Lesson 10 conversations
Between a Pilot and a Flight Attendant
Pilot: Well! Miss Jones, are you looking forward to our flight to Tokyo?
Flight attendant: With three hundred and twenty passengers on board, I am expecting a very busy flight. I should imagine I shall be very tired by the time we reach Tokyo. What is our ETA? (1)
Pilot: 0800 hours. We are going to be a little late – full load (2) and headwinds. Our ground speed will be less than 450 knots (3). I can see the first of your passengers coming aboard. I shall see you dinner time.
Flight attendant: Before you go, Captain, what is our flight level and do you think the flight will be smooth?
Pilot: We shall be cruising at 39,000 feet – we couldn't get 35,000 because of traffic. The forecaster promised no turbulence so it should be smooth.
Between a Meteorologist and an Air Traffic Controller
A Barometer
C
Meteorologist: The forecast we gave you this morning is still valid except that the warm front is moving in towards us a little faster than forecasted. The barometer (4) is dropping rapidly and I believe the rain will probably begin by 0200 hours.
Controller: So I guess we are in for a wet night?
Meteorologist: It may get worse – the spread between (5) the temperature and dew point (6) is two degrees so we may get fog before the front reaches us.
Controller: OK, I'll be prepared for poor visibility. Thanks, Steve, and good-night.
Between two Air Traffic Controllers
Tower controller: What a busy time we had in the tower tonight. I suppose it was not any easier in the centre?
Centre controller: It was hectic. (7) The cold front was the cause of the trouble; we had to vector (8) most of the aircraft around thunderstorms.
Tower controller: We had trouble with wake turbulence. (9) It was worse than usual on runway 24.We had to increase the separation between landing aircraft, particularly for the smaller planes. Plus that, there were a lot of local flights. (10)
Centre controller: Many of those local flights were probably the training flights from the local flying school.
Tower controller: Yes, they are always very active when the weather is above VFR limits. I wonder what the forecast is for tomorrow.
Centre controller: It is supposed to be good.
Tower controller: Well, I guess we are in for another busy day. Good-night, Dick.
Centre controller: Good-night, Tom, see you tomorrow.
Between a Pilot and a Passenger who is visiting the flight deck
Pax: I have always wanted to see what a cockpit looked like on a DC-8. I have a private pilot licence and fly a Cessna 172.
Pilot: Welcome aboard. This cockpit looks more complicated than it actually is.
It is probably easier to fly than the Cessna 172. We are just about to make a, procedure turn (11) in the holding pattern. (12) We shall keep turning until we intercept (13) the inbound (14) radial to the fix. (15)
Pax: What navaids are you homing on? (16)
Pilot: VOR. We shall continue to fly the holding pattern until given further clearance by the controller. We have already been given an expected approach time – about three minutes from now in fact.
Pax: In that case I had better get back to my seat. Thank you for letting me visit you.