ATC instructions refer to another aircraft, but...?

Andy Ericksen

Andy Ericksen

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Andy Ericksen
How would you handle a situation where ATC instructions refer to another aircraft by make or model but you don't know what that make or model looks like?

Example: "Cesna 123, runway 12 left via Charlie behind the Mooney, and hold short of 12 left"

yes I know what a Mooney is, but the possibilities are endless, what if I didn't know what a Mooney looks like?

or a cirrus, or a diamond, or a citation, or a bonanza, or a piper, or a ... you get the idea
 
For the most part you can figure it out with deductive reasoning. That would be the next behind the Mooney, or whatever.

After that, like anything else ATC, ask for clarification. There are terms like ‘student’ or ‘progressive taxi’ that can be used if needed, to alert them to a new or unfamiliar pilot.
 
Andy Ericksen said:
Example: "Cesna 123, runway 12 left via Charlie behind the Mooney, and hold short of 12 left"
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If there was only one aircraft ahead of me to which the instruction could possibly apply, I would taxi behind that aircraft. If there was any ambiguity, I would ask for clarification.
 
ATC said: “Experimental 142 Mike Golf, you are number two behind the Cessna 172, report in sight.” The Cessna Pilots Association was having a meeting at the field and the sky was filled with Cessna 172s. I nearly turned in front of a Cessna 172 on 10 mile straight in as another Cessna 172 was on short final.
 
Vance Breese said:
ATC said: “Experimental 142 Mike Golf, you are number two behind the Cessna 172, report in sight.” The Cessna Pilots Association was having a meeting at the field and the sky was filled with Cessna 172s. I nearly turned in front of a Cessna 172 on 10 mile straight in as another Cessna 172 was on short final.
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If the one on a straight-in was too close to safely turn in front of, that sounds like controller error, because when he said you were #2, that was an instruction to follow the 172 on short final, who was #1. If he wanted you to follow the 172 on a straight in, he should have said you were #3.

It's always a good idea to take a look up final, just in case (which it sounds like you did).
 
ATC: "Cessna 123, runway 12 left via Charlie behind the Mooney, and hold short of 12 left"

Cessna 123: "No member of the Unification Church in sight. Are you sure I shouldn't be following a Bhuddist?"
 
I asked a CFI who responded:

"Tower, confirm traffic is white with a brown stripe at my 2 o'clock, Cesna 123"

which sounds very professional :D
 
“How do I know which end of the Mooney is the behind?”
 
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