Channel 9 check, ok...

Did you know that US airliners let you hear the chatter between pilots and the different Air Traffic Controllers (ATC) along the flight route? Yep, just turn to entertainment channel 9 at your seat. To me, it's cool hearing the ATC instruct your flight to change altitude or course and feel the plane doing it.

In explanation, as your flight travels, it's actually handed off from one regional ATC to the next until finally it gets handed to the ATC of your destination airport. Just think of elementary school kids going down a hallway, being directed from one room's teacher to the next until they get to the right room and you'll get the picture.

But from hearing some of the harried chatter as the ATC direct what seem to be dozens of flight each, it's obvious that analogy is closer to reality than you think. And no wonder as they try to communicate effectively with pilots with German accents, Australian accents, Chinese accents, and a pilot that sounded suspiciously like Steve Martin doing his best "Wild & Crazy Guy" voice.

For instance instead of using the proper letter designation of "hotel-yankee-kilo" for "HYK," hearing that Martin alike stumble out with "Uh, was that Harry-yellow-Karen?" By the stunned pause the ATC was probably banging her head on the desk before affirming the request using the proper designation. I could swear she added the word "..moron!" under her breath but maybe I'm just projecting.

Pilots were negotiating routes and being overruled by ATC constantly for safety reasons; questioning instructions with the unasked, "But why me!" hanging in the air. I'll bet it was with relief the ATC hand over the more recalcitrant pilots to the next ATC region.

Meanwhile I got served my ice cream dessert, glad I was sitting back in the cabin.

- Farmer Ted