I wrote this a week or so ago before all the excitement started. I don't have opportunity to blog right now, just a couple of minutes to send this off.
Most radio conversation with air traffic control goes quickly, using the official 300-odd word vocabulary given to ATC. When the frequency is not so busy, there's a bit of chat, some jokes and personal greetings. But the recording linked below represents what may be a first in Canada.
Special message from the ground controller.
It's perfectly safe for work, even if you're an air traffic controller, but it made me cry the first time I listened to it. The controller's name is Bryson Katzel, and his fiancée, as he says, is Christine Watters.
Apparently Bryson got a talking to from the big cheese in NavCanada in Ottawa, as they discourage this kind of thing, but he wouldn't have been planning on doing it again any time, anyway. I don't know any of the people involved, but I wish the couple all the best.
Thanks to Eric Martin of Futura Studios Digital Design Center for hosting the clip. Be nice to his bandwidth and save it to your computer before you play it for someone else.
18 comments:
Yes, great stuff. Played it for a bunch of non-pilots here and they thought it was tremendous.
Hope Bryson doesn't get in too much trouble.
-ps
As a one off this is very touching. But, I sure wouldn't want to see any copy cats. It is better of the folks on the ground and in the air stick to their jobs! Nice, though.
A neat clip indeed.
I'm surprised that there wasn't a bunch of aircraft chiming in between the breaks looking for instructions/clearance, though. Apparently traffic was light.
I've got a ton of bandwidth I'd be happy to host it on if you find a need.
When I first read the headline, I thought that you'd found more than you'd hoped for at your new remote northern base (and mighty fast, too). After all, who knows where you might meet Mr/Ms Right?
I thought it was sweet....but that is the chick in me.
Dixie
Are you sure this wasn't in April 1? Just doesn't sound genuine to me...
It's real. I know someone who lives with someone who works with the controllor.
Notice that the controller switched the Air Canada to another frequency. YVR has more than one frequency for ground, so Bryson made his proposal on one frequency, and another controller could handle ground traffic that needed taxi instructions during that interval.
That's cool. I can imagine he's in a lot of crap though for that. I don't think I'd do that! The aviation authority can always say "what if someone wanted to call a mayday or a pan?" etc which is kinda true.
Heh. I figured he'd have switched, too.
What a unique way to propose - they'll be telling their grandkids about that one!! =)
I posted the clip over at liveatc.net. Everyone in the forum loved it too.
http://www.liveatc.net/forum/viewtopic.php?t=1744
Finally glad to see my Navcan fees going to something useful at least ! Crazy! Thats crazy !
absolutely fantastic.
will pass this around here in down under!!
Message to Ken: yeah it's real. I know Christine very well and am happy to report that they were recently married. We received the original recording a day later via personal email from her (to be followed up by a request not to distribute it further as their bosses - both newlyweds work for Nav Canada - were none too pleased).
But they're hard at work and so far...it's happily ever after.
I did get permission from Bryan to post it, so I guess he realized that it was out there anyway and people might as well enjoy it.
Bravo !
Very nice, wonder what it was like in the plane after that, must have been fun !
Beaucoup de bonheur aux mariés !
Great post. The reason you don't hear a bunch of breaks from pilots inbound is because you hear the Tower controller switch over to a special frequency, and then tells ACA187 to do the same: "ACA187, Switch to me on 127.15." Not the main tower freq, he probably had someone cover TWR while he did this. Good for him!
This man should get fired- the pilot in collusion with him, should be fired- ridiculous moment of putting lives in danger for such rubbish-.What do you mean people were safe?- no he was distracted- the pilot was distracted and his inane moment of ridiculousness put lives in danger- almost as stupid as the christian pilot ....
There's no danger. The airplane was on the ground. The controller was using a discrete frequency that no other aircraft was assigned. Other controllers in the cab knew what was going on and were covering the frequency the controller would otherwise have been covering.
If you don't understand why this was not dangerous, you don't understand how ATC works.
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