Silly question to pilots from ATC.

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indecision_killingme@reddit

I’m based at field with about 100,000 ops annually with a contract tower. At one point, I knew all the names.

But no, not common

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brucebrowde@reddit

How did you learn their names in the first place? By meeting all of them in the tower?

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indecision_killingme@reddit

I've met 3 or 4 of them in the tower. Between my coworkers and I you develop a list of names and match them to voices.

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I did a tour of our local tower (contract). There are only 6 controllers that work there right now so I can now put names to all the voices. Only the female controller was off the day I visited and she’s easy to pick out.

Highly recommend requesting the tour if their workload permits - definitely educational and they were excited to show us what they do.

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sludgybeast@reddit

My home class D is constantly busy and often needs 2 towers going simultaneously for traffic-

You think they’ll be able to squeeze me in?

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CalliopesMask@reddit

Try on a marginal day and call them on the phone. They’ll let you know

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Otherwise-Pen70@reddit

I use to like to visit the tower of airports flew into. That's how I knew their names but can't ever say I called her by first name

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Oregon-Pilot@reddit

There was a guy at MFR who my colleague always referred to as “Mr Rogers” and he was always fun to work with. Sometimes referred to the CJ I flew as “small but mighty” which I found entertaining, since they’re anything but mighty.

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dylanm312@reddit

Only because I happen to be friends with several of the folks at the class D I train out of. I can recognize their voices on the radio and will sometimes greet them with their OIs lol. But outside of my home airport, not a clue.

There’s one guy at NCT who always goes “and you have an outSTANding week” whenever he hands you off to someone else. No idea what his name is but he’s really good, and it always makes me feel good when I hear him on 121.3

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Wild-Language-5165@reddit

At a smaller field....yes it's very common, however mostly for GA traffic. Although, if you fly in somewhere often enough, we might hear someone else on frequency call you by name and then remember it. Some may use it just to mess with you or think it's funny or cool, take your pick.

I've done that before...someone wished ATC "Kathy" a happy birthday, she had kind of a unique voice so I remembered it. I'd randomly use it sometimes, and she'd reply back "do I know you?" To which I just breathed heavily into the mic ahahaha.

I know, I know creepy af, but boy did it make my day, couldn't stop laughing. It's the little things sometimes.

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PunkerTFC@reddit

Yes, we all know your name. It's part of our checkrides!

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burgonies@reddit

Is your name “Tower” by chance?

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Murphysburger@reddit

I fly out of a busy student mill. When I would call in with the information, Larry would say “How you doing, Murphysburger?”

I always wondered what these aspiring airline pilots would think of that? He was a cool guy, sorry he retired.

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Wallphotography@reddit

I’ve had clearance tell me to mess with the ground controller “ ask jim how his mornings going and if he’s enjoying his coffee”… Jim in fact spilt his coffee 5 min prior.

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Appropriate-South314@reddit

Similar incident here with a ground controller who didn’t get his pancakes

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brucebrowde@reddit

I imagined Jim's reaction was akin to this.

(To be clear, I'm only talking about the way the reaction itself was depicted - I don't want it to be misinterpreted that I think Jim has anything to do with the actual plot or anything else from the cartoon).

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Lost_Statistician760@reddit

Thanks for the clarification it was much needed.

(No it wasn't wtf are you yapping about you're not famous idk what you think this is)

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Wallphotography@reddit

I’m glad he clarified. Jim was in fact an RAF AAA gunner in WW2. He shot down the Hindenburg.

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DeathToHeretics@reddit

That's hilarious

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srv340mike@reddit

The only controllers I've ever known by name are guys I personally know or Paulie who worked NY Approach into EWR before he retired

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PilotC150@reddit

Is your name Chief, Buddy, or Guy? It could have just been a coincidence.

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Cxopilot@reddit

I always call the voices in my headset “sky god” or sky daddy/mommy if the feelings right

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HolyCrusader1492@reddit

Amazing

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hoppertn@reddit

One day you’ll slip up and will never hear the end of it.

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brucebrowde@reddit

Ladies and gentlemen, this is your captain speaking. We've just received a very enthusiastic clearance from... Let's call him "Sky Daddy", up there in the tower. He's given us the green light to come on down, nice and smooth. We'll be slipping gently onto the runway shortly, so please make sure your seats are upright and your belts are fastened - things might get a little... firm on contact. Sit back and enjoy the approach! We'll have you on the ground before you know it.

