What actually happens when the tower tells you to take down a phone number?
Posted by Thomisawesome@reddit | aviation | View on Reddit | 143 comments
I've been watching a lot of those youtube videos where a pilot does something wrong and the tower tells them to write down a phone number to call later.
What is the phone number for, and what exactly is going to happen when they call it?
Puzzleheaded_Nerve@reddit
It’s to call the tower to talk about something they don’t want to talk about over the public airwaves. Usually because someone fucked up.
Ea61e@reddit
Also because I presume you’d take up an active radio channel just to argue about how you used the wrong taxiway without clearance or whatever
Puzzleheaded_Nerve@reddit
I guarantee if your default is to argue, you won’t make it as a pilot.
Ea61e@reddit
I have adhd and autism so I ain’t gonna be a pilot any time soon lol I just love listening to ATC on my (receive only) VHF radio
doyoulikepepsi@reddit
I love how everyone identifies with ADHD and Autism like it's the mental illness du jour for 2025.
Handsome-bro-ray@reddit
It's only safety, if a pilot with autism got over stimulated it could be extremely dangerous for the passengers, but ADHD is another thing, you can fly as long as you arent on medication, which really lowers your flight time down when you need to take your medication, so no, it's only safety and not being biased or anything
doyoulikepepsi@reddit
My comment wasn’t about aviation in general - it was about the previous poster who said he/she has adhd and autism. It’s interesting to see so many people self-diagnose (not saying the OP is self-diagnosing) with adhd and autism in the past few years. It’s treated as if it is a fad. Just kinda funny.
No-Paleontologist260@reddit
I have autism and a ham licence (doing cw only), but I also had a pilots licence when the tower asked me to call a number after landing. Turned out that it was the military. I had briefly gone through a corner of their airspace during low visibility. I had to promise not to do it again :).
enemawatson@reddit
I hope they made you meet with a general and pinky promise.
creepig@reddit
ADHD is the problem. The FAA doesn't take kindly to medication.
AccipiterCooperii@reddit
ADHD, lazy eye, guess its MSFS/DCS for me :(
mlambie@reddit
Get a ham license and you can transmit too.
falcon5nz@reddit
To clarify the about "...transmit [on ham radio frequencies] too."
A ham radio licence does not allow you to transmit on airband.
77_Gear@reddit
I love listening to ATC with these radios too! So much fun!
gash_dits_wafu@reddit
Oh I dunno, I know plenty of argumentative pilots in the Navy! 😂
No you're right, the priority is Air Safety. Everything else is secondary. Which means the default can't be to argue, it has to be to listen and discuss calmly to get to the bottom of the issue.
Stocomx@reddit
I agree if arguments of any kind is a personal default then your problem not going to make a good pilot. But neither is being a completely complacent pilot either. I have witnessed several times that a controller has put a pilot in a bad spot to make the controllers life easier. A simple unable or several unables responses usually works. A pilot that simply follows ATC blindly because they are worried about what a controller might say or do is just as bad.
Like most things in life. Balance is a personality usually is a good thing.
Jimmy-Pesto-Jr@reddit
is that based on the honor system? what happens if the pilot in trouble doesn't call the number?
Planey_McPlane_Face@reddit
It's recorded, so if they don't get a call back the pilot gets in trouble.
Usually it's not "call us so we can yell at you," they give the number because ATCs have a ton going on, and it's a shared frequency. The ATC could have screwed up too, the phone call conversation is more just figuring out what went wrong, who screwed up, and how to prevent it from happening in the future. This will likely be a prolonged conversation, they don't want the pilot to be distracted while flying, and they need to keep the frequency clear of unnecessary chatter, so a phone call makes much more sense.
StagedC0mbustion@reddit
Just because it’s recorded doesn’t mean every minute of audio is reviewed post mortem, does it?
Ungrammaticus@reddit
It doesn’t have to be. The tower knows they told you to call.
Only if you claim that you were never told to call them will it become relevant that it was recorded, and in that case it will be trivial to find the place in the recording that proves you wrong.
Puzzleheaded_Nerve@reddit
Everything is recorded. Don’t be a dumbass.
