why eavesdropping doesn't always help!
Posted: Sat Jan 07, 2017 3:03 pm
I thought I would share this experience as it made me laugh (and cry a little too). I planned a route from KDEN to KSLC last night, and when I left the TRACON around Denver I heard a delta callsign get the ILS 16L into salt lake. Aha, I thought, it must be north landing today. So I spent some time setting up my radios and course, not to mention programming the fms, for 16L ILS. Then some time into the cruise I heard Keith, who was controlling, say salt like has switched to south ops. I checked the weather and the wind was 07/330 or something similar. Groaning a little I changed all the radios , course setting, and reprogrammed the fms, a bit of a chore in the majestic dash 8. Then...approaching salt lake I heard keith say something like 'you know what, the wind isn't that strong, we'll change back to north ops'. You gotta laugh at this point. despite this ,it was a fun flight, and eventually I did a visual into salt lake on north landing after all! I am sure in the real world this scenario can also occur! normally listening in to what others are getting is a great idea, and I shall certainly do it again, but maybe I won't be setting everything up until I get the nod from the approach controller 