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3Green1974@reddit

My first job was working for a company that made beer. It was the owners “hobby”. It was sold locally and we were always giving it away. At Christmas we gave out these really nice calendars made from pictures of our offices around the world, as well as Cadbury’s gift tins. Throughout the year, we’d take cases of beer over to the tower, order them pizzas, and at Christmas they’d get beer, calendars, and the Cadbury’s. We pretty much knew everyone there. Plus the tower manager was an instructor at a nearby university so any of the pilots graduating (me included) from there knew him. It was really nice for a while. But a couple years after 9/11 they beefed up security around the tower making it difficult to do that anymore. Now I don’t know anyone in the tower.

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KCPilot17@reddit

Uh. Zero % unless we know you.

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OkBreadfruit63@reddit (OP)

Yeah, I figured. I recently transferred to my current airport, and was surprised that a pilot whom I’ve never met or seen had called me by my name. I was wondering if this was frequent or not.

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legimpster@reddit

I’ve had TRACON guys tell me “contact Scott in the tower on 118.7” or something like that…so of course I’m calling him by his name when I check in

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thewizbizman@reddit

This

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blacknessofthevoid@reddit

Roger? And don’t call me Shirley.

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perispomene@reddit

That's Clarence Oveur

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flyboy130@reddit

Probably another controller tipped them your name to fuck with you

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RapidlySlow@reddit

This does seem the most likely situation

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Philly514@reddit

It’s this

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__joel_t@reddit

Somewhat surprised the pilot also didn't wish you a happy birthday :-)

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ATC_av8er@reddit

Wait until you run into a pilot from your old facility kn frequency.

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22Planeguy@reddit

I've called one controller up by name and it was because his friend was working a different sector and wanted to mess with him on a slow night. Wasn't even his name, he was just telling pilots random names as a joke. I don't even know how else you would find out a controllers name.

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rattler254@reddit

Ok that’s hilarious

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Cute_Programmer_5113@reddit

Due to the "Uh" I read this response as if it were on the intercom

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Chester-Bravo@reddit

I just call them all Gary. I'm bound to get it right some time.

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DisregardLogan@reddit

I’ve met 3 Gary’s in my life and all of them fly planes

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Chester-Bravo@reddit

I think there's an old SNL sketch (probably from 20 years ago) where the Capt, FO, and navigator were all named Gary or Phill or something.

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OrionX3@reddit

Depends.

I’ve mostly been based out of smaller to medium sized Delta airports and make it a point to go to the tower at least once and meet some of the controllers. In that case I know their names, otherwise I just know their voices.

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mfsp2025@reddit

It can get passed around, especially if we fly there a lot. I knew the names of a few controllers at the airport I instructed out of. Never met them. But you’ll fly with a guy who has and they’ll be like “oh that’s Mike!” and you recognize Mike as the guy with the super friendly voice who always says “have a wonderful day”

It’s either really good or really bad if we know your name lol. Otherwise, we don’t pay attention and most controllers sound the same

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OkBreadfruit63@reddit (OP)

That’s why I was a bit perplexed, because I’ve heard my colleagues on the frequency before, and I do feel like we sound the same, more or less lol.

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hobbycollector@reddit

I've met four controllers in person at my local airport. But they never last long. They're all gone to other placements now.

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Mispelled-This@reddit

Everyone has their own style and personality if you hear them often enough, even if they all follow the same script in theory.

For instance, at home one controller always sounds bored even when he’s running 5 freqs, while another always sounds like they’re tubing even when I’m the only plane in their one sector. Then there’s the one who always asks for the weather, notams and approach even when I included them with my checkin, and another who doesn’t ask OR pass it to the next sector.

And, of course, we all know who the trainees are when The Voice steps in.

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PropOnTop@reddit

OP's a 22F, that would explain it a bit.

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Staffalopicus@reddit

Spot on

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JeffreyDollarz@reddit

Small airport vibes.

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Greenbench27@reddit

I’ve met various controllers at fly ins, tours, etc.. I have a buddy at Jax Tracon and I always check in with my call sign and then say hey with his name.

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SurpriseGeneral8618@reddit

There’s no way to know unless someone tells us.