StallionOfLiberty@reddit
But what happens to a dumbass?
jmadisson@reddit
what happens to you at any job when you don't do something you have to?
The-Lifeguard@reddit
Mostly.... Promoted
eatmynasty@reddit
Surprisingly little tbh
StallionOfLiberty@reddit
Honestly? Not much. My place of work is extremely disorganized.
davispw@reddit
I’m much less scared of annoying my boss than I’d be if I had to worry about the FAA taking away my license and career
hawkxp71@reddit
Depends on why they gave you the number.
In general it can start a faa investigation either way.
Calling and sorting things out is usually the best way to avoid the faa
Uphene@reddit
Alphabet agencies are involved... They don't have a sense of humor.
classysax4@reddit
If you call, there's a good chance you get a warning. (That's what I got.) If you ignore the number, the FAA is likely to investigate and punish you.
classysax4@reddit
I flew somewhere I shouldn't, got a number, and was afraid I wouldn't get to fly the rest of the way home.
The controller I called asked me if I realized what I did, told me not to do it again, and hung up.
pkhbdb@reddit
How do you accidentally fly somewhere ?
Next_Ad_1323@reddit
He was flapping his arms to dry them, and the next thing he knew, he was in Buffalo.
PG67AW@reddit
Could be as simple as busting an altitude restriction.
Carlito_2112@reddit
Or flying vfr into a class Bravo without being invited in....
AssistantRepulsive15@reddit
no biggie, as long as you stay a couple hundred feet away from the big boys they're usually pretty cool about it, especially if you start doing some touch-n-goes on the main active. And who can live without buzzing the tower? They might want to chat with you, but just tell them to relax or better yet, a friendly reminder that we pay their salaries. They love that.
BravoDotCom@reddit
Blue Angels did it even.
PG67AW@reddit
gasp
FireSalsa@reddit
“I’m sorry I thought this was america”
Thomisawesome@reddit (OP)
I’m sure you were sweating bullets for a while.
anotherblog@reddit
Sometimes if a kid is really naughty, instead of mum telling them off there and then, tell them they’ll have of wait until dad gets home and he’ll deal with it. Kid spends the next few hours worrying. It’s a good tactic.
Thomisawesome@reddit (OP)
If I have a kid, when he gets on trouble I’ll use the “Go get a pen. I’ve got a phone number for you to call” tactic.
Fly4Vino@reddit
They want to talk . You may have a chance to sound very reasonable and that there was a mistake or simple misunderstanding.
Unless you have just finished a couple shots of whiskey it is probably a good idea to talk with them.
AssistantRepulsive15@reddit
I always get whiskey, it's provided every 26th hours.
RyDe1337@reddit
Happy Cake Day!
jmadisson@reddit
feels like that might be one of the better ways to steel oneself beforehand
OKQ23@reddit
I have a possible pilot deviation. Made a vid about it. Check it out here. https://youtu.be/TMRfd3yFd5s?si=kkzDIKJlrPClSgRO
saml01@reddit
It depends on what you did obviously. But for the non severe infractions you call the tower controller on duty and explain what you did wrong, why and how you won't do it again like an adult. Then you go on with your life and you never make the mistake again.
Ordinary_Ranger_3097@reddit
I suspect this is the right answer. I was taught that if a serious infraction happens, it’s usually proceeded by “possible pilot deviation, stand by to copy a number.” If so, the number you are given I believe is the FDSO.
But at a Class D or even Class C field, I’ve heard it may be the tower or approach number, so you can get some feedback that is a bit more off the record. No way a Class B tower or approach wants to have this conversation with you on the phone.
Motor-Valuable-7642@reddit
The phone number given is to the air traffic facility. The type of airspace has nothing to do with what phone number is given out. “Possible pilot deviation” is a Brashar Warning given to a pilot and the ATC facility gets the name, number, and certificate number of the pilot and it gets submitted. The role of ATC is not to investigate and everything that you say on the phone is recorded. Stick to the facts and file an NASA report.
