?
Tower: Roger that N-5678 we show you at 201 knots
F-18: (Showing off a lot and said with a Texas drawl). Heh Heh.. tower how about XXXX, can you give US a ground speed please?
Tower: Roger XXXX we show you at 580 knots.
... then in a distant crackly voice,
"Tower, we'd like a ground speed too please..."
Tower: Ummmm ahhh .... must be something wrong with our equipment here, I show you at 1500 knots sir.
"No sir, this is a SR-71. Thank you for the reading."

Student pilot: "Think about it. I navigated through a boiling fluid swirling around a rotating sphere that is hurtling around a fusion reaction source at thousands of miles per hour. This system is moving in a circular motion around a black hole at who knows what speed, while the space it takes up is expanding. And I bounced six inches. SIX MEASLY INCHES! Get off my freakin' back, man!"
Washington D.C., Clearance Delivery: "GAF269, you are cleared to
destination Indian Springs via after take off radar vectors to 4000 feet
thereafter present position direct BOM do not pass BOM at 6000 feet or
below after passing 15000 feet turn right on heading 280 to intercept J156
direct ZZT thereafter intercept j158 own navigation read back."
GAF 269: "Roger German Air Force 269 is cleared to Destination Indian
Springs via after take off radar vectors to 4000 feet thereafter present
position direct BOM do not pass BOM at 6000 feet or below after passing
15000 feet turn right on heading 280 to intercept J156 direct ZZT
thereafter intercept j158 own navigation and I need another pencil."
Tower: "Aircraft on final, go around, there's an aircraft on the runway!"
Pilot Trainee: "Roger" (pilot continues approach)
Tower: "Aircraft, I said GO AROUND!!!"!
Pilot Trainee: "Roger"
The trainee doesn't react, lands the aircraft on the numbers, rolls to a twin standing in the middle of the runway, goes around the twin and continues to the taxiway

Offline Fra

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ATC Comedy
« Reply #10 on: March 10, 2006, 11:53:35 AM »
Hey guys, I have a question. I read this on a page (it's an atc humor)

The controller working a busy pattern told the 727 on downwind to make a three-sixty--do a complete circle, a move normally used to provide spacing between aircraft.
The pilot of the 727 complained, "Don't you know it costs us two thousand dollars to make even a one-eighty in this airplane?"
Without missing a beat the controller replied, "Roger, give me four thousand dollars' worth."

What he really asked the pilot to do and why did he complain? Thanks

Offline bwicker

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ATC Comedy
« Reply #11 on: March 27, 2006, 03:18:09 AM »
Fra-
It's prety much covered in the post, unless i'm missreading your question.  the controller was asking the pilot to do a complete 360 degree turn in order to provide spacing between him and another pilot.  a 360 egree turn requires 2 minutes to make at a stardard rate of 3deg/sec.  So, Since that's a 727 with three engines burning a pretty good amount of fuel every minute, the pilot was informing the controller that he didn't particurally want to do it, so he informed atc that the 727 that he was flying burns 2000 dollars worth of fuel in 1 minutes (sounds like an obvious exageration), so atc asked him for a 4000 dollar turn, hence two minutes, making it a 360 degree turn...  

it doesn't sound funny when i say it like that, so if you tell it to someone use the other way of saying it :D

Offline Fra

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« Reply #12 on: March 27, 2006, 01:49:51 PM »
bwicker thanks for the reply! I'm really a beginner so from time to time I have to ask some questions, I assumed that was the reason but I didn't quite understand it. Thank you!

Offline bwicker

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« Reply #13 on: March 27, 2006, 04:38:57 PM »
Quote from: Fra
bwicker thanks for the reply! I'm really a beginner so from time to time I have to ask some questions, I assumed that was the reason but I didn't quite understand it. Thank you!


Giddyup

Offline YINGBO XIONG

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Re: ATC Comedy
« Reply #14 on: October 15, 2007, 08:37:00 AM »
HI EVERYONE:
I'M NEW HERE, AND I'M A CHINESE STUDENT PILOT, I WANT TO FIND "BAY APPROACH"IN THE PAGE OF "WWW.LIVEATC.NET",BEG FOR ALL YOUR HELP

Offline EI-ROC

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Re: ATC Comedy
« Reply #15 on: October 15, 2007, 09:47:42 AM »
Any chance of anyone putting up the David Gunson clip again? Pretty please. :)

Offline Panop

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Re: ATC Comedy
« Reply #16 on: October 16, 2007, 11:07:23 AM »
Got a new one for you which I guarantee is true.  Back in the mid 1970s a Lufthansa 737 had a special logo applied with a large number 250 (or similar) on the fuselage to commemorate the 250th (or so) anniversary of something or other which was a big deal in Germany at the time (I am sure someone can fill in the right number but it is not important).   On Heathrow Ground a curious controller asked, "Lufthansa 232 what does the big number on the side of the aircraft signify?".  Before Lufthansa could respond the pilot of another aircraft using a strong 'mock German' accent replied, "Schpittfiers".  Lufthansa 232 remained silent!

Offline Haribda

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Re: ATC Comedy
« Reply #17 on: October 20, 2007, 04:19:00 PM »
Got a new one for you which I guarantee is true.  Back in the mid 1970s a Lufthansa 737 had a special logo applied with a large number 250 (or similar) on the fuselage to commemorate the 250th (or so) anniversary of something or other which was a big deal in Germany at the time (I am sure someone can fill in the right number but it is not important).   On Heathrow Ground a curious controller asked, "Lufthansa 232 what does the big number on the side of the aircraft signify?".  Before Lufthansa could respond the pilot of another aircraft using a strong 'mock German' accent replied, "Schpittfiers".  Lufthansa 232 remained silent!

Boy, I cracked from laughing! ROFL!!!!

I can't, I have tears from laughing...

Good 'un!

Offline Tom56

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Re: ATC Comedy
« Reply #18 on: November 02, 2007, 04:17:52 PM »
This one was funny and strange at the same time...

Offline lpower

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Re: ATC Comedy
« Reply #19 on: November 03, 2007, 03:23:53 AM »
someone wanted the david gunson speech, well it'll be up at the following location for the next 2 weeks. grab it while you can.

http://files-upload.com/files/595779/atcspeech.mp3

Offline flightops1272

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Re: ATC Comedy
« Reply #20 on: November 03, 2007, 09:23:56 AM »
I can't get the link to work. Please email me the clip at flightops1272@yahoo.com or flory1272@yahoo.com.

Thanks.
 :-D

Offline Panop

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Re: ATC Comedy
« Reply #21 on: November 03, 2007, 12:21:48 PM »
Re the flight attendant video, about 20 years ago I flew on an Ansett Australia 737 flight where it was done somewhat similarly plus they got a volunteer passenger to 'help out' with the lifejacket and emergency exit cabin demo. 

The result was 100% attention from the passengers and, thereafter, a very happy flight (it was a near full plane and delayed departure from a small airport in the tropics with next to no facilities which to top it off had air conditioning failure in the tiny terminal and the passenger mood on boarding was close to mutinous!). 

The  FAs probably broke all the rules (or at least bent them) but it worked - it was a 3 leg flight (PPP-MKY-ROK-BNE) and they repeated (and added to) the performance each leg.

I will guarantee that every single passenger on the plane knew exactly what to do in an emergency and got off in a better mood than they got on.  Almost everyone leaving the flight in Brisbane got a kiss or a hug from the (all female) FAs on leaving the plane! 

A bit like 'Boston John' - professional but not stuffy and boring so ensuring full attention - Mocha Hagotdi Making Our Customers Happy and Having A Good Time Doing It!