2.4 (10) "Nice Try"— My Favorite Words
Flying in Harmony with Air Traffic Controllers
At first, I felt strongly that I must never upset the controllers because they are like the law and simply record flight data. But as I flew the traffic pattern over and over, I started to feel as if we were flying together—as a team. Despite managing many pilots one after another, controllers issue instructions, clearances, and wind updates in a calm and organized way. Their steady voices help maintain safety and smooth traffic flow. I truly respect them and hope to fly as coordinated and professionally as they do.
One day, five pilots approaching the airspace of my base airport all tried to contact ATC at almost exactly the same time, without waiting for a reply. The controller said, “Don’t all talk at once! Contact in order. Who’s first?”
It was both surprising and a little funny to hear the pilots then calling in one by one, just as instructed. Sorry about that, controllers!
Winds Changed, Runway Changed
One day, while we were flying the traffic pattern, the wind shifted, and the active runway was switched to the opposite direction. Even though the traffic pattern was in the same location, the view from the cockpit looked completely different—almost as if I were flying at a whole new airport.
To make things even more interesting, all of my traffic pattern practice up to that point had been left-hand patterns, but now it was a right-hand pattern. The turns felt different, and I also found it harder to judge the right timing for the round-out on the final leg.
That day, I realized I had been relying too much on familiar scenery instead of truly applying the basics of traffic pattern flying—like knowing exactly where to turn base, regardless of the view.
My instructor said, “You don’t have to make perfect landings today. The winds are tricky—just treat this as a special learning experience.” Those words instantly made me feel more relaxed and positive. The landing practice that day was a good kind of struggle. Around this time, I actually began to enjoy challenging crosswind landings.
One of my favorite compliments ever came from that flight: my instructor’s simple but heartfelt, “Nice try.”
(continued)
Around this time, I came to enjoy difficult crosswind landing. The words the instructor said “Nice Try” is one of my most favorite words. (continued)