Ordinary_Ranger_3097@reddit
Good advice on filing the ASRS report.
dabigbaozi@reddit
Or they send a vehicle with flashing lights to come meet you on the tarmac.
jared_number_two@reddit
If you're really bad, like fly a little too close to the clouds, the sky police will come up to get you. At least that's what my instructor told me.
ScottOld@reddit
It’s fine, just eject a door at them
Carlito_2112@reddit
Boeing has entered the chat.
jared_number_two@reddit
I throw my spare propeller into their wheels.
FirstTarget8418@reddit
Are those the angry guys in the F16s?
VulcanMind1@reddit
Yup. Less than a year ago there was a sonic boom from one over DC flying to intercept an unresponsive small plane.
jared_number_two@reddit
No they're there to show you which way the ground is when you're lost.
JVM_@reddit
Almost heaven, FAA's ya...
No-Paleontologist260@reddit
There's a famous example on Youtube of Harrison Ford calling ATC after he landed on a taxiway. "I am the schmuck who landed on the taxiway". https://youtu.be/lO4Yw8iHB4g?si=1n49pPhv03TQSD8E
FluffonStuff@reddit
I’m going to edit this a little bit: Usually the number is given out based on what we just saw. As soon as the situation on anybody’s radar, they go back and listen to the tapes, look at the radar recording if applicable, etc. Sometimes the controller thought they said one thing, when they actually said something else. The phone call is basically just to hash out who did what and how things led to whatever happened.
It isn’t right for pilots to come in thinking they’re about to be scolded. They’re calling to get to the bottom of things. Like you said, depending on severity and egregiousness, the pilot may get reported. If the controller screwed up, they may get a write-up, too. It’s not completely one-sided
Chasing_Bullitt@reddit
And fill out an ASRS form as soon as possible. (ASRS = Aviation Safety Reporting Service and is managed by NASA.)
Its_all_made_up___@reddit
Yeah, but until they get your I.D. They can’t prove who was flying.
decayed-whately@reddit
Can we get a real answer?
I'm not a pilot, but getting my PPL is on my retirement bucket list.
Some of us would legitimately like to know.
dvinpayne@reddit
First of all, I'm not speaking for the FAA here. This is my experience and what I've seen personally. We ask for your information, name certificate number and a way to contact you, then we put that in the report that we pass on to others to look at. I usually try to explain what I believe you were instructed to do and what we observed you doing so you have some idea what's going on. Often the people who call already have some idea what happened. We're not going to grill you right there on the spot though. If the investigator that look at it down the line decides there's something worth pursuing in the investigation they'll reach out to you for anything else they need. The FAA has moved away from a punishment first mindset for deviations so the old days of phone number = cert revoked are no longer what you should experience.
Thomisawesome@reddit (OP)
Thank you so much.
OracleofFl@reddit
It is worth noting that you can get the "take a number" for a wide range of reasons, not just violation actions. I got one when the tower wanted to advise me that where I had been flying, while perfectly legally flying there, was on an instrument approach path and was pissing of the jet jockeys making them do all sorts of unnatural acts. Another time I was going around somewhere and they told me to make left traffic and then yelled at me to make right traffic and to take a number when I got on the ground. When I called them they said they pulled the recording and that I was right...just to let me know that. When it is a possible violation, they say "possible pilot deviation"--which is the "Brasher Warning" which is sort of like a Miranda warning.
Ordinary_Ranger_3097@reddit
Good answer.
Especially around Class D airspace where tower has no radar (e.g., KVUJ). You are in their airspace and they know it but cannot see you. You do not want to dawdle over or traverse, for example, anywhere NNE of the field five miles out anywhere near 2300 MSL without talking to tower. Because that area is the final approach for 22L and some jet or other aircraft may be making an IFR straight in approach and they can run over you. Particularly a hazard when tower is closed.
We have military controllers at KVUJ, and they are keenly aware of your position and confirm it if a C130 or C17 or any other traffic is in the area, but that is not always the case at other fields.
Best advice to VRF pilots is to learn IFR approach and departure lanes at your airport and stay clear of them.
OracleofFl@reddit
I know now!
