Short Final: Identity Crisis?

"You say a Piper, I say a Cessna..."

Gemini Sparkle

Key Takeaways:

  • An air traffic controller initially misidentified traffic as a "Piper Cherokee."
  • The controller quickly corrected the identification, advising the aircraft was actually a "Cessna."
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From AVweb reader Tony Greene:


While on a sightseeing tour of the Southwest Florida coastal islands, I overheard the Local Approach controller alert November XXX of traffic, identified as a “Piper Cherokee, three miles at one o clock.” A moment later, Local Approach said, “November XXX, be advised, that Cherokee traffic is of the Cessna variety.”

Mark Phelps

Mark Phelps is a senior editor at AVweb. He is an instrument rated private pilot and former owner of a Grumman American AA1B and a V-tail Bonanza.

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Replies: 4

  1. I once was going thru the quad cities airspace and picked up flight following. Said that i was in a Cessna. ATC said that I’m going awfully fast for a Cessna 172. I had to be more specific. I was in the 182RG skylane. My bad…

  2. Just make sure all traffic knows about the others.

  3. I was once going into LAX in a Cessna 210T. I could hear the disgust in the controller’s voice as I, in a mere Cessna, called in and he responded with, “Keep your speed up.” I responded with a wilco, and continued my approach, keeping the speed up at cruise, which, in a Turbo 210, is pretty reasonable. About three minutes later, the controller called and said, “Cessna XX, please reduce speed, you’re gaining on the 707 ahead of you”. I again said “Wilco” and I asked for permission to land long, to give me enough space to slow down after I crossed the threshhold. A long taxi for me was inconsequential, compared to helping the traffic flow. All’s well that ends well, and this did.

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