Hilarious exchange between Spitfire and Tower this evening

[Jefflcarr]

I was listening to 9/27 this evening and at about 7:05 CDT I caught this rather humorous exchange between a Spitfire and the tower:

SPITFIRE: Oshkosh Tower, Spitfire 7612 over Fond Du Lac.

TOWER: 612 over Fond Du Lac say your type.

SPITFIRE: I'm a Spitfire. Wanna do the Warbird approach.

TOWER: Spitbird....er, Spitfire, I'm sorry about that, Spitfire......I'm getting laughed at right now. Spitfire, report Warbird Island.

SPITFIRE: Roger, how 'bout runway 2-7?

TOWER: You can plan on that.

SPITFIRE: Thank you, sir......I won't laugh at you.

Don't get me wrong, there's no substitute for being on the grounds, but sometimes I think I have just as much fun at home listening to the ATC.

[spongebobiwan]

Jeff,

I was also listening to liveatc during that time. Cracked me up as well.

[Bill Greenwood]

Years ago a man came to Oskosh from Florida where he was an experienced tower/approach controller and for a few years he was the airboss for the warbirds at Oskosh.
His last name was Noriega, can't recall his first name, (maybe Chuck) He was a great guy, full of humorous stories and loved to joke around.
So he is giving the briefing for the airshow. He covers almost all the types airplanes, starting with trainers and then fightere and on up through the transports and bombers, (don't think there were any dielsel burners flying back then in the show).
He then looks around the room, and says "Did we get everyone, are there any other planes flying?
I was in the back, and raised my hand.
He said, "What kind of plane?
I said, "Spitfire", and without any hesitation he comes back and says, "Spitfire? Never heard of them, were they in the war?"

He has got a great story about being on duty at the Miami tower when Pres Nixon's plane was on the ramp and all of a sudden a Mig 17 comes taxiing in. A real Mig , with a defector from Cuba. Some airline pilot called the tower and asked if anyone was talking to that Mig. Noriega says, "What Mig", and back comes the other pilot with, "The one that just landed and is taxing in."

[FS-MP]

The most entertaining Oshkosh ATC recording still remains the 1974 "FANTASTIC FRIDAY" tower recording, as the airport reaches Saturation without those procedures to handle the Oshkosh traffic, that now exists.

The tower has to INNOVATE, and the result was "Fantastic Friday", that was the birth to the current EAA Venture Notams.

http://fs-mp.com/oshkosh/FantasticFriday.mp3

As you listen to this audio, put yourself in the position of one of these pilots, back in 1974, and imagine the sheer confusion !!

Geoff

[Green Goggles]

The most entertaining Oshkosh ATC recording still remains the 1974 "FANTASTIC FRIDAY" tower recording, as the airport reaches Saturation without those procedures to handle the Oshkosh traffic, that now exists.

The tower has to INNOVATE, and the result was "Fantastic Friday", that was the birth to the current EAA Venture Notams.

http://fs-mp.com/oshkosh/FantasticFriday.mp3

As you listen to this audio, yourself in the position of one of these pilots, back in 1974, and imagine the sheer confusion !!

Oh wow!



I had never heard that before, and I was riveted throughout. Thanks for sharing!

[DanP]

I've been listening to ATC Live also. Those guys and gals do an amazing job. FS-MP thanks for sharing the link. I hadn't heard that before.

[FS-MP]

FYI: Gene Simmons (the now Retired Oshkosh Tower Chief, ) is the voice you hear on this early recording, taking over ATC in the tower, and Innovating a solution to solve the unexpected congestion.

Gene was still going strong 2009, and over the radio, sounded exactly the same in 2009, as he did back in 1970's !!


3 years ago, during FSMP's Virtual Oshkosh 2009, Gene was a guest controller during the virtual event, using "Microsoft's Flight Simulator X" .



Listening to the many stories Gene had to tell about the early days of Oshkosh, and actually having him back in a Virtual Oshkosh Control Tower, really brought those early memories to life, and made one realize just how the Oshkosh Airshow has advanced over the past three and a half decades.

Geoff

[Bill Greenwood]

By the way, I am pretty sure that the Spitfire which came in yesterday evening was not a full size onebut rather the replica, Mk 26 that Micheal is building in Texas now.
A neat little high performance plane.
Rhonda said that he got stuck on the north side of 9-27 and had to shut down for overheating, so even that part is authentic.

[Kiwi ZK-CKE]

The most entertaining Oshkosh ATC recording still remains the 1974 "FANTASTIC FRIDAY" tower recording, as the airport reaches Saturation without those procedures to handle the Oshkosh traffic, that now exists.

The tower has to INNOVATE, and the result was "Fantastic Friday", that was the birth to the current EAA Venture Notams.

http://fs-mp.com/oshkosh/FantasticFriday.mp3

As you listen to this audio, yourself in the position of one of these pilots, back in 1974, and imagine the sheer confusion !!

Geoff

What an incredible recording - an amazing piece of history recorded there! the controller is a LEGEND!

[Scott.Woodford]

I recall an exchange last year on the radio when the Fairey Swordfish was approaching Oshkosh.

The call from the tower, on identifying the Swordfish, was something like "Big fairy rock your wings"

It caused a chuckle among a few of us.