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That is where I got my SES rating years ago, with Rich, who is an ex- carrier pilot. Over 400 landings with 60 shot at night, if memory serves me right. Very fun fellow to fly with, did you get to fly over Bagdad?

It took years, but finally got my own floatplane. What a hoot!

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I liked the video, This is a bucket list accomplishment for me one day.

The guy's a real pro. I couldn't open the link to the ATC audio of Allegiant Air 758 landing at Orlando, with Mr. Hensch arguing with the controller, while the Allegiant crew is dealing with an emergency.

The audio may have been taken down, but this web forum will give a little sense of what pilots thought of that little exchange with ATC: http://www.airlinepilotforums.com/hanga ... rding.html

Everyone who considers flying with this gent should listen to that ATC recording first.

MTV

Congratulations on the rating...in Florida, in a Maule M7 and surfing... as cool as it gets. Fun mixed with fun !!

mtv wrote:The guy's a real pro. I couldn't open the link to the ATC audio of Allegiant Air 758 landing at Orlando, with Mr. Hensch arguing with the controller, while the Allegiant crew is dealing with an emergency.

The audio may have been taken down, but this web forum will give a little sense of what pilots thought of that little exchange with ATC: http://www.airlinepilotforums.com/hanga ... rding.html

Everyone who considers flying with this gent should listen to that ATC recording first.

MTV

Read the comments, couldn't bring up the clip, either. He's not the first to get high and mighty over a few gallons of avgas, though. I was returning to GXY from Kelly Airpark a few years ago, and ideally the shortest route is northbound directly across the Denver Bravo. I rarely get that routing, but on that occasion I had. Another Cessna, however, was wanting to go Platteville to COS, southbound across the Bravo, and he was told to remain clear of the B. He apparently heard that I'd been cleared northbound and made such a ruckus about the extra amount of fuel he was going to have to burn, and why couldn't he go across the B when "that other Cessna" was cleared, and by gosh he'd go through the B if he wanted to, etc.--really tied up the frequency. When the controller finally got a word in edgewise, she repeated that he was to remain clear of the B and asked him to call a number upon landing, and he shut up.

Incidentally, it takes me about 20 minutes longer to go around the B, either west or east, which in my case means burning maybe 3-3.5 gallons more. In a faster airplane, it would take less time and burn more per hour, so probably about the same. If anyone can't afford the extra $20 that might cost, he/she shouldn't be flying.

As a relative local to a particular tower or approach segment, it doesn't seem very wise to get one's panties in a twist unless the pilot has been definitely mistreated by ATC (which can happen, of course), in which case it's probably a lot smarter to follow up the situation with a letter to the tower chief or approach chief.

Cary