General Aviation Off to a Bad Start
According to this article general aviation fatalities totalled 340 last fiscal year but there have already been 39 in the first month of the new one. Not a good start, especially with the ‘more difficult’ months ahead of ice, fog and increased night flying.
And its not helped by pilots like the one we overheard at Brown Field yesterday who seemed to have no clue what they were doing…
Tower: ABC123 Hold short of runway 26R
[silence]
Tower: ABC123 You are required to repeat the hold short instuction
Pilot: Hold short of 26R
Tower: ABC123 Position and hold 26R (meaning go on to the runway but hold for takeoff instruction)
Pilot: Position and hold 26R
Tower: ABC123 Do you know what position and hold means?
Pilot: Yes, it means position and hold
(didn’t see what happened but I think the pilot didn’t move onto the runway)
Tower (exasperated voice): ABC123 Cleared for take off, maintain 1500 feet until approved otherwise
Pilot: Cleared for take off
Tower: ABC123 Did you copy the restriction to maintain 1500 feet? (I guess the pilot was now above 1500)
Pilot: Sorry, I did not copy that
Tower: ABC123 When you get back to Brown, please call the tower
The airport was very busy with several planes practicing landings and takeoffs plus a few planes coming in to clear customs from Mexico, pilots needed to be extra vigilant or else accidents will be happening. I am sure when the pilot returned he received quite a lecture from the tower, I hope he learned from it.