Rubes2525@reddit
Lmao, it sounds like an issue with whoever set up the airspace rather than you flying. It sounds dickish of the tower to call you just to complain on the jet pilots' behalf. If it was such an issue, then ATC should've just recommended a different altitude to you to pass through the area, provided you were already getting flight following from them.
OracleofFl@reddit
Not really, I will give you an recent example. I was flying to a Class D airport that is under an Class Bravo shelf (Class C and B are basically shaped like upside-down wedding cakes). That means I gotta get down to like 1500 feet miles and miles out to stay out of the "Bravo" and in my case under 4500 even more miles out. I was putting along and the controller (on Flight Following) said to me, "Begin initial descent" which is not something they are required to do at all. I asked myself, "why is he doing that?" Then I looked at the chart and said "oh shit, I gotta get lower fast", so I basically cut my power and dropped into a pretty steep descent to get under the shelf. Had I missed that clue, I would have violated the airspace which technically could have meant I was getting in the way of some jet or something.
Thomisawesome@reddit (OP)
I imagine a pilot is still sweating whenever they're told to get a pen ready.
OracleofFl@reddit
Nah! Unless it has happened a bunch of times or you did something egregious and/or dangerous you are most frequently just going to get a stern talking to and a few hours of required instruction from a certified flight instructor (CFI). For example, if you slightly violate a restricted airspace, they may say your license is suspended until a CFI signs off on giving you 3 hours of instruction on airspace rules. Something like that.
Old-Chair126@reddit
What if you don’t call tower
WaterlooLion@reddit
Kinda like refusing to engage with a cop who pulled you over.. Could have been just a warning (convo), could have been a minor infraction, but now you're almost certainly meeting a judge (FAA investigator) wondering why you couldn't handle this like an adult without them getting involved.
ProudlyWearingThe8@reddit
ATCs aren't going to shoot you, though...
decayed-whately@reddit
Thank you.
wt1j@reddit
Had to call twice. Once as a student for a minor pattern issue and second time in a 172 because Denver thought I violated their bravo but it was a false TCAS alert from a passenger plane overhead and I was never inside bravo. Chatted with the supervisor both times. Super friendly. Just a very productive conversation to discuss what happened and how I could improve (in the first case) and explaining how they made a mistake in the second case. KAPA tower both times.
For the curious, the TCAS issue was leaving Spaceport which is fairly tight. Was 200ft below bravo but with moderate turbulence in afternoon convection. I’d suggest staying lower if you can to avoid a false alert because Spaceport is so close to Denver. We had two Sentry’s on board and could see from the tracks we were never inside bravo but that data wasn’t needed because by the time we got the supervisor on the line he already had his own data.
RedThornOfAncrath@reddit
what is bravo? (pardon my ignorant intrusion)
IrishWake_@reddit
Class B airspace. It’s the designation that surrounds the busiest airports. Since airplanes require lateral space to descend, the airspace is shaped like an upside down tiered cake. This allows for uncontrolled traffic to fly underneath the airspace. Sometimes, other airports are shoehorned in really close to the “shelf” which can lead to occurrences like this
RedThornOfAncrath@reddit
Thank you!
wt1j@reddit
Unlike other airspace’s like Delta (towered regional fields) and Charlie (towered busy regional) where you need to establish two way communication to be able to enter the airspace, with Bravo you need to hear the phrase “cleared into the bravo” which specifically grants you clearance into the airspace. It is the busiest fields like LAX and New York JFK. So “busting bravo” is an offense that can cost your license because of the number of people you are putting at risk. We have some regional Delta airspace that is shoehorned under the bravo shelf - look up KCFO - where it’s very easy to bust bravo because the bravo ceiling is very low over the field and you also have to make a hard series of turns taking off to avoid the imaginary walls that define the ground level bravo boundaries. It’ll keep you on your toes.
RedThornOfAncrath@reddit
This is truly amazing. The amount of things I learned in a single day from you guys. And I came here because of Belgrade incident since two days ago. I can say only THANK YOU
wt1j@reddit
Hey you're most welcome. Check out /r/flying where pilots hang out and /r/ATC where controllers hang out. I'd also recomend doing a discovery flight if you don't have any flying experience. You'll be drinking from a firehose and they tend to cost around $150 if you're in the US which is good value in my opinion.
