To students and low-time pilots, aviation may seem busy, business-like and serious. But the truth is there's often plenty of room to have a bit of fun on the radio. Here's a sampling of a few things I've heard on frequency over the past few years that I've been saving up. In some cases, I was personally involved, but in other cases I was just listening and chuckling.
Gulfstream: Oakland Tower, Gulfstream 123, ILS 27 Right, request 27 Left.
Tower: Gulfstream 123, Oakland Tower, Howdy! I can offer you 27 Left, but expect about an 8 hour delay. Right now it's occupied by a bunch of service vehicles.
Gulfstream: Okay, we'll take 27 Right
Ground: Duchess 123, Oakland ground, taxi 27 right via delta and charlie, maintain VFR at our below 2000', standby for a transponder code
Me: Delta, charlie, 27 right, VFR at or below 2000, Duchess 123.
Ground: Ah, Duchess 123, where did you say you were parked?
Me: Well we actually park in the Bat Cave, but we tell everyone the Port-a-Ports.
SFO Tower: Stationair 456, I have several heavies I need to depart runways 28, do you have to take photos right there?
Me: Everyone has to be somewhere.
Delta: Ground, Delta 123, ready to push gate 18.
Ground: Delta 123, Howdy, Oakland North Ground, contact South ground on 121.75
Me: Oakland Ground, Cessna 456, ready to push at the Port-a-Ports, VFR Ukiah with Foxtrot.
Ground: Cessna 456, Oakland Ground, push at your discretion, runway 33 taxi via delta, juliet, ...
JetBlue: Norcal, JetBlue 1122, one two thousand descending eight thousand with Foxtrot, How ya doin'?
Norcal: JetBlue 1122, Norcal Approach, when able proceed direct GILRO, How YOU doin'?