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jaxin737@reddit

Everyone knew “Buzz” in the ATL tower. “Good day, gentlemen!”

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flyinboxes@reddit

That guy probably flies GA out of your field too. I’ve never been close to knowing any controller’s name just because I operated in and an out a bunch for work.

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dragonguy0@reddit

Nope. We get to know your voices but that's it.

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gbchaosmaster@reddit

Come up with nicknames, too.

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hoppertn@reddit

Well there’s Angry New Yorker, Angry New Yorker from Brooklyn, Angry Long Island Guy, and Angry probably Italian guy at N90.

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LearningDumbThings@reddit

u/dankvectorz, I think they’re talking about you.

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DankVectorz@reddit

Nonsense im the cheerful one

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Mispelled-This@reddit

They’re at N90; Angry is a given.

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TristanwithaT@reddit

Shoutout to the guy at NorCal Approach who tells everyone to have an outstanding day

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golfox_2@reddit

in France and Switzerland yeah if the pilots know the controller (easy to recognise at the voice tone) they would wish a good morning or evening or lunch when they're inbound or outbound

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Flyboy2020@reddit

I know the tower guys at my home base. They're contractors and come to the FBO parties on occasion.

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exploringtheworld797@reddit

I flew with former ATC guys and they’d say their names. Especially if they gave us direct!

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SuperSaint77x@reddit

I know the names of a couple of the TWR guys at my base, despite never having met them. The reason for their celebrity status is that the first one is hilariously funny and crack jokes and the other has a very pleasant voice and friendly demeanor. The latter apologized on behalf of the c*nt working APP that usually yells at and chews out pilots randomly.

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The_Daviator@reddit

I’m a flight instructor and have been for over three years now, so between meetings and bringing them pizza during the shutdown I’ve gotten to know a few of the controllers

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Bunslow@reddit

Depends on the size of the airport. Any airport with an "airline" isn't my idea of a "small" airport, but at my small tower home base, local pilots call up the tower to get an in-person tour relatively commonly.

I get the impression that a noticeable fraction of the local pilots have the tower number in their phone as a matter of course.

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__joel_t@reddit

If my radios die, and then my handheld radio dies, how else am I going to get my landing clearance if I don't have the tower number in my phone?

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Bunslow@reddit

I've heard of people calling the local sheriff's office during an electrical failure at night. The sherriffs have a facility on a local (untowered) field, and so can get peeps on sight at said field to turn on the lights.

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wrc-capital@reddit

I personally know an ATC at my local airport, know him from outside of aviation though. I would sometimes call him by name if he's on his shift.

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apoegix@reddit

No not common, but if I'd know you name I'd call you with it

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Bluedevil1992@reddit

I used to fly with a guy in the Reserves, RO who'd been in the unit forever. He'd check in with his name, not our well-known callsign, into Atlanta and Jax. Then proceed to have actual conversations with ATC. He'd also reference just about everything off of our home navaid, no matter how far away we were. But, we always got first-class treatment from ATC. Good times.

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beretta01@reddit

Yes…..looking at you, not-British bro in TPA ATCT who always slows me to 210kts at check in, lmao.

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ljthefa@reddit

I wish I didn't know exactly who you were talking about but yeah heard his voice many times there

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goodatgettingbanned@reddit

The British bro is always fun. Had him when I had a British FO working the radios, they had an entertaining chat.

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OkBreadfruit63@reddit (OP)

Sounds like you got some experiences with them haha.

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beretta01@reddit

It’s all in good fun….kinda 🤣😖🤦🏻‍♂️

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ultralights@reddit

When working as an instructor we would take students to the tower to meet the ATC staff. It helped students relax when ATC would talk to them face to face and they know if they mess up it’s nothing to be scared of. We knew the tower guys by name obviously and the ATC would often call us by name when leaving airspace or handing over to ground.

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murphey42@reddit

We have a very active EAA Young Eagle program at the airport with a contract tower. They know us, we know them. In fact there's a standing offer to take any of the controllers and/or kids for a flight. We've taken the tower manager's kids and wife on YE flights. They're invited to our summer picnic at the airport, too. When the previous manager retired, she & hubby joined EAA and helps as ground team. Her comment was "wow, this is SO much busier down here than up in the air!" One day I was flying and one of the controllers called me by name to say bye-bye, he was transferring to another tower, and to make sure I fly by sometime and say hi. When I was the YE coordinator, I made sure the tower got a cake for the holidays as a thank you from the chapter.