AJsarge@reddit
Class bravo airspace. B for Big City Airports. You have to be talking to the controller in charge of that airspace, and they have to let you in. If you don't talk to them, or they don't specifically let you in, and you fly in anyways, be prepared to write down a phone number.
Marc21256@reddit
It is done for everything from "Here is what you did wrong, do better" conversation to "here is the report number, we need your details to go into the report for when they investigate it and you hopefully lose your license".
One I recently watched, where a plane took off without clearance, the plane who did a go-around for their landing on an occupied runway was to get his witness statement against the pilot who took off without clearance. So the call wasn't about the pilot who was given the number, but about a 3rd party.
ShoemakerMicah@reddit
Happened to me once. I was SURE I was gonna get an earful about something dumb I hadn’t noticed myself doing. Turned out the controller recognized my tail number as the same plane he earned his PPL in 30 years before. Got to check out tower, hang out, and enjoy a casual bbq after tower operations ceased at 7pm.
Just call them! It’s probably no biggie or you would already know
pissy_corn_flakes@reddit
“You’ve been trying to reach you about your Boeing’s extended warranty…”
Marc21256@reddit
This deal is so good it will blow your doors off.
Carlito_2112@reddit
Get out! I would show you the door.....but.....
HardCorePawn@reddit
Don't let the door hit your tail on the way out...
Proof-Presentation26@reddit
with doors coming off, that might be a good idea
EnterReturnLine@reddit
Damn panel gaps are like a Tesla.
BeechDude@reddit
I have a podcast where I interview a FAA quality control manager for our local tower. We go into detail on what happens after a deviation. Although the podcast is about a Arkansas airport most of the stuff we talk about is applicable to all airports.
https://open.spotify.com/episode/26ICCK7kwOLomIznmUK810?si=OcCqfRWJQveBiyAH723GDg
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/kork-north-little-rock-muni/id1602709766?i=1000561115902
Thomisawesome@reddit (OP)
Cool. I’ll have a look.
ABCapt@reddit
Tower, approach or center asking you to call when you land is not a big deal and you should always call. If they give you a Brasher Warning, which would sound like “possible pilot deviation advise ready to copy a number”. That is or could be a big deal, but you should still call. ATC has the luxury of reviewing recording almost immediately after a situation occurring. And believe it or not ATC makes their fair share of mistakes. But maybe you call after a Brasher but they checked the tapes and turns out it was their fault they can breakdown what they were thinking or what they thought they said but it came out incorrectly and end the call with a “thanks for calling”.
pancakespanky@reddit
When we have a potential pilot deviation we need to have a more detailed conversation with the pilot about what happened and how to avoid it in the future. We need to ask for personal information which we don't want to do on the frequencies and we also don't want the pilot to be distracted while flying.
Being asked to call the facility usually means that we think the pilot did something wrong and caused a problem. The conversation usually is just an informative one avoht what was done wrong and how to avoid it in the future. If the deviation was egregious than sometimes that requires us to file additional paperwork in which case we will collect personal information and pass that along to the investigators.
Generally speaking, the interaction will end with the phone call. We are not interested in punishing pilots. Our job is safety focused and the best way to promote safety is to educate people when they are being unsafe and that is the main goal of these conversations.
I have seen pilots who were combative both on frequency and over the phone make a lot more trouble for themselves, but those cases are rare and really the pilots who behave like that tend to be unsafe and dangerous in many aspects of their flying
At the end of the day we are not police, we are not interested in punishment or discipline. We want pilots to be as knowledgeable and safe as they can be because it's a real headache when they aren't
maxwedge426@reddit
Can you say incursion?
Chaxterium@reddit
I got the dreaded "we have a number for you" once. It was in Charlotte.
This happened a number of years ago so my memory may be a little fuzzy.
If you're landing on 36L and you exit the runway at W7, tower expects you to continue onto N and hold short of 36C and then contact ground.
I didn't know that the first time I flew into KCLT so I did what I always do. I exited the runway, came to a stop and we contacted ground.
As I taxied in ground said "hey can you give us a call on this number?".
They were super nice with me thankfully. They understood that I probably didn't know so it was no big deal but in the future make sure you continue onto N.
chapmansthrowaway@reddit
Are you saying you stopped before crossing W onto N?
Chaxterium@reddit
I think so. I didn't want to cross W until I had clearance to do so.
shiftyjku@reddit
Probably better to accidentally hold than accidentally cross an active runway like the recent incident at JFK
Chaxterium@reddit
Yeah that's exactly what I was thinking too. When you look at the airport diagram it's pretty safe to taxi. There are really no intersections once you're on N. But still....taxiing without a clearance is an odd thing for a pilot at a large airport.
Thomisawesome@reddit (OP)
Cool. So more of a “Hey, just be aware of this next time”.
Chaxterium@reddit
Yep. They were super cool about it.
LazyPasse@reddit
ATC might provide a brief description of what they think was an error and ask the pilot if they can tell them anything about what happened. ATC will ask the pilot’s name and a number to call back on. The rest depends on the facts of the situation.
Just-Study-6922@reddit
You getting an FAA violation is what’s happening
639248@reddit
Just to be advised, it is not always your mess-up that will result in a request to call the tower. I was on an ILS approach in to runway 30 at OAK one evening and a helicopter going out of HWD busted his altitude and caused us to get a TCAS RA. Tower asked us to call after we landed. Ultimately it was to apologize and explain about the helicopter's altitude bust, but he asked if we were required to file a report over the RA, which obviously we were.
Stocomx@reddit
I have talked to ATC twice over a phone. Once I was completely in the wrong. Early in my flying before moving map gps I got confused and entered a down wind on the wrong side of a runway at a very busy airport. One of the holly shat I can’t believe I was that stupid hands shaking moments. Had a conversation about it that went good. Explained that I was confused and how I got confused as to location. Completely agreed with the controller about how to prevent it in the future.
2nd was the ATC fault. That conversation did not go well at all and a few days later the local fsdo had to be involved. I was the one who asked the controller for a number to call once we were on the ground. I was put on a heading by one controller then handed off to another controller who told me I should not be where I was. At that point I could not descend because of obstacles or climb because of clouds to the elevation that I was now assigned. After the fourth “unable” response I gave I told the controller who ever he had to route around me was his problem and I didn’t care if it was a delta jet or not. This was at CLT. Headed south/southwest west of the airport close to the tower farm. Which crosses the approach for clt at the altitude I was at. He continued transmitting headings I could not follow so I asked for his phone number so we discuss this on the and told he I would be flying my present heading\elevation till I could safely do other wise.
End the end it was a good learning experience for everyone I do believe. The fault being on the first controller that put me on the heading before the hand off.
conamnflyer@reddit
As a pilot I’ve gotten the number once… the controller lived next door to the former owner of my airplane and wanted to talk about it, I couldn’t find the number when I went to look for it, so I just didn’t. He remembered when I met him a year later…
As a controller, I’ve given the number out a few times. One was a fuck up by the pilot and the center(I had to do paperwork. Center released him over the phone although my tower and approach was already open and coordinating with center). One was something stupid, I really don’t remember what it was about, but it was a student pilot and I just needed him to understand something, no paperwork, just a talk.
Thomisawesome@reddit (OP)
That’s cool that you’ve experienced both sides.
Plazbot@reddit
Single manned towers are lonely. They are just looking for someone to talk to.
DravidiansOfAsia@reddit
When a ATS instructs a pilot to "take down a phone number," it means the pilot should note down a specific secure contact number for further communication or to receive important information related to their flight so that no other controller can disturb the line and avoid mishaps, such as changes in routing, weather updates, or other operational details. This is a standard communication protocol in aviation to ensure efficient and clear information exchange between air traffic control and pilots.
Thomisawesome@reddit (OP)
Thanks. Based on those videos, or almost seems like ATC is using it to scare belligerent pilots.
Silver996C2@reddit
Phone number for the Principals office. 😂
Agitated_Car_2444@reddit
It's a friendly reminder that you should file an ASRS.
tamboril@reddit
This is what the AOPA advises. Basically, do call, but politely do not answer any questions, saying that you're not prepared to do so, and you called only to find out WTF ATC wanted.