It's entirely dependent on the tower and the airport community.

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VrLights@reddit

Yes, knowing that I've tooken many groups of people to midway and other airport towers where I fly out of

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scottyh214@reddit

If you actually know the controller, ask them for their controller initials. Then you can say hi to him without using their actual name on frequency.

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MacAttack0711@reddit

At my local airport all resident pilots (instructors, law enforcement, charter, Medevac, etc.) seem to know the names of the controllers even though most of us have never met them.

However one time a controller did address a CFI by first name and by call sign, which really threw me for a loop.

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curiouslscple@reddit

I get it quite a bit. Worked as an instructor and examiner at the airport I was a controller at. Many of those students are with the airlines now. I recently transferred to another tower across the country and still get recognized on the radio.

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nolaflygirl@reddit

Nope. Never knew anyone I talked to in the tower.

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jtyson1991@reddit

That reminds me, I haven't heard Hank at PWK in awhile.

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loose_as_a_moose@reddit

Bit more common here in NZ at regional towers, especially if the pilot used to spend a looot of time operating there. It’s all about being professional though, and part of that is keeping it standard when it’s busy.

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Impossible-Bad-2291@reddit

Or in Australia: Good day Bruce! Oh hello Bruce! How are yer Bruce?

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TerminallyBill69@reddit

Is your name Mike... Or Romeo, or Charlie, or Oscar or....

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e_pilot@reddit

do you know someone that works at the center that would’ve handed the jet off? I’ve had controllers ask me to tell the next controller happy birthday or whatever

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Mispelled-This@reddit

FYI, happy birthday is nearly always a prank.

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karantza@reddit

I'm now slightly tempted to greet every controller by a random name. I might only be right 0.1% of the time, but man when I guess correctly they'll be so confused.

On second thought maybe I don't want to piss off 99.9% of the controllers, I want to be on your good side.

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Puckdropper@reddit

This isn't Samuel? You sound just like Samuel. Is he your brother... at KIKK? (Is there an airport with more Kilo's?)

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randombrain@reddit

That'd be the maximum, three. There's no airport with the FAA Location ID KKK (it would be very unfortunate if there were), and only airports in the Lower 48 have an ICAO code starting with K. So even if some other airport somewhere else in the world had three Ks in it, like perhaps in Cameroon or Kosovo, it would only have the three.

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NecessaryLight2815@reddit

No! How does he even know your name?

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definedsam@reddit

I love this question. I fly at a pretty large airport and we have a particular controller who is kind of an ass and EVERYONE knows their name. Their voice strikes fear into our hearts

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Denim-Luckies-n-Wry@reddit

When I soloed students, I'd jump out at the base of the tower and they'd buzz me in so I could have radio contact with the solo student if needed. This was at a non-airline airport with corporations and flight schools and a training tower. So I knew all the ATC guys and it was great. Also, I never did need to talk a solo student through some problem, but I felt safer that I could.

Years later, I was ATC liaison for my airline and occasionally visited the tower, working through any issues. But mostly I just brought pizzas and we had a great relationship. Would call each other by nicknames and no one else on the freq knew what was up.

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Ok-Money2811@reddit

I mean I used to know the guys in the GA airport tower when I was an instructor, mostly from face to face meetups when I took students over for a tower visit…but other than that not really.

From my hundreds of times in and out of JFK I could say I know Kennedy Steve…but then again everybody knows Kennedy Steve.

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pilotshashi@reddit

Probably some LinkedIn them.

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aftcg@reddit

One guy from our ARTCC came to a big BBQ full of pilot. He met everyone and knows us by name. "Airliner 123 contact appch, see ya Bob" freaked me out the first time I heard it.

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NationalLaw478@reddit

At your home airport, word usually gets around about names of people in the tower. Especially at a class D and especially if they are really mean or really nice. But it usually takes about a year+ to hear about it. Normally, we refer to you guys as “the grumpy one” or “the girl” etc etc.

Question for you: Do you guys care if we use your name over the radio?

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Canadian47@reddit

I'm based at a small towered airport as well.

Yes if I recognize their voice I will address them by name, they sometimes do them same. It is however easier for them as they know my tail#, for me some of the controllers sound similar.