Rocketsponge@reddit
Had it happen to me one time when Approach forgot to hand us off to Tower for landing. Fortunately, my student was on the ball and brought up the issue as we were on short final, so we waved off and switched to Tower ourselves. Got cleared to go downwind and land, then got the dreaded digits.
When I called, it was the Tower Supervisor who wanted more info. I explained everything and he said he would investigate. He called me back about an hour or two later and admitted Approach had missed the switch, but it was because “we were busy doing some training at the time.” Fair enough, I was just happy he didn’t want to try and do a flight violation.
harahochi@reddit
You call. Jack Bauer answers. He says you have 24 hours to save the president, and that you have to go to Toronto and meet a man. You go.
Halfway there, you realise you've been followed by your wife. She's not who you thought she was. You go back home to prepare dinner. FAA is waiting for you in your driveway.
You go to Wendy's instead.
Zorg_Employee@reddit
My favorite recording:
Tower: I have a phone number for you to write down when you're ready.
Pilot: I already know the number, I'll call when I land.
Thomisawesome@reddit (OP)
A real pro.
skyhawk-89@reddit
The Tower thinks ur cute and wants to go on a date
nighthawke75@reddit
Especially if your other half (read, married life) called... One pilot nearly had a panic attack until the tower calmed him back down.
KoldKartoffelsalat@reddit
Strange behaviour.....
I've never felt the need to argue on the frequency, nor have I ever had anyone call me in the tower.
I provide a service, I'm not a police officer.
I can find other, more subtle way of "punishment" if needed..... like, "You're now no. 6" or "Hold over, expect X minutes delay." That's not really punishment, though. It's more something necessary to keep things rolling.
Alfred_Chlorophytum@reddit
I didn't even get the phone number, they just told me to call tower when I had parked the ac. It was nothing too bad, I had two flight plans "open" because I hadn't been able to land at either of those airports (weather degraded instead of improving) and had to divert back where I departed. The tower just wanted to inform me about that.
Thomisawesome@reddit (OP)
That's not too bad. Thanks.
Felicia_Bastian@reddit
Personal experience here. Its so the controller can give you a rev and disciplinary action direction if required.
IllustriousLeader124@reddit
Only because a friend told me, because I'm a pilot that never makes mistakes, but I've heard that during these conversations, you can actually gain a better understanding of what occurred prior to that number being passed. And I can tell you that the attitude you bring to the conversation is critical. If you come off as arrogant or entirely bothered by the fact that you are being told to call the number, the conversation can go poorly. LOL but in reality, you can't pull a oops I forgot to call or no thanks, I'd rather not talk about it, because then you're going to have an investigator come and visit you, and knowing a couple of these guys, they get very irritated that you couldn't just handle it one-on-one. A possible pilot deviation that is issued by the dispatching agency is a lot easier to deal with in the course of your career rather than being the subject of an investigation. You just call the number, tell your side of the story, they tell theirs, and 90% of the time, you walk away from the conversation with new understanding and no permanent documentation of the event
Thomisawesome@reddit (OP)
Great explanation. Please tell...your friend... thanks for the story.
Dog1beach@reddit
Usually nothing good.
oldsailor21@reddit
So what happens when the pilot asks for a number to call
mokupilot@reddit
I've had an FAA guy in the Jumpseat ~~ask me~~ tell me to ask for the initials of a person in the tower because they fucked up. Awkward.
airboss1971@reddit
Google “Brasher Warning”
MartinFromChessCom@reddit
holy hell!
eeickmeyer@reddit
New response just dropped
JaggedMetalOs@reddit
Tower goes on vacation, never comes back
decayed-whately@reddit
Thank you.
g_core18@reddit
You pretend you didn't hear it and don't call
KeeganY_SR-UVB76@reddit
r/shittyaskflying
BrewCityChaser@reddit
You call it up and are forced to listen to a rendition of 'Never Gonna Give You Up' by Rick Astley.
AZFUNGUY85@reddit
Double secret probation
richweav@reddit
They’re going to invite you out for a nice seafood dinner.