It helps that a few years ago I started an annual "Take your controller for a flight day" and offer to take up the controllers and their families for a ride in my Bell 47. Some of the local fixed wing pilots join in as well.

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ltjpunk387@reddit

Funny enough, I was just looking up my local TRACON on Google maps, and someone left a one star review for someone named Patrick, saying they were very rude. I have so many questions about what led to that

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brucebrowde@reddit

I mean, Patrick is a star 😇

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poisonandtheremedy@reddit

At my home airport, and a few neighboring ones, in San Diego, it is common for the regulars to know their ATC folks, and say thanks / hello by name.

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UsedandAbused87@reddit

When I started my training I called up to ATC and brought them energy drinks and Chicfila. They just call me the chicken guy

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wolfstore@reddit

I know a bunch of the guys by name who work in the tower where I instructed out of because I took students up for tower visits often. Also, depending on what kind of controller you are, you can build a reputation for yourself whether you like it or not. There's one controller at my local field that EVERYONE knows by name because of his reputation. So it could be a good or bad thing haha.

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weaselkeeper@reddit

I guess it depends on the airport community, I run a large flight school, we have monthly bbq hangar parties and always invite the tower. There’s usually a few that show up, we also bbq for them once a week during government shutdowns.

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21MPH21@reddit

Was this a Breeze pilot asking for your number - then not asking for your number?

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RecentAmbition3081@reddit

Guy on grinder?

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hoppertn@reddit

I hear gay controllers are always trying to give you their number.

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sillyaviator@reddit

Breezing along

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schphinct@reddit

Even if I knew you personally, it would never go beyond addressing you by your initials. Short of that, I’d never get more informal than calling you “Rock Springs specialty” or something like that

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hoppertn@reddit

“Sky Daddy”

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PutOptions@reddit

I know my Delta tower guys by name, but only one of them (the Sup) have I ever addressed by name on freq cause I know he is cool with familiarity. Except for a new guy or trainee, I always know who I am talking with. I visit a couple times a year and always learn shit. Clearance stuff, LOAs, radar, N90 TRACON relations, 7110 oddities, etc.

Just like my relationship with my mechanics. All these people help me do my thing. I wanna understand how it all works.

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BrtFrkwr@reddit

I had a controller trainee rent a room from me once and we got to be good friends. Whenever I heard him on the radio I'd say hi.

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Nnumber@reddit

I got the opposite from a PIT controller once. “N1234 approach”.

“Go ahead…”.

“Is this ^%”.

“Well yes, it is…”

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NyyDave@reddit

I’m a controller at a small tower and I’ve got a fat Notes file with every name and callsign I’ve met. There’s only one I use regularly on frequency. He’s a unique guy and always says “is this David?” after check in so it feels appropriate. We’ve got one guy that spends breaks visiting hangars and he gets personalized shout-outs like once per session

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Recent-Day3062@reddit

I live is a small town where a pilatus charter often serves - a lot. The longer term pilots and the controllers have often met after a while. The pilots get over to the tiny tower during a break or shift change. There are few enough voices they often use a name. But usually like do a “so long, Bob” while passing them to Center.

But we did an amazingly short landing one time, and the controller said “very nice, Jeff”

The operator uses a consistent tail numbering system so it’s always clear it’s this operator

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fly_boy651@reddit

I know the voices of my home tower but couldn't tell you their names, and i did all my training there for the last year and a half. We don't really get the opportunity to know names unless we get a basher and ask you for it directly 🤣

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MundaneHovercraft876@reddit

No. But I like to imagine you guys are all up there in your underwear. Keeps it frisky.

If I knew your names, it wouldn’t be the same

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OkBreadfruit63@reddit (OP)

Sounds pretty accurate, we’re definitely up there in our underwear only, keep us cool when we have a rush loll.

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MundaneHovercraft876@reddit

They keep trying to give me a number, but I’m not falling for it

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PhilRubdiez@reddit

I’m surprised. I’m on a first name basis with pretty much all of the controllers on the east coast. They can’t wait to give me their numbers. The love to talk about my deviant tendencies.

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bobnuthead@reddit

I know a couple of controller’s names at the airport I work at. Mostly from either meeting them in person, calling supes/CICs enough, or one time an airline pilot asked the ground controller her name. But only a handful, and I’ve never used them on frequency.

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